Language

Style of language

The story “The Dead” by James Joyce is written in a formal style. The narration does not use slang or contractions, and the vocabulary is fairly advanced. For instance: “He was still discomposed by the girl’s bitter and sudden retort. It had cast a gloom over him which he tried to dispel by arranging his cuffs and the bows of his tie.”

Sometimes, the sentences are long and complex, as they follow Gabriel’s stream of consciousness. For instance: “His curious eyes rested long upon her face and on her hair: and, as he thought of what she must have been then, in that first girlish beauty, a strange, friendly pity for her entered his soul.”

The formal language reflects Gabriel’s worldview, since the story is mostly told from his perspective. 

Gabriel also uses the same overly-formal language when he talks. For instance: “if anyone wants a little more of what vulgar people call stuffing let him or her speak”; or “kindly forget my existence, ladies and gentlemen, for a few minutes.” 

Every character in the story is given their unique voice, revealing their background and personalities. For instance, Lily expresses herself in a straightforward manner, with grammatical errors: “ ‘The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get our of you.’ ” This suggests her low social status. Mr Browne makes blunt, occasionally ill-mannered jokes, some of which are wordplays. For instance, in answer to A...