Narratives contain characters that differ in some way or another, thereby allowing distinction between characters to establish importance in the narrative per se. Specifically, “round” and “flat” are two of the most notable of these types. Round characters are usually very complex with varied and contradictory traits, while flat characters display only one or two traits that are remarkable and constant throughout the narrative. In The Dead by James Joyce, Gabriel Conroy is a perfect example of a “round” character. Gabriel Conroy is a very complex character whose personality traits change throughout the narrative as he interacts with other characters. James Joyce makes Gabriel Conroy a “ round” character in The Dead not so much as to display Gabriel’s change in behavior and his fragility of “intellectual superiority” when confronted with emotional situations, but mainly to show how Gabriel’s experiences create an inward change that makes him realize that life must be lived with passion.
Gabriel Conroy’s varied and complex personality traits arise from his interaction with other characters throughout the narrative. At the introduction of the narrative, Conroy’s happy mood suddenly changes to one of deep meditation as he unknowingly insults Lily, the housemaid, saying: “I suppose we’ll be going to your wedding one of these fine days with your young man, eh?” This comment insults Lily tremendously for she does not like Conroy’s remarks on her love life and answers back to in an angry tone, “ He was still discomposed by the girl’s bitter and sudden retort. It had a cast of gloom over him which he tired to dispel by arranging his cuffs and the bows of his tie.” Henceforth, Conroy’s personality suddenly changes as he now worries about what others might think of him if he dared to speak to anyone in such manner. Here Conroy’s behavior begins to change in the narrative and consequently his “inability” deal with such situations is shown.
After having had the incident with Lily, Conroy’s begins to feel somewhat uncomfortable and as such uneasy about his character. Thus, when Miss Ivors calls him “West Briton” he starts losing his sense of security. Here, the fact that Gabriel is a “round” character is reinforced, as he does not know how to cope with either situation; he flees and attempts to engage in conversation with other guests at the gathering. This particular trait shows how complex this character is: despite his apparent “intellectual superiority” compared to that of the other guests, he does not know how to deal with uncomfortable situations. Shortly after, when Gabriel begins his speech, he regains confidence and addresses the guests in an excellent way so as prove to himself that he can still be in control of his emotions.
However, Gabriel’s uneasiness only intensifies when he observes his wife Gretta transfixed at the end of the gathering. It is here when Gabriel desires to be alone with her: “He was trembling now with annoyance. Why did she seem so abstracted? He did not know how he could begin.” Once again, Gabriel’s role as a “round” character is reinforced as the narrator explains his varied, complicated traits.
Gabriel’s behavior changes immediately shortly after the introduction of the narrative; but no only his behavior changes, but also his rationality as well. After having questioned Gretta regarding her change in mood, and discovered that it was because she had fallen passionately in love with a friend of hers (Michael Furey), he has an epiphany in which he reflects on his actions and how these brought change upon his persona: “He was conscious of, but could not apprehend, their wayward and flickering existence. His own identity was fading out into a grey impalpable world: the solid world itself which these dead had one time reared and lived in was dissolving and dwindling”. Gabriel’s interactions with other character in the narrative cause an n inward change in behavior and as such a change in mentality as he now realizes that life must be lived with passion. In the end, James Joyce shows how Gabriel’s complex, bizarre and varied personality traits make him a unique “round” character in the story of The Dead.
