This week I was introduced to the Irish author, James Joyce, and reading “Dubliners ” one of the themes that stood out to me was the intersectionality of life and death. This theme was mainly present in the story, “The Death” in which Gabriel reveals the connections of the living and death as well as the impacts can can have on one another. This theme I felt so close to me because in my culture a lot of life depends on death and vise versa. In my family the death are very much present and unforgotten due to the fact that they became a part of the practices of our culture and keep us in touch to our roots. Gabriel was a character that when I thought about reminded me of two Disney films I enjoy and draw on this theme: Coco and UP.
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I self identify with Mexican culture and Coco is an excellent movie in revealing the foundation of a part of my culture. Gabriel is a great reference to Miguel in the fact that both are haunted by the dead, but also are rejecting of their roots and country. Miguel goes through a phase of disgrace against cultural practices and trying to make amends with what the death has caused to him and his family. Similarly there is Gabriel who is not to enthusiastic about his country and is haunted by the idea of his wife’s ex-lover making him feel closer to the death than the living.
Gabriel also reminded me of the movie “UP” especially the character of Carl. There is many similarities between these two characters. One of them being the disconnectedness from their country or where they find themselves at. Gabriel does not feel fond of Ireland while Carl finds the need to leave his environment or community to find home in a new place where his wife would want to be.Another is the role their wives take place in their lives and their attitudes are when it comes to love. I felt like both are men who are emotional but unable to control or distinguish their feelings. Gabriel towards the end of the story states that he loves his wife Gretta and if he did not know that before, while Carl know his love for his wife but is unable to show it and also show love or appreciate of other people. These two characters also deal with dead. Carl sees his wife and remembers her deeply in which at one point becomes jealous of things by remembering her and Gabriel is concerned for his wife thinking of her dead ex-lover. I thought how these characters well interconnected with each other and their experiences with life and death.
#weeksix #Joyce
