The past is buried by newer and more beautiful memories which overshadow our past. The present can cease to exist as a result of people’s social obligations, materials and their authority. People should focus on the present life events and people as well as newer ways of handling matters instead of dwelling on routines. Death is a devastating side of life that is inevitable, yet it helps us to appreciate the present life even more. Gabriel Conroy, the husband of Gretta in the book “The Dead” by James Joyce, tries to control his wife’s feelings throughout their marriage by his authority. A revelation by his wife about a past lover who died on his way to see her, and who is now only a memory brings an awakening to him. He discovers that in the future, he will only be a memory. The dead past has a significantly positive impact on living people, since it recalls human’s nature of love and discovers breathing people’s treasure. Also, it gives people an opportunity to introspect his/her mistakes. This essay will demonstrate how the dead past influences the living in their present by provoking love and introspect, leading to newer and better lives.
The dead past has a positive influence on living people, because it recalls human’s nature of love. At the end of the “feast of epiphany,” Gretta tells her husband about the young boy who she had grown fond off but who had died at the tender age of seventeen. Her husband is surprised that he is yet to find such intimate details about his wife. At first he is angry that his wife had been thinking of another lover, but later her husband gets an epiphany on the essence of life and how in the end we remain memories of our former self. The dead past leave us memories, the consequences of their actions and act as examples to us. The suffering after we lose someone invokes deeper feelings of love to those that are still in our lives . The story of Furey challenges Gabriel to reflect on his own life. At the age of seventeen the young man who had been passionate had managed to experience more love than Gabriel who chose to be controlling even though he was older than the young boy when he died. Reflecting on the life of the teenager he finds the young boy to have been very passionate; he had died on his way to see his object of affection, young Gretta in winter and the cold had killed him. Furey had not lived his life on certain regulations. He lived his life to the fullest and was able to derive more from his life. As a result of the way that he had treated Gretta, his memory was strongly embedded in her memory. Even after the many years have passed after their demise, the dead past who had great influence in our lives are never forgotten . Those whom we have loved in life have a certain amount of control in our lives even in death.
Gabriel is rather controlling to both his wife and children; he dictated what Gretta had to wear to the feast and that his son played with dumbbells. He does this as a way of showing love to his wife. He does this without the realisation that it has a negative effect on their marriage. Gabriel only realises this after hearing his wife talk to the older women about his controlling ways. After learning the intimate details of Gretta’s young love, Gabriel is filled with feelings of true love for his wife and tears well in his eyes. The realisation that a loved one in the present could become a memory in the future makes us to appreciate the time we have with them in the present . At hearing the story he realises that he is not the only man that Gretta had loved in her life. The greatest impression is made by those who we spent the most time with us and those who show us the greatest amount of kindness. Love is demonstrated by the amount of time they spend with us, the intimacy of our relations and the amount of affection they show us. Life is not meant to be controlled and dictated in a certain manner but it is meant to be lived to the fullest. Dead is inevitable but the pleasure we derive and give to others is what matter after we are gone. People remember those who show us the most affection and kindness and those who offer them the most of their time . Those who derive the most out of life are those who live extraordinary lives.
The dead past affects living people positively, since it encourages people to treasure the present persons. Gretta has lived with the pain of losing for a very long time. Death makes people understand loss and appreciate what we have. Even in death the people in our past have a positive impact on our present lives. We are still filled with beautiful memories of them. The knowledge that we will never get to spend more time with them again is an awakening to appreciate the people in our lives. In her moment of sorrow, Gabriel is able to see into her true inner self . In sorrow, we let people into the beauty of our soul and people are able to see us for who we truly are. People want to be remembered long after they are gone. How we remember the dead past influences our behavior in the present life so that when we are gone our memories do not die with us. The term the living dead is used to describe those who have departed since they somehow still exist among us. They still influence our character even after they are gone. A reflection on the life they lived and the memories we have of them gives us an insight on how we would want to be remembered when we are gone. The term the living dead is often used by the living to describe those who have departed as a symbol that they are still a part of us even in death . The biblical story about Jesus Christ lives on because he had a lot of impact on many people during his time, so much that it is passed from one generation to another. People are more influenced by people with whom they have a personal experience with than mere stories.
The dead past gives people a chance to introspect themselves, and became a better person in the future. Gabriel had become mixed in the world with his own identity being unclear even to those around him. He himself does not understand why he does some of the things that he does. The young Miss Ivors challenges his identity when she invites him to local trip which he declines saying that he has another trip organised to the western countries . The lady catches him off-guard when he questions why he would visit outside countries when he had never visited his own country. His emotions are seen to be battling in his head. In his self-study he looks into the way he has been carrying out his daily activities. He starts notices a number of mistakes that he has made in his past. His biggest mistakes is that his entire life was controlled; from his mannerism, his ideologies and how he went about life. As an educated man, there were certain expectations that the society had of him, and he had done nothing short of accomplishing them, but in so doing he had lost his identity. He does further soul searching and discovers that his actions were always directed at pleasing his aunts which caused him to be nervous a lot. He was swooned by the past that he had lived at the realisation of the impact of his actions to his family especially his wife. Introspection is an inner search into our true self. It involves linking our identity and purpose together. Most people go about life aimlessly without really accomplishing anything . Life becomes a mere routine that we have to follow. It becomes a boring cycle which eventually leads to our death. The dead past especially those who die at a young age open our eyes into the kind of lives that we would prefer to lead. The dead past encourages us to find ourselves and find a purpose in life which we are supposed to follow. Introspection is often followed by breaking from our self-made cocoons and finding out our true purpose in life and purpose. The dead past help us in realising that life is short and that there is more to life than living through life in a manner that the society expects us to. Introspect helps us in shaping ourselves all over again . Introspect changes the entire psychology of one by helping us see ourselves and the world differently. It enables us to discover that we are our own person and not what the world and the society expects us to be, and our destiny is our own.
In conclusion, the present life is under a positive effect from the past, because past experiences wake up human’s true love, and inspires people to appreciate what they have on hand. And people can think about their mistakes in the past to develop themselves. The story of the deceased Michael Furey made it possible for Gabriel to see things from a new perspective and appreciate his wife even more. This encounter also enables Gabriel to create an identity for himself and find a purpose for his life. He is able to reflect on his past life and change his way of living for the better. The realisation that he too could become a memory tomorrow prompts him to become a better person than he is. He is inspired to become a more loving husband to his wife. He discovers that there is more to life than boring routines which they have been following year after, as if awaiting the fateful day. The dead past play a major role in shaping our identity, purpose and a better character in life.
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