This is the case with Gabriel in "The Dead" as well. Throughout much of the action of the story, Gabriel appears at a loss as to who he is, which is directly related to how he is perceived. The first time in the story this is noticed is to the beginning, when he gives a coin to Lily out of an unspecified yet apparently selfless motive. Gabriel wants to share himself with others, but is unable to do s in a manner he feels befits him because he is unsure of himself, and unsure of how others react to him. This becomes painfully clear at the end of the story, when Gabriel realizes that the nature of love is related to the desire for death in love's absence: "His soul had approached that region where dwell the vast hosts of the dead. He was conscious of, but could not apprehend,...
[ View Full Essay]