Repetition and Reflexivism in The Dead essays

Repetition and Reflexivism in The Dead essays James Joyces The Dead experiments with properties that associate with musical counterpoint, where one melody is accompanied by one or more other melodies all woven into a harmonious whole (counterpoint). In music, two separate notes in a chord form a harmony, while in The Dead, Joyce uses two separate topics that are in the same music, life, but not part of the same note. Joyce uses repetition to emphasize the importance of certain aspects or reoccurring themes in the story to further tie the bonds between the otherwise separate notes. David Mosley analyzes The Dead and argues that the entire point of the story is that life is a perpetual cycle. Gabriel is merely a single note in a composition that constantly repeated itself. The pattern is the continual cycle of birth, life, and death. While everything during life is autonomous, eventually the song for that individual ends, only to have another song begin. The repetition in the story leads to varying interpretations of the con cepts, actions, and thoughts of the characters. Through deconstruction of The Dead, John Paul Riquelme explains how the story is and is not realistic. Riquelme feels that there are multiple meanings to the text and whether the story is read in the literal sense or not, opposite points might be drawn from the story. Both Mosley and Riquelme address themes that reoccur throughout The Dead, by stressing repetition and the use of reflexivism. Another term for repetition is recapitulation, which is to restate briefly. Recapitulation deals with reoccurring themes, that Beethoven used often in his music. The Dead primarily deals with repeating themes and Gabriel begins to recognize this fact at the end of the story. He is just a part of a grand scheme, or musical piece. He is a single note among many in the great song of life. In the closing narrative ...