James Joyce The Dead - Effect From Beyond the Grave

It is known that many times people have their greatest effect on the living after they have passed away. In the story The Dead, by James Joyce, it is clearly seen that Michael Furey, has his greatest effect on Gretta from beyond the grave. Death shows man's greatest flaw and when people have a close brush with it, they are forced to come to the reality that they, too, will someday die. The realization that …

…whether or not Furey would have impacted Gretta's life so much if he had not died and left her to build up fantasies in her mind about what could have been between Michael and Gretta. The unselfishness of Michael's acts for Gretta left her with a nearly perfect man to compare all future boyfriends to. Because Michael had been such a great boyfriend in life, he left a lasting effect on Gretta in his death.