The Dead is widely considered to be one of the greatest short stories in the English language. At between 15-16,000 words it has also been considered a novella.

The story centres on Gabriel Conroy on the night of the Morkan sisters' annual dance and dinner in the first week of January 1904. "The Dead" develops toward a moment of painful self-awareness; Joyce described this as an epiphany. The narrative concentrates on Gabriel's insecurities, his social awkwardness, and the defensive way he copes with his discomfort. The story culminates at the point when Gabriel discovers that, through years of marriage, there was much he never knew of his wife's past.