Gabriel Conroy shares much in common with the unnamed boys at the center of the first three Dubliners stories. He is no less intelligent than his young predecessors, certainly, at least in the conventional sense of the word. He appears well educated, too; in fact, he earns his living from his intelligence and education, as a professor and book reviewer.
Partly as a result of these qualities, Gabriel is alienated, as well. Ironically, he is no less alone at the lively, crowded party thrown by his beloved aunts than is the protagonist of "Araby" on his solitary way to the church bazaar. While others appear gaily focussed on food and drink, music and conversation, Gabriel mainly obsesses over the speech he will make after dinner. Even while dancing with the "frank-mannered, talkative" Miss Ivors, he is preoccupied by things intellectual. It is also revealed during their conversation that he writes for a newspaper in favor of maintaining Union with Great Britain, and he spends his vacations abroad — both of which mark him as out of step with the passionately Irish guests at his aunts' party. Gabriel "coldly" refuses to travel to the west of the country, despite his wife's intense desire to do so. (Gretta comes from that part of Ireland.) "I'm sick of my own country, sick of it!" he finally admits to Miss Ivors, though he fails to explain why this is so. As a result, her feelings wounded, she leaves the party before dinner. Even while eating, Gabriel "set to his supper and took no part in the conversation."
