Often embodied by the character Mr. Browne, the color brown represents the drab-ness of Dublin. This opinion is most clear when Mary Jane remarks “Browne is out there, Aunt Kate” and Aunt Kate responds with “Browne is everywhere.” Outside, brown is everywhere, meaning that Dublin is a rather dull city.
Aunt Julia also bakes a pudding for the event, but warns the party guests that it’s “not quite brown enough.” Ironically Gabriel is the only guest who does not try the pudding, as he is not a fan of sweets. However, this is symbolic of the fact that he is the only party guest who is not a fan of Dublin life either.
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Brown Symbol Timeline in The Dead
The timeline below shows where the symbol Brown appears in The Dead. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 2
...colleague, Miss Ivors, for the next dance. She is a talkative young woman with striking brown eyes. She is wearing an Irish symbol on her collar. As they begin dancing she...
(full context)
...but does not participate in the conversation. The guests are discussing the opera, and Mr. Browne begins to talk of earlier times when there were more talented singers in Dublin. Mr....
(full context)
Section 3
...catch a cold and die. Mary Jane explains that the door was open because Mr. Browne is outside, and Aunt Kate jokes, “Browne is everywhere.” They joke that Mr. Browne is...
(full context)
