Ulysses by James Joyce

Overview

• Author: James Joyce
• Publication:
  • First published in installments from March 1918 to December 1920 in The Little Review.
  • Full novel published in 1922.
• Setting: Takes place on a single day - Thursday, June 16, 1904.
  • Significance of the date: The day Joyce met Nora Barnacle, his future wife.

Main Characters

• Leopold Bloom:

  • Central character.
  • A middle-aged newspaper canvasser and non-practicing Jew.
  • Represents Joyce's everyman.

• Stephen Dedalus:

  • Protagonist from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
  • Momentarily becomes Bloom's adopted son.
  • Represents the alienated artist.

• Molly Bloom:

  • Bloom's wife, a voluptuous singer.
  • Planning an afternoon of adultery with her music director.

Themes and Techniques

• Considered a prose masterpiece of modernism.
• Character Portrayal: Depth and humor are central to the narrative.
• Interior Monologue/Stream-of-Consciousness:
  • Innovative narrative technique.
  • Reflects how life is influenced by chance encounters and the complexities of the mind.

Relationship to The Odyssey

• Title Connection: Related to Homer's The Odyssey.
• Characters:
  • Bloom as Ulysses
  • Stephen as Telemachus
  • Molly as Penelope
• Joyce uses the Odyssey as a structural framework for his narrative.

Joyce's Creative Process

• Ulysses is seen as the culmination of Joyce's creativity and thematic development.
• Detailed Setting: Joyce meticulously planned character movements through Dublin, akin to a chess game.
• Dublin's Role:
  • The city becomes a character in its own right.
  • Atmosphere and physical places are intertwined with the human experience.

Mythical Method

• Term coined by T.S. Eliot, highlighting the use of myth to shape modern narratives.
• Emphasizes the contrast between the heroic past and modern life's fallen state.

Excerpt: Leopold Bloom's Morning

• Descriptive Passage: Bloom enjoys various foods (e.g., thick giblet soup, grilled mutton kidneys).
  • Illustrates Bloom's character and his mundane yet intimate morning routine.
• Interaction with the Cat:
  • Reflects on communication and understanding between humans and animals.
  • Symbolizes Bloom's reflective nature and curiosity.

Conclusion

• Ulysses is a complex exploration of daily life in Dublin, characterized by rich character development and innovative narrative techniques.