Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that great artists become famous and immortal because of the mark they leave in this world that made a difference; a difference that proved their innovativeness and deep understanding of their arts. The writer notes that it is in breaking with traditions and conventions of his time, and formulating his own canon of literature that ensured James Joyce a place in literary history where his works will still be discussed for decades to come. The writer points out that although Joyce wrote other literary pieces like 'Finnegans Wake' and 'Chamber Music', it is 'Ulysses' that brought concrete proof that Joyce will never be dismissed from the annals of literary masterpieces. The writer discusses that he writes with a cool and masterful detachment, which allows the reader to approach Joyce with a completely open mind, sometimes liking the warm humanity, sometimes detesting the cold arrogance of the man, always having the sense that he who was often a fool in his life was always wise in his work.

From the Paper:

"Dubliners depicted the stories of middle-class Irish folks living in Dublin in the early 20th century and the book exposed the feelings of nationalism and patriotism at the time when Ireland is seeking its own identity apart from British dominion. The importance of Dubliners in the annals of literature - and in Joyce's writings for that matter - is that the characters in the book served as a jump-off point for characters seen later in his other books.
"Dubliners did not give Joyce the rags-to-riches opportunity but instead it paved the way to a brighter and better literary career. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was Joyce's next piece de resistance, and was published in 1916. Portrait is somewhat an autobiographical book that depicts the life of Joyce's "alter ego" in the person of Stephen Dedalus. It is an epiphany of sorts for Joyce because his main character had a religious, social and political awakening and began questioning the teachings of the Catholic Church and the idealisms of Irish culture and tradition. The rebellious nature of Dedalus and his eventual departure for Paris paralleled the life Joyce had earlier on."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Colum, Padraic. With James Joyce in Ireland. 11 June 1922. 11 October 2007. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/01/09/specials/joyce-colum.html>.
• Cornell University. James Joyce: From Dublin to Ithaca. 2005. 11 October 2007. <http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/joyce/introduction/>.
• Farrell, James T. Joyce and His First Self-Portrait. 31 December 1944. 11 October 2007. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/01/09/specials/joyce-first.html>.
• Gray, Paul. The Time 100: James Joyce. 08 June 1998. 11 October 2007. <http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/joyce.html>.
• Kenner, Hugh. On the Centenary of James Joyce. 31 January 1982. 11 October 2007. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/01/09/specials/joyce-centenary.html>.

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