James Joyce's "Ulysses"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the relationship of the two of the main protagonists in James Joyce's "Ulysses"---the young, lapsed Irish Catholic Stephen Dedalus and the older,lapsed Jew Leopold Bloom. The author points out that the story evolves through a kind of stream-of-consciousness narrative style; whereby, the reader receives an impressionist, fragmented sense of what life is like in a single day in Dublin. The paper suggests that, by using the protagonists Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus to suggest a modern Odysseus story, Joyce demonstrates the relevance of myth, even to modern life, albeit a myth that must be reconfigured to suit the modern era. The paper includes the quota passage.

From the Paper:

"When reflecting on such a passage excerpted from the section of the novel entitled "Ithaca," one is provoked to query why does a work set in Ireland locate it in a fictional Greek island of literary history? This suggests a parallel between the two men's journey through Ireland at the moment of the novel with Odysseus' search for home. Later in the passage, Leopold Bloom will find himself locked out of his home, as Odysseus in Homer's epic poem had to fight to regain his home. Bloom must also fight for the affections of his wife against rival suitors, not unlike the Homeric hero."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Attride, Derek. The Cambridge Companion to James Joyce. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Blamires, Harold. The New Bloomsday Book: Guide through Ulysses. London: Routledge, 1996.
• Blamires, Harold. The Bloomsday Book: Guide through Ulysses. London: Routledge, 1974.
• Hart, Clive & Denise Hayman. James Joyce Ulysses: Critical Essays. Berkley: University of California Press, 1977.
• Kenner, Hugh. Joyce's Voices. London: Dalkey Archive Press, 2007.

More papers on James Joyce's "Ulysses":

• Analytical Essay # 59926 : "James Joyce"
• Analytical Essay # 108297 : "James Joyce's Place in Literary History"
• Analytical Essay # 73866 : "James Joyce"
• Book Review # 120053 : "Reality and Motion in James Joyce's "Ulysses"

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