Notes on James Joyce

 

Born in Dublin in 1882 - educated at Jesuit schools – classical studies - later went to University College Dublin - graduated in French and Italian - studied Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Odissey by Homer.

Was also influenced by Walter Pater (theoretician of Aestheticism)

Came from a well to do family

His father was a supporter of Charles Parnell (leading supporter of Home Rule for Ireland) – Parnell’s fortunes declined after the Catholic Church turned against him.

- Catholic upbringing.

- Influenced by Ibsen (hypocrisy of middle class) and by Yeats (national Irish literature)

- rejected stagnant atmosphere of Dublin - rejected nationalist movement after Parnell's decline.

- Saw patriotism as a backward movement which paralysed free spirit – did not share enthusiasm for Gaelic revival 

- Left Ireland – self imposed exile – went to live in Trieste and Rome. In Trieste he met Svevo whom he taught English.

The role of the artist for Joyce was not to convince but to make people see for themselves. That’s why the work of art should be as impersonal as possible. To make sure the voice of the narrator carried no messages, he adopted different points of view, different narrative voices, different linguistic styles for different characters. His problem was how to convey the subjective dimension of reality. He wanted to portray the human condition and subjectivity of experience. Different perceptions of same reality.

 

1904 is an important year for Joyce: on June 16th he meets his future wife Nora Barnacle (and that's the day in which Ulysses is set), he leaves Ireland, he publishes Chamber Music a work written in verses, begins to sketch Dubliners and Stephen Hero. 

 

Dubliners is published in 1914. It is a collection of fifteen short stories, a realistic portrait of the lives of ordinary people living in a provincial Dublin, oppressed by Catholic religion and trapped in their familiar, moral, cultural and political beliefs.

 

main features:

very detailed description, naturalistic description is combined with symbolism (as in Flaubert and Zola). The details always have a further and deeper meaning. 

 

Time is always perceived as subjective because the inner world of characters is far more important that external events.

 

Each story opens in medias res and is mostly told from the perspective of a character.

 

No didactic or moral aim because the author seeks the impersonality of the artist

 

Epiphany: a "sudden spiritual manifestation" caused by a banal gesture or a trivial incident in an ordinary situation bring the subject to a sudden self-realisation, a sudden and deep understanding of his/her inner self.

The epiphany coincides with the climax of the stories

 

Themes:

- Paralysis. In Dubliners the main characters are portrayed as being slaves of their familiar, moral, cultural, religious and political lives. They either lack the courage to break the ties which bind them to their subjugated lives or are not aware of them.

- Escape. The sense of confinement, which many characters experience, prompts them to escape but then failure is their destiny. They live as exiles in Ireland and cannot free themselves from the bonds which tie them to their world. 

- Paralysis and escape are shown in characters who represent all the phases of human existence: childhood, adolescence, mature life and public life 

 

Narrative Technique

No omniscient narrator, no single point of view: stories are always told from the perspective of a character. Free direct speech or free direct thought are used extensively. The narrator presents the protagonist's thought but is never obtrusive. 

 

Eveline

the characters: 

- Eveline = passive, subdued, under the influence of her family's backwards mentality

- Her father = hopelessly violent, strict, tyrannical

- Frank = kind, open-hearted, hopeful, longing for a better future

 

antithesis

- Eveline's home vs their new house in Buenos Aires

- paralysis vs escape

- constraint vs freedom

- tedious existence vs exciting experience

- dust vs sea (restraint vs openness)

 

structure and style

- medias res opening

- 3rd person narrator but with Eveline's point of view

- subjective perception of time

- symbolic words: dust = decay, monotony, paralysis; sea = action, freedom, escape

 

Theme

failure, paralysis, helplessness, repetition compulsion (psychoanalytic term indicating a behavioral pattern through which the subject re-enacts familiar patterns of behavior which were were somehow negative or distressing in earlier life)

 

 

Ulysses

Ulysses is a novel written by James Joyce and published in 1922.

It is considered one of the most influential and challenging works of modernist literature. Set in Dublin, Ireland, on a single day, June 16, 1904, the novel follows the experiences and inner thoughts of three main characters: Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus, and Molly Bloom.

The narrative structure of Ulysses is complex and experimental, employing various literary styles and techniques. Each chapter presents a different perspective and explores different aspects of the characters' lives and the city of Dublin. The novel is heavily influenced by Homer's Odyssey, with each chapter paralleling an episode from the ancient epic.

Leopold Bloom, a Jewish advertising salesman, represents the figure of Odysseus (or Ulysses) in the modern world. Throughout the day, Bloom navigates the city, encounters various people, and reflects on a range of topics, including sexuality, identity, politics, religion, and mortality. Bloom's experiences and thoughts intertwine with those of Stephen Dedalus, a young writer and intellectual, who struggles with his own identity and artistic aspirations.

The novel delves into the characters' consciousness, using stream-of-consciousness narrative techniques, wordplay, and linguistic experimentation to capture their inner thoughts, desires, and anxieties. The language in Ulysses is dense and highly allusive, incorporating multiple languages and styles, reflecting Joyce's desire to capture the complexity and diversity of human experience.

The final chapter, famously known as Molly Bloom's soliloquy, is a stream-of-consciousness monologue that provides insight into the mind of Leopold Bloom's wife. Molly reflects on her life, desires, and memories, ending the novel with a celebration of sensual and emotional fulfillment.

Ulysses is a challenging and rewarding reading experience, exploring themes of identity, sexuality, social and political issues, and the nature of art. It is celebrated for its groundbreaking narrative techniques, rich language, and profound exploration of the human condition.

 

Stream of Consciousness Technique

It is a technique which aims to capture on the page what language really sound in our own minds. It is an attempt to voice the thoughts, sensations, feelings that the subject experiences.

Past and present, inner feelings and external sensations coexist in the mind of each of us and if the writer wants to give an objective account of a character's voice, the most realistic means is the technique of the stream of consciousness.

So, punctuation is abolished, words are strained, played upon, distorted, even given a subjective meaning. The rhythm is altered as if to express bodily sensations. A fine example of this technique in action is the famous monologue of Mollie Bloom.