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A Literary Analysis of Ulysses

Ulysses is a complex novel by James Joyce published in 1922 that is set in Dublin over the course of a single day in 1904. The novel closely follows Homer's Odyssey in its structure and themes of life as a journey. It focuses on three main characters - Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom, and Stephen Dedalus - who represent different stages of life's voyage. In contrast to the epic adventures of Odysseus, Joyce portrays everyday life in Dublin as dreary and mundane. The characters exemplify the boredom of routines like work and chores. Through them, Joyce comments on life's journey as depressing rather than heroic.

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296 views4 pages

A Literary Analysis of Ulysses

Ulysses is a complex novel by James Joyce published in 1922 that is set in Dublin over the course of a single day in 1904. The novel closely follows Homer's Odyssey in its structure and themes of life as a journey. It focuses on three main characters - Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom, and Stephen Dedalus - who represent different stages of life's voyage. In contrast to the epic adventures of Odysseus, Joyce portrays everyday life in Dublin as dreary and mundane. The characters exemplify the boredom of routines like work and chores. Through them, Joyce comments on life's journey as depressing rather than heroic.

Uploaded by

Edwin mutembei
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A Literary Analysis of Ulysses

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A Literary Analysis of Ulysses

Ulysses, a nobly dense and thrilling novel composed by Irish author James Joyce in 1922,

is predominantly contemplated as the masterpiece of literature and has been the discipline of

countless volumes of explications, annotations and analysis. In its entirety, the exertion of

Ulysses transpire in and instantly near Dublin on an exclusive single day in 1904 (Travis, 2015).

The novel comprises three main characters, Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom and Stephen Dedalus

whom the author employs to accentuate on the main themes and plot of the novel which refer to

life as an expedition. James constructed the structure of Ulysses from the framework of one of

the distinguished and highly dominant works in the global liberal arts, The Odyssey, composed

by Homer (Lawrence, 2014). Odyssey is a grand poem of olden Greece which portrays the

expedition of life as a valorous and daring adventure. Odysseus, which means Ulysses in Roman

dialect, is the protagonist of this legendary fable who encounters numerous hazards, including

monsters and hostile gods, in the course of his journey to Ithaca following the Trojan battle.

In James era, he also illustrate life as a voyage in emulation of Homer, but James

contemplate this expedition as dreary, mundane and monotonous. The character of Leopold, who

is a Jewish nationality but lives in Dublin portrays the boring scenario of this journey. Travis

(2015), assert that Leopold escapades revolved around taking breakfast, catering for his animals,

attending interment, doing menial jobs and wondering about his treacherous wife. Molly,

Leopold’s deceitful spouse, exhibit the devoted woman of Ulysses, who spends her schedule

weaving to look after her suitors while she anticipated the return of her hubby. Stephen, a

youthful zealous author delineate the offspring of Ulysses, who probe for his dad. Although

Stephen is not Leopold’s son, Stephen is portrayed as probing for a charismatic father to
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substitute his own dipsomaniac father. The three characters represent a typical daily routine in

Dublin which is depressing.


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References

Lawrence, K. (2014). The odyssey of style in Ulysses. Princeton University Press.

Travis, C. (2015). Visual Geo-Literary and Historical Analysis, Tweetflickrtubing, and James

Joyce's Ulysses (1922). Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 105(5),

927-950.

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