Ulysses

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1922

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Episodes 1-3

Episodes 4-6

Episodes 7-9

Episodes 10-12

Episodes 13-15

Episodes 16-18

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Background

Literary Context: James Joyce and Modernism

Joyce is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modernist literature. Born on February 2, 1882, in Dublin, Ireland, Joyce’s life and work revolutionized the way fiction is perceived and understood. His most celebrated novel, Ulysses, epitomizes his innovative literary techniques and profound exploration of human consciousness. Joyce was raised in a middle-class Catholic family. He attended the Jesuit schools Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College, where he excelled academically and demonstrated a keen interest in literature. He later enrolled at University College Dublin, where he studied modern languages and began developing his literary skills. After completing his education, Joyce left Ireland in 1902 and settled in continental Europe. He lived in various cities, including Paris, Trieste, and Zurich. These cosmopolitan environments exposed him to different cultures and ideas. Joyce was fascinated by the complexities of human consciousness and sought to capture the inner thoughts and experiences of his characters in his work, many of whose interior monologues stray into the languages to which Joyce was exposed, such as Italian, French, or Spanish. In 1914, Joyce published his first major work, Dubliners, a collection of 15 short stories that offer a vivid portrayal of Dublin’s middle-class life. The stories are marked by a realistic style and themes of paralysis and epiphany. Dubliners received critical acclaim for its innovative narrative techniques and incisive social commentary. However, Joyce faced significant challenges in getting the book published due to its controversial content.

Following the publication of Dubliners, Joyce began working on his semi-autobiographical novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Published in 1916, the novel explores the early years of the protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, as he grows up in Ireland and struggles with his identity as an artist. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man showcases Joyce’s experimentation with narrative voice and stream-of-consciousness technique, allowing readers to delve into the protagonist’s thoughts and experiences. However, it was Joyce’s magnum opus, Ulysses, published in 1922, that solidified his reputation as a pioneer of Modernist fiction, which responded to a rapidly urbanizing and industrializing world with a desire to reshape the world, sometimes through the reification of Classical ideas. Ulysses takes its inspiration from Homer’s Odyssey and follows the events of a single day in Dublin, June 16, 1904. The main character is Leopold Bloom, but Joyce’s semi-autobiographical character Stephen Dedalus returns after the events of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. The novel employs a wide range of innovative narrative styles, including stream-of-consciousness, internal monologues, and richly layered allusions. It explores the themes of identity, sexuality, religion, and the human condition, offering a profound and complex depiction of ordinary life. Due to its explicit content and unconventional narrative structure, Ulysses faced numerous legal challenges and was initially banned in many countries, including the United States. However, its reputation as a groundbreaking work of literature continued to grow. Scholars and critics hailed Ulysses as a masterpiece that reshaped the boundaries of fiction, challenging traditional notions of plot and character.

Joyce’s writing style in Ulysses weaves together multiple perspectives and linguistic experiments. He employs puns, parodies, and an extensive vocabulary to capture the essence of his characters’ thoughts and experiences. The novel’s final episode is particularly noteworthy, as it presents the thoughts of Molly Bloom in a stream-of-consciousness monologue. This experimental technique reveals the intimate details of Molly’s mind, breaking new ground in the representation of female subjectivity. Stream-of-consciousness styles would become a hallmark of early and late Modernist fiction, used by writers such as Marcel Proust, T. S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf. Similarly, Joyce frequently switches literary mode across episodes. Episode 15 is presented as a play, for example, while Episode 17 is a series of questions and answers. In doing so, Joyce seems to capture the broad complexity of life on one day in Dublin by exploring his characters from every literary perspective. His use of Modernist techniques in Ulysses would provide a template for the Modernist and Post-Modernist literature that followed, including his own final novel, Finnegans Wake.

Literary Context: Homer, Odysseus, and The Odyssey

The Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the foundational works of Western literature. Composed around the eighth century BCE, it tells the story of the hero Odysseus (or Ulysses in Latin) and his long and arduous journey home after the Trojan War. The epic poem is divided into 24 books and covers a wide range of themes, including heroism, homecoming and hospitality, adventure, fate, and the nature of humanity. The Odyssey begins with Odysseus being held captive by the nymph Calypso on the island of Ogygia. Meanwhile, back in his homeland of Ithaca, suitors vie for the hand of his wife, Penelope, believing Odysseus is dead. The gods intervene, and the hero is freed to continue his journey home, which takes many years and on which Odysseus and his crew encounter many hardships, most of them deadly. With the help of Athena, Odysseus disguises himself and enters his home, testing the loyalty of his wife and servants before revealing his identity and reclaiming his throne.

Throughout the poem, Odysseus encounters numerous challenges and adventures. He faces mythical creatures such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the sorceress Circe, and the man-eating monsters Scylla and Charybdis. He also visits the land of the Lotus-Eaters, the underworld of Hades, and the island of the enchantress Circe. These encounters test his wit, courage, and determination to return home. The Odyssey is not only a tale of physical trials but also an exploration of human nature. Odysseus must navigate the temptations of seductive goddesses and the allure of immortality, while also confronting the consequences of his actions and decisions.

The influence of The Odyssey extends far beyond its ancient origins. Its themes, characters, and narrative structure have had a profound impact on literature throughout history. In Joyce’s Ulysses, the parallel between Homer’s epic and the Modernist novel is evident. Ulysses takes place in Dublin on a single day, June 16, 1904, and follows the lives of its protagonists, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, as they navigate their own personal odysseys. In 1921, Joyce prepared a schema for his friend’s lecture about the novel in which he breaks down the ways in which his 18 episodes correspond to the individual books of The Odyssey, as well as listing which organs, colors, symbols, arts, and literary techniques dominate each episode. Joyce’s Ulysses draws multiple parallels to The Odyssey. For example, the Cyclops episode in The Odyssey finds its counterpart in the “Cyclops” episode of “Ulysses,” where Bloom encounters a hostile nationalist and xenophobic figure. Leopold Bloom represents Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus is the Telemachus figure, and Molly Bloom mirrors Penelope. By basing his work on such a well-regarded historical epic, Joyce explores the Modernist idea of the human consciousness. A day in the life of Leopold Bloom may seem mundane compared to the magical travails of a Greek hero. By associating Bloom’s story with Homer’s epic, however, Joyce explores the heroism of the working-class individual, subtly noting that each life is incredibly complex and interesting in its own right.

Beyond Joyce’s Ulysses, The Odyssey has influenced countless other works of literature, including Tennyson’s poem Ulysses and Margaret Atwood’s novella The Penelopiad. Its enduring themes and archetypal characters continue to resonate with readers.

Cultural Context: Irish History

The struggle for Irish independence plays an important role in Ulysses. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Irish republicanism emerged as a powerful political and social movement, aiming to achieve Irish independence from British rule. This period witnessed significant developments in Irish nationalism, with figures like Charles Parnell leading the movement and events such as the Phoenix Park Murders leaving a lasting impact on the Irish struggle for independence. Both Parnell and the Phoenix Park Murders are discussed at length in Ulysses.

Charles Stewart Parnell, born in County Wicklow, Ireland, in 1846, played a pivotal role in shaping Irish republicanism during this time. Parnell became the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1880, advocating for Home Rule, which sought to establish an Irish parliament while maintaining ties to the British Crown. Parnell’s leadership brought together different factions of Irish nationalism and propelled the movement towards greater prominence. Parnell’s political strategy focused on leveraging the strength of the Irish vote in the British Parliament to achieve his goals. He was known for his skillful oratory and astute negotiation tactics. Parnell’s popularity surged, and he became a prominent figure both in Ireland and internationally, capturing the imagination of the Irish people and inspiring them with his vision of Irish self-governance. However, Parnell’s political career was marred by controversy and tragedy. One of the most significant events was the Phoenix Park Murders, which occurred on May 6, 1882. In a shocking act of violence, Lord Frederick Cavendish, the newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Burke, his undersecretary, were assassinated in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. The murders were carried out by a radical splinter group known as the Invincibles, who opposed Parnell’s moderate approach to achieving Irish independence. Their aim was to destabilize the political landscape and push for more radical action. The Phoenix Park Murders sent shockwaves through Irish society and had far-reaching consequences for the Irish nationalist movement.

Although Parnell had no direct involvement in the murders, he faced immense pressure and scrutiny due to his leadership position. His political opponents seized the opportunity to discredit him and the Irish nationalist cause. The British government responded with harsh measures, implementing the Coercion Act to suppress Irish nationalism and undermine Parnell’s influence. Parnell’s leadership was further challenged when it was revealed that he had been involved in an extramarital affair with Katherine (or Kitty) O’Shea, the wife of a fellow Irish MP. The scandal caused a major rift within the Irish nationalist movement and weakened Parnell’s political standing. Despite these setbacks, Parnell remained a formidable figure, continuing to fight for Irish Home Rule. Tragically, Parnell’s career was cut short by his untimely death in 1891 at the age of 45. His passing marked a significant loss for the Irish nationalist movement. Parnell’s funeral in Dublin drew massive crowds, demonstrating the enduring support and admiration he had garnered. Ulysses, set in 1904, plays out in the shadow of Parnell’s downfall. Bloom and Stephen share their opinions about the Invincibles, the Phoenix Park Murders, and they meet people who were supposedly involved in the event. Bloom is not wholly in agreement with the Invincibles’ tactics, and he chooses to sympathize with the husband of Kitty O’Shea, as both men are husbands to unfaithful wives.

Although Parnell’s tenure as a leader came to an end, his legacy and impact on Irish republicanism were profound. He laid the foundation for future leaders and organizations in their pursuit of Irish independence. Parnell’s charismatic leadership style, strategic approach, and ability to unite disparate factions set the stage for the more radical revolutionary movements that would follow. The Phoenix Park Murders, while a tragic event, also had a lasting impact on Irish republicanism. The assassinations served as a wake-up call, revealing the deep divisions within the movement and highlighting the need for a more unified and disciplined approach. The event fueled public outrage and led to increased surveillance and repression by the British government, further fueling the desire for independence among Irish nationalists. In the aftermath of Parnell’s death and the Phoenix Park Murders, the struggle for Irish independence continued to evolve. The nationalist movement became more radicalized, with organizations like the Irish Republican Brotherhood and later Sinn Féin advocating for complete separation from British rule. These groups would play a crucial role in the Easter Rising of 1916 and the subsequent Irish War of Independence. Ulysses was published in the aftermath of the Easter Rising and, much like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, is written by a man who is struggling to come to terms with his love of Ireland and his guilt for leaving the country at a pivotal moment in its history. Bloom’s hesitancy with regard to republicanism and Stephen’s alienation from the nationalist movement reflect Joyce’s own complicated feelings of patriotism and guilt.