History, Memory, and Relationships with the Past in James Joyce’s Ulysses

Type :

Book review

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

04/15/2008

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
The begining of the novel
Portraying absolute value systems
Irish nationalism
1. The seemingly forward thinking Irish nationalists
A complete ignorance of the past and a lack of regret
Bloom as a forward thinking individual
1. Bloom's relationship with Stephen
The ideal relationship with the past
The episode of Wandering Rocks
The multi styled form of Ulysses
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

The past can be a daunting thing. From personal memory to history at large, the past has the power to bury those unable to establish a healthy relationship with it. One can easily become trapped - paralyzed - in the past through guilt, regret, or nostalgia, emotions generated based upon socially-constructed ideological frameworks of absolutes. james joyce's novel, ulysses, represents an ideal relationship with the past in its narrative, its structure, and its form, a relationship in which history acts as a base from which to build a future. By presenting the paralyzing dangers of becoming trapped in history and highlighting how one might grow towards the future while maintaining a relationship with the past through the character of Leopold Bloom, his relationship with Stephen Dedalus, and the experimental, multi-styled form of the novel itself, ulysses combines numerous elements which add up to something radically new, but something deeply grounded in the work and history of the past.