Different Points of View throughout James Joyces Novel Ulysses - Essay Example

Discuss the use of different points of view throughout the novel (including but not limited to Bloom, Stephen and Molly) why does Joyce split the narrator function in this way? Introduction Different authors employ different styles of writing to make their literary works appealing. James Joyce in his novel Ulysses uses different characters as the narrators. This is done intentionally with the author in order to idealize a certain version of the author. Joyce also uses this technique since the characters are addressing the audience directly and this appeal and motivates the audience or the readers of the book. This concept breaks forth the wall as the reader or the audience since the fiction presented is extended hence creating illusions. in his novel, he has been able to use flashbacks as the narrators try to appeal to the audience. The author has employed exaggeration when the narrator Penelope talks of Odysseus slaughters her suitors one by one. The writer has also used sensory detail through the use of different narrators to present his ideas. For example, Leopold Bloom is a character who appeals to the senses when he expresses his eating habits. James Joyce in his novel Ulysses has varied themes in almost all the 18 chapters of the book. Joyce says that he made the book so complex so that the lecturer would spend so much time to understand what he is trying to portray. The book has won so much attention and criticism. It was once banned in the US until 1934 due to its pornographic nature. The book is also too voluminous, which has caused lots of criticism. However, Joyce opted to use so many themes to increase in depth perception of the book to express him. The reason for using different narrators in this novel is an essential factor Joyce considered so that he could make the novel more hilarious. Different writers and narrators have different opinions regarding their perception. Joyce has employed in his novel this virtue. Molly Bloom Joyce has also used a device as a split narrator technique by engaging Molly Bloom in using the word yes at the beginning and the end of the chapter. Joyce has also been able to integrate well the narrator function by creating different ideas. Molly Bloom the wife of the main character Leopold Bloom is an exceptional character in this novel. Molly is interesting due to the varied characteristics that she possesses in the novel. Joyce describes the word yes as the female word. Joyce developed this character based on his wife. Joyce remembered June 16th 1964, the very first day the two went for their first date (Kiberd, Ulysses and Us: the art of everyday living.). The day is still memorable and celebrated as Bloomsday. To begin with, she is unfaithful while the husband is very faithful. Molly is having an affair with Hugh Blazes Baylon despite being married for 10 years to his husband. Her physicality is contrasting with other females in the novel hence Molly is compared with characters like his husband Leopold and Stephen Dedalus. Molly is also different from Penelope who is also very faithful. She is able to arouse his husband in bed in the last episode of the novel. She rekindles very long memories of how she fell in love with Leopold. She compares herself to a rose flower. Molly reminds the husband about their kisses. Molly also narrates about how she pulled Leopold closer to her so that he could squeeze her breasts and smell the perfume. In the very last words of the novel, Molly describes how they proposed to each other with so many yesses to their marriage proposal. This episode is also unique since it begins with the word ‘yes’ and ends with the word ‘yes’. Stephen Dedalus James Joyce uses the technique of split narrative in order to portray a background of the story narrator. This character is portrayed as a protagonist and antihero in this novel. Joyce also uses a deleted affair of romantic scenes, which are not present in the novel but ac as narrator function. James uses Stephen as a narrator to bring about irony. Stephen is considered as a man who respects fidelity and does not engage in unfaithful acts to break his marriage to Molly Bloom. However, irony is created when Stephen fantasizes and masturbates while watching Deasy. Stephen is introduced in the first chapter of the novel giving opinions concerning religion. He relates the concept of religion to his mum’s death. Stephen’s mother was suffering from cancer and she died. Stephen is not happy with Mulligan especially after hearing a remark made by him. Stephen visits a school headmaster Mr. Deasy who together makes stories about the Jews. However, Mr. Deasy’s sentiments are not welcomed with Stephen especially when he says that the Jews from Ireland never persecuted the Jews. Stephen in his defiance claims that history is a nightmare from which he is trying to awake. He continues by saying that God is a shout in the street (Arnold). This phrase has been captured and criticized by many authors. This phrase also creates a major theme in this novel. Stephen as a teacher is also portrayed as very bright. He argues out in length concerning his theory of obscure autobiography regarding the work of William Shakespeare. He also questions the role of fatherhood in Shakespeare’s works. This also brings out his role as a protagonist character in the novel. His brilliance is also emphasized in the novel when he suggests that a man who is a genius has no room for mistakes and does not make errors. At the end, he discredits his own views for lack of confidence and evidence to support his theory. Stephen’s character mirrors most of Joyce’s life. Stephen is able to sing well and possess a good tenor voice especially while singing the Johannes Jeep’s song “Von der Sirenen Listigkeit”. His protagonist role is also emphasized with a quote “I fear those big words that makes us so unhappy”. Leopold Bloom Leopold Bloom is a protagonist just like his counterpart Stephen. He is a hero in this novel according to Joyce. His most interesting character is his ability to eat. His introduction to the readers is a man of appetites (Beebe). In the fourth episode, Bloom is cooking breakfast for his wife. Bloom walks to the butchery and buys pork. His actions are food oriented. It is evident that Bloom Leopold loves food. He ate with relish the inner organs of fowls and beats. In addition to this Leopold liked giblet soup and nutty gizzards. He also ate stuffed roast heart. To prove that this man loved food, he is also portrayed eating liver slices fried with crust crumbs. However, he plays other roles in the novel as the main character. He links well with other characters due to his protagonist role. Bloom’s encounter with his wife creates a major theme in this novel. Their relationship is so historical to the point that it is memorable and celebrated on his name “Blooms Day”. Bloom is a Jew although he did not practice any Jew (Attridge). Most of the people ridicule him for converting to Roman Catholic in order to favor Molly and marry her. Bloom has gone to the extent of receiving baptism more than three times to prove that he is a serious Catholic and does not practice any Jewish ways. Bloom’s role in the novel shows his characteristic as a man who detests violence. He is tolerant and very humanistic. For example in the fourth episode, he prepares breakfast for his wife Molly. He is well aware that Molly has invited Hugh, ‘Blazes’ Boylan on their bed later in the day. This thought is worrying him yet he cannot confront the wife and ask her. Bloom’s sexual desire is exposed when he watches Gerty MacDowell a young woman exposing her legs and underwear. Bloom masturbates and this is echoed by fireworks appearing in the nearby bazaar. Bloom is also portrayed as a considerate man. He decides to visit Mina Purefoy while giving birth. In addition to this, Bloom keeps the rest of Stephen’s money while drinking to avoid wastage. Bloom also pays for damages caused by Stephen after hallucinating. In his terrific thoughts, Stephen sees his mom rising from the dead and confronting him. Penelope Just as her name suggest Penelope is a faithful character in this novel. Despite the fact that she is used as a character that is more faithful and respects fidelity, she becomes restless and displays herself to her suitors. This happens due to the disappearance of his husband Odysseus (Heitman). In particular, she wants Odysseus to be her suitor by making a challenge that whomever can use string Odysseus’s rigid bow and successively shoot the arrow and pass through twelve axe stars will be lucky to have her hand. She makes this challenge knowing well that Odysseus is the only capable man of doing this. While making this challenge, she is not aware that Odysseus is the husband and has returned. This is revealed later when they argue about positioning their matrimonial bed. However, she uses a delaying tactic by telling Odysseus to kill her. Odysseus manages successfully to win the bow contest and begins to kill all the suitors that wanted to have Penelope. Her delaying tactics were meant to keep away suitors. Odysseus is happy that her wife was able to remain faithful. Gerty MacDowell James Joyce uses conceit in his book as a narrator function giving different views. For example, Joyce drives readers to their limits of imagination while portraying something indescribable like the romantic excerpts highlighted by Stephen and Gerty MacDowel. She is a character that employs sexual aroma in this novel. She is used in exposing the sexual desire of Leopold bloom that masturbates about her while she sleeps at the beach fantasizing about men (Kiberd). The two characters fantasize about each other. She is also beautiful and her beauty makes her girlfriends to be jealous of her. However, she does not enjoy a good social life especially after breaking up with his boyfriend Reggy Wylie. She is also lame and she does not show this to Leopold Bloom until she is convinced that Leopold is sexually aroused and masturbating. Conclusion Use of different narrators and theme in this novel makes the book more enjoyable. Joyce is able to attract attention of many readers. The theme of love and sexual desire employed by different narrators has enabled this novel to attract most of people’s attention. These excerpts have also contributed to lots of criticism, which makes this novel famous. Works Cited Arnold, Bruce. The Scandal of Ulysses: The Life and Afterlife of a Twentieth Century Masterpiece. Rev. ed. Dublin: Liffey Press, 2004. Attridge, Derek, ed. ames Joyce's Ulysses: A Casebook. Oxford and New York: Oxford Publishers, 2004. Beebe, Maurice. ""Ulysses and the Age of Modernism." James Joyce Quarterly (University of Tulsa (1972): 10 (1): 172–88. Heitman, Richard. aking Her Seriously: Penelope and the Plot of Homer's Odyssey. Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press, 2005. Kiberd, Declan. ""Ulysses, modernism's most sociable masterpiece"." The Guradian London (2009): 102, 113. —. Ulysses and Us: the art of everyday living. London: Faber and Faber, 2009. Read More