The Theme of Characterization in Ulysses in relation to the storyteller word picture of Bloom and Stephen
Ulysses is structured in a manner to fit up with events in Odyssey. The association between Stephen Dedalus, who is a fatherless boy and Leopold Bloom a sonless male parent correspond with the events of Telemachus and Odysseus. This association accounts for the subject of word picture. But, how does the storyteller characterizes Bloom and Stephen? How do the characters relate to their external environments in similar ways? How is the word picture reflected techniques like represented address and idea? What sort of statement does the novel seem to be doing about consciousness in the novel? How might the represented address and idea of both these characters shed light upon one another? What kind of aesthetic rules and character traits seem to be at work with Joyce’s updated version of the heroic? If we examine the subject of word picture, we will admit that James Joyce draws the subject of word picture through Stephen and Bloom to convey a humanistic message.
In the novel, “Loth to irk” start by qualifying Bloom’s attitude as intruding. For case a more present look like “sorry to be a brother” may demo indirect address, which in bend may be strictly polite alternatively of demoing a echt feeling. Through this manner, the outlandishness of “Loth to irk” every bit good as its non-expressive character shows the facet of earnestness in Bloom. Prior to this, the scene in “Horne’s hall” shows the heads of Bloom, which makes the reader stimulate him in a bigger infinite. That longitudinal association is claimed by the ambiguity of the hall, which may denote a premiss or a bigger room. However, this environing simulated infinite to some degree weakens Bloom in protecting his sense of foolhardiness as shown by “Loth to irk” so, Bloom’s obstinate littleness and related separation contribute to the reader’s feeling of Bloom’s personal and societal susceptibleness, which in bend enables the reader compassion to his attachment associations. As a affair of fact, the interaction between Bloom, Milly, Callan and Molly “on her stow” enhances a simulation in which the characters are attached to one another both emotionally and physically. In peculiar, these mentions denote Bloom’s fond regard to other characters in the novel every bit good as his relationship between him and Stephen.
More significantly, Bloom thinks of Zoe as ruling him through sexual strength and his ain fond regard failings. Zoe is in short a combination of sexual dominatrix and female parent. Through this manner, it is clear that Bloom is characterized with a non-subvocalized emotional response of this nature to Zoe’s “Come.” In protecting this, when Bloom gazes at Zoe, he senses something like smiling. Fortunately, along with this he sees a likely maternal function, possibly even a kind of maternal attitude. In fact, this combination is something that is found in the relation of adult females to work forces in this novel. The female normally looks at the male as “big babies” to whom the female despite their laterality in rational growing must be sort. After feeling this attitude on Zoe’s side, Bloo, feels weakened, infantile and baffled in her presence. Through this manner, Bloom relates himself with the one babe he acknowledges clearly ; his girl Milly. Thus, James Joyce chooses and strains this designation for thematic motivations. In Bloom’s word picture with Milly, the storyteller puts himself in the topographic point of a girl and Molly in the topographic point of himself, the male parent. This permutation of sex supporters works against the simple paralleling of adult females with fostering male and parent with cared for kid.
Similarly, the address of the buckles, “love me. Love me non. Love me” indicate the lovers numbering game. However, it alters that numbering game in order to go an exhortation from Zoe that of progressive entreaty and denial. In fact, this ambivalency is of import to Molly every bit good, although in this instance the importance is directed to Molly in the sense that Bloom loves her because he is attached to her and non because of doing love with her. In this transition, Joyce metabolically characterizes Bloom as a kid, which in bend is similar to the metaphorical use of beaver in cattle. Although in “oxen” the association of the surface and inferred narrative universes is blunt, an matter of one to one correspondence.
Joyce depicts Bloom and Stephen with non-dreaming experiences as Bloom province, “Won’t slumber. Though. Half dream.” ( 441 ) . Dreams normally parallel phantasies in showing persons with wish fulfilments. But dreams can be controlled. The scenarios and the events may travel from delicious to astonishing. This sort of move is one of the most outstanding character of Bloom’s imaginativenesss in the class of the novel. In add-on, the likeliness of a enormousness of aversive emotions denotes that woolgathering in an alternate attack for what occurs with Stephen since what he encounters is neither coercing fantasy nor manageable simulations. Furthermore, dreams appear suiting because of Bloom’s slumber at the terminal of Nausicaa, which prepare the reader for surreal elements in the novel. In add-on, Joyce used dream when handling Stephen and Bloom as non-dreaming because dream act as a suited attack for woolgathering experiences because there is existent continuity between imaginativenesss and dreams of Stephen and Bloom. As a affair of fact, Joyce appears to be demoing that Stephen and Bloom, are non to the full unusual in this respects. Particularly, the effects appear to be that the person has much less control of their imaginativenesss than they really think.
The storyteller depicted the immature Stephen’s appealing findings ironically as in the look of “ a priest of ageless imaginativeness, transforming the day-to-day staff of life of experience into the beaming organic structure of Everliving life.” ( 225 ) the letdown of his Icarus undertaking unwrap the defect in his first vision ; “Fabulous artificer” ( 9.952-4 ) . Stephen remembers how he saw birds from the library stairss two old ages before, an act in which there was an allusion to “the hawklike adult male whose name he bore” ( portrayal, 229 ) . It is where Bloom would learn Stephen to wing less strenuously than in his initial rebellion. This contributes to another omen, the dream recalled.
Through the character Stephen, Joyce presents a distinguishable signifier of dialectical pragmatism that may be got with regard to colonialism. After Stephen tapping his brow, he proclaims “in here it is I must kill the priest and the King.” Stephen is proclaiming the significance of what has come to be known as decolonising idea. Though this issue has been discussed by many writers, Joyce makes it precise that Stephen’s war with colonialism is non precisely psychological, but concrete. In add-on, the concrete is bound up with literature and belief.
Bloom is transfigured during the terminal of the Cyclops to demo the presence of Resurrection and Ascension. Harmonizing to Joyce, “The jarvey saves his life by ferocious driving every bit certain as God made Moses. What? O, Jesus, he did” ( 282 ) . 1900 ) . The mentioning of God, Moses and Jesus by the storyteller shows Bloom’s Christly phenomena. In add-on, his concluding portraiture of Bloom, as an “old sheep face” ( 282.1906 ) evokes the word picture of Christ as the visible radiation of the universe along with the mention to the grounds that Bloom’s organic structure is integral. Likewise, when Bloom ascend to heaven he assumes the duty of Stephen religious male parent. However, merely the dramatic creative person and God can hold an association of religious consubstantiality for merely they show self apprehension in a boy or self-picture. Through this was, Joyce wants to picture that the relationship between Bloom and Stephen is grounded on God position ; male parent to son association. It is the profanation of Arius. Indeed, in “Telemachus” Stephen claimed that Arius did non back up the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. The Arians believed that the sort of the Son was non from infinity, though the Son came before other animals. The image Rickaby uses to have the Arian unorthodoxy grounds that Stephen is Bloom’s Arian boy. Hence, the word picture of Stephen by the storyteller every bit good as uncovering himself as Bloom bonds the boy of his psyche with his psyche, though Stephen and Bloom have different individualities. It is merely a religious similitude. Besides, Son and Father, merely the Godlike creative person and his image as a immature adult male can be spiritually similar.
Bloom and Stephen met during the “oxen of the Sun” whereby Stephen is a kid, “Sir Leopold that had of his organic structure no Manchild for an inheritor looked upon him his friend’s boy and was shut up in sorrow for his forepassed… so grieved he besides in no less step for immature Stephen” ( 14.271-6 ) . Leopold Bloom looks upon Stephen with a paternal oculus, seeing in him the boy he does non hold and besides experiencing moral apprehensiveness for his public assistance. In mention to this statement, Joyce allude to the fable of the extravagant son. , Particularly provided that Bloom’s attitude towards Stephen are close to maternally understanding of the male parent in the scriptural narration. Bloom feels that he himself is paternal and Stephen might be his boy. The scriptural meter shows that as a Jew, Bloom felt that he has let down in neglecting to give outputs to male posterities. On the other manus, Stephen brags a literary paternity as in the library act where he alluded to the Nicene Creed in which the Holy spirit is the supplier of life.
In decision, James Joyce has made the novel, “Ulysses” as a Bible with the possible to keep exegetes merely as the Bible does. All the episodes with their diverse contrast, even contradictory message and manners might cite the New Testaments, with mentions to the humanistic message. In one manner or the other Stephen and Bloom relate to their external environment in similar ways, which is facilitated through the male parent boy relationship. In add-on, the kind of aesthetic rules and characters presented by the storyteller through Bloom and Stephen are appealing and earnestness. The novel besides seems to do conclusive statements about consciousness through Stephen and Bloom whereby Bloom can non bring forth male posterities while Stephen’s masculinist attack disturbances adult females. However, all in all Joyce draws the subject of word picture through Stephen and Bloom to convey a humanistic message.
