IS ULYSSES REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

Meng Gao

doi:10.29121/granthaalayah.v5.i2.2017.1702

Abstract

As a representative work of modern stream consciousness novel written by James Joyce in twentieth century, Ulysses differs the traditional novel from the aspects such as the creature source of figure and plot, narration structure, a great number of metaphors and allusions usage and translation version. Therefore, its audiences are almost specialists and scholars who are dedicated to the study of Ulysses and few readers could accept it. The essay will review the novel from the stand of ordinary reader from the perspective of reader response theory to analyze the reason for which it becomes a great challenge for readers all over the world so that there could be some available ways for reader to understand the creation origin of the novel and to interpret it better. Finally, the essay hope that the value of the novel could be propagated and its novel creation could be accepted.

Highlights

In the 1960s, with the emergence and renewal of various literary criticism theories, readers gradually recognized the position of the reader in highlighting the value of literary works and the reader response theory rises and gets attention
If readers want to have a creative interpretation of literary works first they need to read it, and for "Ulysses" this obscure novel, unlike other traditional novels, the premise of reading is to know the ideological origin of the author
I hope the study from the perspective of reader response theory, so that domestic and foreign research from the perspective of experts and scholars can be slowly transferred to the reader's point of view so that most readers can mine out the essence of Ulysses and can better understand the significance of Ulysses in the world literature

Summary

Introduction

In the 1960s, with the emergence and renewal of various literary criticism theories, readers gradually recognized the position of the reader in highlighting the value of literary works and the reader response theory rises and gets attention. Sivacz once points that: “Emphasizing the linguistic model, reducing the traditional plots, and demanding careful discussion of the relationship between language and internal rhetoric "(Schwartz Daniel 13) This does prevent the reader from reading the progress and affect the reader's understanding of the novel. By analyzing the different aspects of Ulysses from the traditional novels, this novel has become a challenge to ordinary readers to read, so that ordinary readers can interpret Ulysses better and make Ulysses this great work be accepted and be propagated. The research of this issue, from domestic and foreign research the attention is not enough. I hope the study from the perspective of reader response theory, so that domestic and foreign research from the perspective of experts and scholars can be slowly transferred to the reader's point of view so that most readers can mine out the essence of Ulysses and can better understand the significance of Ulysses in the world literature

The Mythical Archetype in ULYSSES

Space Narrative Structure in Ulysses

The Use of Metaphor and Allusions in Ulysses

Translation of Ulysses

Conclusion