You know what this book is? It's full of cope. So many of the characters in this book are coping in one way or another. Everybody in "Cyclops" who calls Queen Victoria "the flatulent old bitch who's dead" is just coping over the fact that she ruled their island unopposed her entire life. Gerty is coping in "Nausicaa" trying to make herself out as the protagonist of a romance novel when she's a crippled little brat who hates kids. Stephen is coping in "Scylla and Charybdis," trying to psychoanalyze and diminish Shakespeare to make up for the fact that he hasn't written anything himself. Simon, his dad, is coping in "Hades" and "Sirens" about how great he used to be to disguise how shitty he is right now.About the only one in the book who doesn't constantly cope is Bloom. He's doing it a little, mostly around his cucking, but overall he does a way better job than anybody else seeing things as they are and not trying to make excuses and imaginary events to cover up for his own inadequacies.
You wouldn't last 2 weeks in a proper literature class.
>>25423054Actually a decent point and good interpretation of the characters, Bloom IS meant to be more down-to-earth, earthy, of the present moment, even sorta Zen in how he reacts to the things of life (although with - entirely human - exceptions at times).This first lines of the Odyssey characterize Odysseus as “polytropos”, roughly:>a man of many ways>a man of many turns>a multifarious man, or complex man>a well-traveled man (simply) I think Bloom is supposed to have that sort of *psychological* all-encompassingness, shapeshifting or his own “wiles” letting him get out of bad *psychological* situations, although of course all in a considerably lower-stakes, more modern, understated and less overtly dramatic, heroic, legendary way. He’s not literally fighting a huge mythical monster like the Cyclops, but rather more like psychologically extricating himself from such situations and suffering.
It's interesting that, in the culture of 1904 Ireland, knowledge of science and arts was rare, and Bloom's meant to have "a touch of the artist" because he, a middle class man not in academia, goes out of the way to read books about science; not academic textbooks, but works written by scientists for lay readers: even this elevates Blooms above the ignorant Irishmen he interacts with. But nowadays such habits define a söyboy redditor. Education has improved so much in a hundred years, and entertainment pop-science has become such an industry. Bloom talking about stars is like some guy talking about brachistochrones because he watched a Vsauce video about them.
Yep, it sure does take place in Ireland...
>>25424522That's a point in his favour.
>>25426047>in the culture of 1904 Ireland, knowledge of science and arts was rareThat's definitely not the impression you get from Ulysses.
>>25427444No it isn't and neither would (You).
>>25427445You think Simon Dedalus or the narrator of Cyclops gives a shit about fine art?
>>25427445Yes it is retard, why else are the biggest debates in the book so pedantic and navel-gazing
>>25427525Simon Dedalus is noted for his singing. The Cyclops is heard expounding on early Irish history.Virtually all the characters in Ulysses are portrayed as articulate and educated. Joyce's repeated ironic point is that they're mostly work-shy drunks, who never fulfil their potential.>>25427534STFU retard.
>>25427758You lose, I win
>Virtually all the characters in Ulysses are portrayed as articulate and educated.
>>25424522>proper
>>25428546i.e. non-American
>>25427821>>25427850Not arguments.>I winLMAO
>>25427525Have you even read the Portrait? Simon Dedalus was a well-to-do gentleman until his finances went south. He employed servants, and sent Stephen to a prestigious boarding school.
>>25430315You don't read so no one cares>>25430322Literally me
>>25430322Do we ever decisively find out what happens to Simon to ruin his fortunes? I know the Dedalus family is very autobiographical to Joyce's own, so I assume it's something similar to what happened to Joyce's own father.
>>25423054That thing is fucking insane and incredibly difficult to read next to The Wake.You missed the point entirely.
