Annotation
COURSE DESCRIPTION
On the basis of a close reading of James Joyce's Ulysses, the course will deal with the modernist novel as the genre key to modernist linguistic and formal experimentation. Joyce's formal innovations (such as the mythological method, interior monologue, stream of consciousness, flashback, flash-forward, montage, discursive collage, will serve as the basis for our consideration of how modernism revolutionised the novel genre and how Joyce's “revolution of the word” impacted upon the fiction of both his own time and the following periods.
SYLLABUS
Oct 5 Introduction: James Joyce’s Ulysses in Perspective
Oct 12 Telemachus
Oct 19 Nestor (II.100-70, 220-65, 320-405, 435-50)
Proteus (III.192-200, 270-300, 332-408, 490-505)
Secondary Reading: Harry Blamires, The New Bloomsday Book (2nd edition, Routledge 1988) 3-18
Oct 26 Calypso (IV.1-81, 218-70, 308-431, 485-550)
Lotus Eaters (V.82-191, 241-88, 340-430, 520-72)
Secondary Reading: Karen Lawrence, Chapter III of The Odyssey of Style (Princeton UP, 1981) 55-79
Nov 2 Hades (VI.40-90, 190-205, 310-65, 580-645, 672-732, 880-900)
Aeolus (VII.80-220, 483-591, 921-1075)
Secondary Reading: Jennifer Levine, Ulysses (The Cambridge Companion to JJ, ed. Derek Attridge, Cambridge UP, 2004) 122-48
Nov 9 Lestrygonians (VIII.88-139, 542-673, 732-790, 896-918, 1162-93)
Scylla & Charybdis (IX.147-260, 376-431, 600-17, 828-92, 981-1053, 1202-25)
Secondary Reading: Hugh Kenner, Chapters IV & V of Ulysses (Johns Hopkins UP, 1987) 31-54
Nov 16 Wandering Rocks (X.368-97, 578-641, 800-80, 1080-99, 1260-82)
The Sirens (XI.1-80, 330-80, 492-540, 713-53, 821-73, 1203-94)
Secondary Reading: Michael Groden, “‘Cyclops’ in Progress, 1919” (JJQ 12.1-2 [Fall 1974]): 119-65
Nov 23 Cyclops (XII.1-53, 151-205, 300-37, 415-78, 748-79, 1178-265, 1416-501, 1550-72, 1800-)
Nausicaa (XIII.188-269, 404-520, 678-800, 1007-99, 1240-1306)
Secondary Reading: Jen Shelton, “Bad Girls: Gerty, Cissy, and the Erotics of Unruly Speech” (JJQ 34.1-2 [Fall 1996]: 263-78
Nov 30 Oxen of the Sun (XIV.60-131, 187-312, 530-81, 738-830, 1027-1109, 1356-1406, 1562-91)
Circe I (XV.102-44, 240-340, 458, 1040-73, 1350-450, 1560-90, 1768-832, 1890-1960)
Secondary Reading: Chapter VII of Andrew Gibson, Joyce’s Revenge: History, Politics & Aesthetics in Ulysses (Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002) 150-82
Dec 7 Circe II (2070-120, 2735-960, 3028-90, 3561-629, 3670-720, 3745-830, 4155-250, 4560-960)
Eumaeus (XVI.260-85, 620-80, 890-950, 1110-71, 1232-1300, 1421-526, 1691-710, 1863-)
Secondary Reading: Fritz Senn, “Joycean Provections” (in Inductive Scrutinies – Focus on Joyce [Johns Hopkins UP, 1995]) 35-58
Dec 14 Ithaca (XVII.1-100, 304-70, 445-86, 525-610, 745-842, 929-88, 1032-1129, 1182-1242, 1274- 1310, 1361-1407, 1754-64, 1841-67, 2000-80, 2115-2199, 2240-330)
Secondary Reading: Mark S. Morrison, “Joyce & Science” (in James Joyce in Context, ed. John McCourt [Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009]) 343-354
Dec 21 Penelope (XVIII.1-60, 160-80, 535-70, 717-75, 900-33, 990-1010, 1088-148, 1300-30, 1355-82, 1434-64, 1496-516, 1557-610)
Secondary Reading: Derek Attridge, “Molly’s Flow: The Writing of ‘Penelope’ and the question of women’s language” (in Joyce Effects: On Language, Theory, and History [Cambridge UP, 2000]) 93-116
Jan 4 CONCLUSION / Reserve
FURTHER INFORMATION
Covid-19 Provisions
In view of the current developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminar will at some/early point start taking place via an online platform (preferably Zoom). The same participation & assessment rules will remain in place.
Course reader
All the primary & secondary reading will be available from the faculty Moodle system for the students to study at their leisure, as voluntary enrichment of the class’s group discussions, which will always focus on the primary readings, excerpted as specified in the syllabus. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the reader while researching for final papers.
Mailing list posting
A mandatory part of your active participation in the course will be a weekly email posting of your individual critical response (& brief interpretive effort) regarding any other issue emerging from the week’s primary reading. Your email response (around 200 words) needs to be sent to the instructor no later than Sunday noon, in order to allow the lecturer some time for their processing before next class.
Final paper
The final seminar paper shall ideally have the scope around 2,500 words (for zápočet); should the student wish to apply for the graded paper credit, s/he is expected to write a paper of approx. 4,000 words.
Written assignments will be due by 31 January 2021. Individual deadline extensions are possible, but need to be discussed with the lecturer in reasonable advance. Students are encouraged to discuss their final paper topics with the lecturer ahead of the end of the course.
Formal Requirements: email submission ONLY (pdf format, name of file: student surname); double-spaced; MLA-style formatting (footnotes rather than endnotes/in-text notes); title page with student & course & lecturer name, word count.
Credit
Students will be given their credit for presence at minimum 10 sessions (of 13 total) and active participation in at least 10 email postings (50%), as well as their final paper (50%).