James Joyce is a fascinating writer, but he can be a most difficult author to teach. In her dissertation, Lynn Bongiovanni brings a recent viewpoint – empire theory – to bear on this most singular author and finds an interesting paradox. While Joyce inveighed against imperial rule – in this case, Ireland’s “colonization” by the British – he was capable of celebrating the fruits of empire in his writings. Just as you and I may deplore the consequences of what might be called the modern technology “empire,” even as we happily use our refrigerators and computers, Joyce had his own conflicted attitude towards empire.
In this brief excerpt from Prof. Bongionvanni’s full dissertation¸ and in her interview, the author begins to set out the structure and overview of Joyce’s conflicted politics. In the later parts of her dissertation, she goes into detail, using specific passages from Joyce’s prose to illustrate her thesis.