James Joyce and the mythology of modernism

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This study reexamines the role of myth in Joyce’s fiction, particularly through his unique appropriation of Catholic myths. It argues that despite rejecting religion, these myths serve as a foundational aesthetic for a new Modern mythology, evolving from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man to Ulysses. Like earlier mythopoets—Homer, Dante, Milton, Blake—Joyce aims to encapsulate a fragmented and rapidly changing reality within a new aesthetic that meaningfully conveys the fullness of life. The Modern world, grappling with the implications of an impersonal Newtonian universe, encounters an Einsteinian re-evaluation that includes Stephen's awakening from the “nightmare” of history, a redefinition of deity, and Bloom's urban identity. This book is accessible to both seasoned Joycean scholars and newcomers, illustrating how the Joycean myth reflects our understanding of humanity and our place in the universe as distinctly Modernist, yet deeply human, particularly through Molly Bloom’s final affirmation. Daniel Shea, an Assistant Professor of English at Mount Saint Mary College, presents a compelling exploration of these themes. The contents cover topics such as the need for a new myth, Joyce’s Catholic aesthetic, the interplay of myth and history, and the relevance of Ulysses in the context of modernity.