| |
| author |
Stephen Dechert
| | title |
The Practicalities of Literary Studies: Depictions of Ordinary Life in Ulysses
| | abstract |
This project explores the artistic expression of life into literature. It ponders why the
depiction of life matters and why literary studies, as a vehicle of that depiction, also matters.
Ultimately, this project concludes that literary studies is a practical discipline that offers
knowledge for everyday use. This project explores Ulysses by James Joyce and analyzes its
portrayal of life, specifically ordinary life. It argues that Ulysses champions two approaches to
life through centralizing characters Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom, the idealistic and
pragmatic respectively. The project argues that Ulysses slightly favors one over the other, but
that there is still room for both approaches to life and that each has their beneficial effects. The
second chapter of this project goes on to argue that the actual content of Ulysses is only half of
its portrayal of ordinary life. The project then serves as an analysis of the stylistic techniques that
frames the content of ordinary life, while also conveying and embodying the idea of ordinary
life. My project culminates with this idea: Ulysses functions as a guide to living life fulfillingly,
that reminds us that ordinary life can be more meaningful than usually depicted. Such findings
are what make Literary Studies not only worthwhile, but practical, in its everyday application.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2021)
|
| advisor |
Jens Lloyd
|
| committee |
Sandra Jamieson
Erik Anderson
|
| full text | SDechert.pdf |
| |
