Ulysses Relationships in Ulysses to

Ulysses Relationships in Ulysses To say that Ulysses by James Joyce is complex would be an understatement. Joyce is known for his rich characters and the creation of conflict through tensions in relationships. The relationships that Joyce explores are not always between two people. Sometimes relationships in Joyce's work are with institutions or other entities. Joyce managed to break traditional conventions as far as plot and characters are concerned. However, Joyce gives the reader much insight into how his characters think.

The following will explore how Joyce addresses relationships on various levels by exploring the character of Stephen. Stephen Dedalus, "Kinch" is the young hero of the story. Stephen symbolically represents Telemachus in "The Odyssey." Leopold Bloom would be "Ulysses" in the novel. Stephen is a schoolteacher who has recently returned to Dublin after a time in Paris. Stephen is haunted by several "ghosts." The first ghost that haunts Stephen is the recent death of his mother. The second ghost is Stephens's recent spiritual severance from Ireland and the Catholic Church.

Stephen was named Kinch by his roommate Malachi "Buck" Mulligan. The name Kinch means knife, an apparent stab at Stephens' wit and humor. Stephen, Mulligan, and Haines The first relationship that we will explore is Stephen's relationship with his roommate, Mulligan. It becomes apparent in the opening of the first chapter that this relationship is a strained one, but through no fault of Stephens. Mulligan teases Stephen about his the recent death of his mother.

He openly accuses Stephen of being responsible for her death because Stephen refused her requests for prayer on her deathbed. This scene paints Mulligan as selfish and opportunistic. We find that Stephen is the butt of many of Mulligan's jokes. Stephen is emotionally victimized by Mulligan and his cruelty. Stephen is the only one paying rent for their flat in Martello Tower. One wonders from the very beginning why Stephen puts up with this abuse.

Stephen begins to feel like an outsider when Haines, the other roommate, and Mulligan become closer. Mulligan comes across as a bully personality from the very beginning. He apparently gains some type of pleasure, or power trip by belittling Stephen. Mulligan is good at masking his true feeling with sarcasm and cruelty. It is difficult to read Mulligan because he never reveals his true feelings. Chapter one is titled, "Telemachus" which reveals many unspoken details about the first chapter. Telemachus is a prince who is just entering adulthood.

His castle is being overrun by young suitors who are there to court his mother with hopes of gaining the crown. Telemachus is advised by the Greek goddess of wisdom to seek out his father, who is rumored to be dead. His reason for striking out is two fold. One the surface he wishes to find his father. However, he also needs to find his own self-worth because he feels like the disrespected son of a forgotten king.

He does not have a place in the castle or a feeling of purpose in his life. One cannot understand Joyce's allegory without first reading and understanding "The Odyssey." Stephen parallels Telemachus in many ways during the first chapter. When he gives his only key to the flat to Malachi he is giving up control of his castle to Malachi. Stephen pays the rent, but does not have control in his own domain.

He is feeling confused about his place in the world after his mother's death and return from Paris. Mulligan takes advantage of Stephen by playing on his guilt and confusion. Mulligan gets his sense of power by demonstrating his ability to exercise control over those whom he admires. The relationship between Stephen and Mulligan develops into a power contest between the two. Stephen's lack of a father figure in his life sets him up to play the victim. Stephen and Haines are both intellectuals that are on almost equal ground.

Neither Stephen nor Mulligan actually enjoys spending time with Haines. Haines is from an aristocratic background and has little in common with Stephen and Mulligan. Haines is used a tool for comparison. As we explore the personality of Haines, we can see many characteristics of Mulligan and Stephen. For example, we see how the intellectual side of Stephen could be turned into the snobbishness that we see in Haines. Mulligan uses people for his personal sense of power, much like Haines does.

However, it is interesting that Mulligan flatters Haines so that he can use him to ostracize Stephen. This is a move to control Stephen. Joyce uses this trio of power plays to explore the issues of power and control in relationships. Each of the three roommates tries to manipulate the others so that they can gain control. Stephen is the only one who actually has any real control and power in the situation. His name is on the lease and is the one making the payments.

Stephen is the only one that actually has possession of the flat in a legal sense. Stephen could throw the others out on the street at any time that he chooses with no real consequence to himself. From a pragmatic standpoint, Stephen is the most powerful of the trio. However, from an emotional standpoint, he is the weakest of the three. Let us examine these relationships more closely. Stephen is the only one real control over the power.

As we mentioned, he is in much the same position as Telemachus in this respect. Telemachus is the rightful heir to his castle. Like Telemachus, Stephen does not have complete control over his domain in a real sense. Malachi is much like the suitors of Telemachus' mother. They are trying to take over and usurp power from the rightful owner. Both Stephen and Telemachus must find their father to resolve the situation and take back their rightful place on the throne.

Telemachus is going on a physical journey to find his father. However, Stephens' search for his father is an emotional one. Both Telemachus and Stephen have lost their mothers in once sense. Telemachus has lost his mother emotionally to the suitors. Stephen has lost his mother physically. Stephen does not have a male role model that serves as an example of strength. Stephen's only role model has been his mother, and he acts as a victim in the way he handles Mulligan and Haines.

He simply gives over his key to the apartment to Mulligan. The key, in this case represents the power over access to the "castle." Stephen apparently does not see through Mulligan's abusive emotional games and therefore does not see the real importance of the key and its relationship to the power dynamics that are going on at the time. Stephen is rather naive in his willingness to simply give over the key to Mulligan. Chapter one is written from the view of Stephen.

We are given certain clues to the power play that would not have been apparent if we were not able to hear Stephen's inner dialogue with himself. Joyce writes this chapter much as a stream of consciousness. We all have an internal dialogue. It does not always progress in an orderly fashion. Our thoughts jump around from topic to topic and go on many side trips to get the central idea. This is what Chapter One does.

The reader gets to hear Stephen's internal dialogue as he moves through his encounters on this particular day. We learn many important facts from this perspective. Stephen reveals that he is desperate to become a respected artist. However, in his actions, we find that he willingly gives away power to those that have not earned it. We learn that he harbors some guilt over his mother's death. Mulligan sees this and twists it into an accusation that Stephen caused his mother's death by his refusal to pray.

However, we know that this is irrational because his mother was apparently seriously ill and would have died anyway. We discover these vulnerabilities in Stephen and get an example of how they can be turned against him and used to someone else's advantage. Mulligan demonstrates the ability to successfully play on Stephen's vulnerabilities. The hostility between Stephen and Mulligan is unspoken, but we know of it through Stephen's dialogue.

Stephen's mind is full of trivia that appears to be relatively useless, considering his inability to use it to attain his own personal goals. Stephen can be summarized as having a brilliant and talented mind, but unable to put it to good use due to his emotional vulnerabilities. Introducing the reader to his facts is the purpose for Chapter One. Joyce introduces Stephen and sets the stage for how his vulnerabilities can be used to bully him into submission.

Chapter One is about power and control in relationships, especially those between paternity and maternity. Paternal vs. Maternal Relationships Joyce uses his main characters and their mythological counterparts to explore the different types of relationships that exist within family units. Paternal and maternal relationships are the first relationship to which a baby is exposed. For the first several years of one's life, their mother and father are their world.

These first relationships occur at a time when the tiny human is learning the basic of their environment and how to respond to it. A child learns much of their early actions by imitating the role models around them. The relationship that exists between a child and each of their parents will set the tone for how they deal with other relationships that they encounter throughout their life. In Chapter One we discover that our hero has "issues" with his paternal and his maternal relationship.

These relationships overshadow almost any other conflict in the story at this time. It is apparent through Stephen's interactions with Mulligan and Haines that he did not have a strong paternal figure to model. He reacts in a rather passive manner. One must remember that this chapter takes place in 1904. Male and female roles were clearly defined by social constructs of the time. The man was supposed to be the bread winner and protector, while the women stayed at home and portrayed a more passive role.

Passiveness in a confrontation was a female trait during this time period. Stephen passively gives the key to Mulligan and keeps his feelings about Mulligan's stabs about his mother inside. We also know much about Stephen's relationship with his mother from this chapter as well. Stephen's thoughts about the milk lady demonstrate how he feels about his mother.

The old lady is both symbolic of his mother and reflects the nationalism that he feels for "Mother Ireland." Joyce makes a statement about nationalism in the failure of the old woman to recognize the national language of her own country. One would expect an older person to be able to speak the old language of the country. This was a statement by Joyce to demonstrate just how far Ireland had strayed from its roots. This shows that the older generation had lost its national heritage long ago.

The old woman refers to "those who know," meaning that she has never known the language. The loss of Gaelic is symbolic of oppression by the dominant English society. The scene with the milk woman tells us about the relationship the Stephen feels with "Mother Ireland." Joyce uses several elusive symbols in this scene that may escape the casual reader. The first is the "green" of the milk, representing the beginning of life through the calf. The other is the green of the bile, representing death.

Stephen later projects these images onto the sea through the sea, which he describes as a "bowl of green water." The soured green milk is similar to the green bile that his mother coughed up on her death bed. This also tells us that Mulligan's claims that blame Stephen for his mother's death are an attempt at control. Joyce gives us this to make it clear that Stephen's mother was dying from liver failure, not a lack of prayer.

Joyce makes it clear the Mulligan is using a touchy emotional subject as ammunition to establish control. Throughout the milk lady scene, we find clues as to Stephen's maternal relationship. Stephen concludes at the end of this series of mental images that Mother Ireland is dying and that her milk has turned sour. Stephen's loss of his own mother is demonstrated in his continual reference to his grief.

We know that this grief is strong because Mulligan is able to capitalize on it Stephen has regrets that he mist deal with concerning his mother's death. It is doubtful that he would have had regrets if the relationship had been a good one when she was alive. Stephen fails to pray at her bedside as she is dying. He says that it is because of his severance with the Catholic Church.

However, it is difficult to believe he will refuse his mother her dying request due to his hatred of the doctrines of the church. This leads the reader to believe that there is something in the relationship between Stephen and his mother that have created strain in the relationship. Stephen's similarity in action to a strong female role model is highlighted by the fact that he is seeking a male figure to fill in his desire for a paternal relationship. Stephen forfeits the key to his castle and home.

This too is a political statement about English rule in Ireland. The castle and key to it represent possession of the homeland. Stephen has given the key to his home to one that does not own it. This is symbolic of the English occupation and rule of Ireland and a direct reference to Joyce's feelings about it. Like Telemachus, chapter one sets the stage for Stephens' journey to find a paternal figure and reconcile his relationship with his mother.

Stephens' failure to pray at his mother's deathbed and rejection of the Catholic religion is also symbolic of a social movement that was a part of the real world of James Joyce and Ireland in general. Stephen rejects the presence of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.

He does not feel that adherence to a Roman Catholic custom will help to make his mother better, just as he feels that the Catholicism is not the answer for "Mother Ireland." In chapter four, "Calypso" we finally meet the character the will eventually fill the gap in Stephen's life for a father figure. Leopold Bloom (Poldy) presents himself as man that has also been deposed of his castle. Joyce contrasts the mundane inner world of Leopold with the intellectual inner world of Stephen.

It is difficult to see Leopold Bloom as the father figure that Stephen needs in the beginning of the novel. He character also reacts passively to an invasion of his home. He does not react even when he knows that he wife will make love with another man. Bloom is extremely subservient to his wife, which makes him an unlikely substitute for the paternal love that Stephen needs. We later find that Bloom's father committed suicide by taking an overdose of Monkshood while in Italy.

Bloom is an outsider, which is highlighted in Chapter Six, "Hades" when Bloom must ride in a funeral hearse with a bunch of Catholics. Bloom is Jewish and inadvertently makes several off color comments that demonstrate his difference in ideology from those among him. Stephen and Bloom both feel like outcasts in Dublin. Joyce fills his imagery with fatherly figures that are not so fatherly.

We have Maggy, who begins her prayer, "Our Father, who are not in Heaven." Maggy is Stephen's sister, which gives us a clue that Stephens' father did not live a respectable life by most standards. Simon Dedalus appears completely drunk and unable to support his daughters. Derelict father figures are a reoccurring theme in Ulysses. The theme of masculinity plays major role in the male and female characters that Joyce portrays.

When Ulysses confronts the horrible Cyclops, he taunts him by calling him by his true name, "Norman." This taunt morphs into "noman" which eventually becomes "nobody." This is much the same effect that Mulligan's name calling has on Stephen. Blooms masculinity is challenged by references to his wife's infidelity. Bloom and Stephen are in a quest to define them as "something." They both must find themselves.

Stephen and Leopold do not actually meet each other until Chapter 14, "Oxen of the Sun." Stephen is sitting in a hospital waiting room bar with Mulligan and a few other younger friends. Bloom immediately assumes as paternal role, fearing that Mulligan has slipped something harmful into Stephen's drink. Bloom singles out Stephen as being different from the rest of the group. Mulligan appears as a threat due to his rowdy behavior and irreverent attitude and language. The contrast in character between Stephen and Mulligan is immediately apparent to Bloom.

Bloom decides to follow Stephen to protect him from harm they leave to visit a brothel. This is a paternal act from Bloom that is a divergence from his expected behavior. This is the first time that Bloom has taken a proactive, rather than a passive stance on any issues thus far. The birth of Mrs., Purefoy's husband is another reference to the missing paternal role model. Mulligan and Bloom become entangled in an effort to gain control of Stephen.

Meanwhile, Stephen continues to seek out the true meaning of paternity. There are several references to Bloom's son who died at 11 days old. Stephen is obsessed by finding out about paternity, but remains obsessed with thoughts of his mother. Bloom is obsessed with thoughts of paternity. Bloom projects his desire to have a son onto Stephen. Stephen comes to prefer maternity to paternity as the story progresses. Evidence of this is Stephen's constant reference to his mother's death and Blooms constant reference to the death of his son.

Leopold Bloom was denied the experience of being a son by his father's suicide. He was denied the experience of being a father by the death of his son. The treatment of sexuality in a brash way that is disconnected from the sacred rights of birth and death trivialize the experience of fatherhood. Both Bloom and Stephen are seeking the deep experiences of fatherhood and sonhood.

Bloom must be satisfied with fatherly guidance for Stephen in an attempt to fill the void that is left by an unrealized dream of fatherhood. Bloom desperately wants and heir, but will be denied this simple pleasure. Chapter 15, "Circe" brings the fears and desires of both men to the surface. The scene takes place in the "red light' district of Dublin. Bloom confronts his fears in the images of the hallucinations that he encounters.

Among these are images of his dead mother, father, and his wife Molly, who speaks to him in "Moorish." This suggests that he feels estranged from his wife, and in turn the ideal of fatherhood. In this chapter, Stephen once again fails to protect himself from an attack. Bloom tries desperately to win Stephen's favor by pretending to be an intellect in Chapter 16, "Eumaeus" His efforts are unsuccessful because Stephen's knowledge is much broader and more sophisticated.

It is apparent that Bloom simply wants to fit in and feel a part of something bigger. Stephen makes it apparent that he is not impressed and does not wish to pursue a relationship. In the end of the story both men return to their castles,.