Thus, it is clear that the novel in itself represents a series of underlying reasons and concepts which aim at personalizing the apparently common life of Bloom.
Another important theme of the novel is the idea of the presence of the conscience. In this sense, unlike many previous pieces of literature, "Ulysses" develops a human conscience for its characters. In this sense, Stephan and Bloom both have conscience problems which are part of the modernization of the world. Thus, while Stephan is remorseful about not obeying his mother on the dead bed, Bloom is retrospective concerning the life he is leading and the marriage he is part of. This comes to point out the modern aspect of the novel because it refers in particular to the strains of the society and to the lack of moral principles. At the same time,...
More precisely, taking into account that the novel is constantly being built along the events of a single day, it can be said that Bloom is dependent on the
environment for his actions. This is similar to Homer's "Ulysses" who had his actions determined by outside forces rather than an established plan.
All these taken into account, it is fair to say that
James Joyce's novel is an example of modernist art. For the themes it explores and the techniques used in developing the subject, Bloom is in direct contact with the reader and expresses the true dramas of his existence without the interference of a narrator, a literary exercise which demonstrates the value of Joyce's writing.
Bibliography
Newman, Robert D., Weldon Thornton. Joyce's Ulysses: The Larger Perspective. University of Delaware Press: Newark, 1987.
James Joyce. Ulysses. Vintage Books. New York.
