Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Describe Dublin
as it appears in
Ulysses. How does it figure into
the novel?
2. Describe how
the narrative styles of the first six episodes of
Ulysses differ
from the rest of the novel. How does this effect how one interprets
the text?
3.
Ulysses is
a novel in which few women appear and even fewer speak. Consequently,
much of the thinking about women comes from male viewpoints in the
novel. How are Stephen’s and Bloom’s treatment of women different?
How are they similar?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Often, the three protagonists
of Ulysses are understood in terms of a spectrum,
with Stephen and Molly on either end and Bloom’s personality combining
elements of each. In what ways might Stephen and Molly be similar?
2. If Bloom and Stephen are
the “heroes” of Ulysses, which characters are their
“enemies” and why?
3. Discuss how teaching and learning
figure into the novel. Can you pinpoint specific scenes that seem
to be about teaching? Does Ulysses have an argument
about how teaching and learning should work?
4. Can you make a case for Bloom
as an artist?
5. How does the concept of home
work in Ulysses? How do the main characters relate
to their real and their ideal homes? Does “home” have a political
import?
