Comparative Literature 497J - ST- Transformative Epic

The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce?s landmark Modernist novel Ulysses. A famously challenging work, Ulysses is often cited as one of the most important novels in the history of literature, even while its status as a novel is sometimes brought into question. This course will explore the many dimensions of this groundbreaking work while considering its debt as a hybrid cultural form to the ancient tradition of Homeric epic. The deep structural and thematic connections which the novel shares with Homer?s ancient epic The Odyssey deserve special scrutiny. We will examine both works through a close reading. One central focus will be to consider how these texts can be thought of as transformative works of art, both in terms of the experience of the reader as well as each work's impact on the cultural tradition of storytelling. The course will consist of weekly reading, in-class discussion, and the writing of three essays. The Odyssey will be read in English translation