Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

English (Ph.D.)

Department

English

First Advisor

Stephen Sicari

Second Advisor

Amy M. King

Third Advisor

Steven Mentz

Abstract

This dissertation examines James Joyce’s Ulysses as a modern transformation of the Ulysses myth through the philosophical framework of Ernst Cassirer’s theory of symbolic forms and W.B. Stanford’s historical study of the Ulysses tradition. While Stanford demonstrates how the figure of Ulysses has been continually reinterpreted across literary history—from Homer’s cunning hero to Dante’s transgressive explorer and the restless modern figures of the nineteenth century— this study argues that Joyce’s Ulysses represents a uniquely philosophical adaptation of the myth in which heroic identity becomes a function of symbolic consciousness rather than physical action. Drawing on Cassirer’s philosophy, which defines myth, language, and art as symbolic systems through which human beings construct meaning, the dissertation explores how Joyce transforms the classical epic into a modern myth of perception, memory, and cultural experience. Through close readings of key episodes, the project analyzes how Joyce deploys symbolic forms—mirrors, linguistic evolution, prophetic imagery, and astronomical metaphor—to explore the development of modern consciousness. Particular attention is given to the complementary roles of Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. Stephen embodies the centrifugal impulse of intellectual exile and artistic self-definition, while Bloom represents a centripetal ethical consciousness grounded in empathy and everyday experience. Together they constitute Joyce’s modern reconfiguration of the Ulysses–Telemachus relationship. By situating Ulysses within both the literary history of Stanford’s Ulysses theme and the philosophical context of symbolic form, this study argues that Joyce’s novel represents a modern epic of consciousness. The heroic journey is no longer defined by physical wandering but by the interpretive processes through which individuals navigate language, memory, and cultural tradition.

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