Joyce and the Perverse Ideal (Studies in Major Literary Authors)

Representations of masochism--both overt and oblique--permeate the work of James Joyce. While a number of criticshave noted this, to date there has been no sustained and focused analysis of this trope in his writings. David Cotter argues that such an examination is key to understanding the meanings and messages of Joyce's work. Adding dimension to moral, political, and aesthetic considerations in the novels and stories--particularly Ulysses--this book provides a comprehensive account of masochistic elements in the oeuvre of the twentieth century's most revered author. Cotter draws upon psychoanalytic theory and social history to illustrate the subversive power of perversity in the literature of the modern period.