FAMILY MEDICAL HISTO- RY AS INSPIRATION FOR A MASTERPIECE: JAMES JOYCE'S ULYSSES
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FAMILY MEDICAL HISTO-
RY AS INSPIRATION FOR
A MASTERPIECE: JAMES
JOYCE’S ULYSSES
Sonja Ðurić
Language Centre, Summary
University of Valencia, Spain
GENTEXT Research Group, The paper briefly recaps some of
University of Valencia, Spain the most obvious examples of insani-
ty, phobias, mental illnesses and other
out of the ordinary mental states from
UDK: 616.895-02-036:616.895.8 James Joyce’s Ulysses with the intention
of showing the results of a literary text
analysed through a medical prism. The
medical history of the Joyce family is
exposed in this paper with the intention
of drawing parallels between reality and
fiction, proving that the reality may have
given inspiration for fiction. Joyce de-
· vol. 40 · januar-jun 2018. · br. 1
picts a single day, 16 June 1904, in Dub-
lin throughout 18 chapters and 732 pag-
es. The list of diseases, phobias, mental
states, addictions and other bodily trou-
bles and misfortunes is infinite in Ulyss
es. The main characters Molly Bloom,
Mr. Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and Gerty
MacDowell as well as many others suf-
Engrami
fer from a series of medical issues. Many
Joyceans suggest that Joyce found in-
spiration for the topics he explored in
his personal life as his family members
battled with phobias, sexual deviations,
20mental instability, anxiety, delirium and INTRODUCTION
alcoholism. James Joyce, Nora Barna-
cle, Lucia and Giorgio as well as their Literature and medicine, as it ap-
parents, grandparents, friends, relatives pears, often cross each other’s paths. Al-
and partners gave inspiration for the though it seems that literature has been
sexual deviations, mental instabilities, concerned with medicine far longer
phobias and anxieties of Molly Bloom, than medicine has been with literature.
Mr. Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and Gerty Nowadays in teaching medicine many
MacDowell among many other charac- resort to literature in search of vivid
ters. examples of patients and diseases and
multilayered historical and social con-
Key words: texts [1].
James Joyce, Ulysses, medicine, Writers such as Cervantes (in Don
mental instability, sexual deviations Quixote), Shakespeare (in King Lear),
Faulkner (in The Sound and the Fury)
and Virginia Wolf (in Mrs Dalloway),
as many others before and after them,
all employed mental illnesses in their
literary works with the intention of re-
alistically portraying their characters.
However, James Joyce and his Ulysses
might be best known for episodes of
insanity and rich description of human
experiences[1]. Joyce ventured not only
· vol. 40 · januar- jun 2018. · br. 1
into the field of psychiatry but also in-
terwove several other branches of med-
icine into his masterpiece, thereby cre-
ating a medico-literary encyclopaedia
of a kind [2]. His characters experience
all bodily functions and needs, battle all
types of insanity and diseases, discuss
pains and remedies and visit the hospi-
Engrami
tal on their path from conception over
birth, life and death through metempsy-
chosis. What is fascinating about Ulyss
es is the fact that Joyce exposed his own
family’s medical history in the novel.
21Even though Ulysses is abundant ical students, rather than from his own
with all kinds of medical topics and studies as they were brief[2]. Some of
Joyce found inspiration both within Joyce’s medical knowledge was perhaps
and outside his family, this paper main- sparked by his father who gave a try at
ly concentrates on the depictions of studying medicine in Cork, but quickly
mental instability inspired by the Joyce dropped out[2].
family. The paper briefly recaps some of Joyce depicts a single day, 16 June 1904,
the most obvious examples of insanity, in Dublin throughout 18 chapters and
phobias, mental illnesses and other out 732 pages. The list of diseases, pho-
of the ordinary mental states from Ulyss bias, mental states, addictions and oth-
es with the intention of showing the re- er bodily troubles and misfortunes is
sults of a literary text analysed through a infinite in Ulysses. For example, Gerty
medical prism. MacDowell is lame; Stephen Dedalus
is haunted by ghosts, hallucinates and
PERSONAL drinks heavily; Mr Bloom appears to
BACKGROUND AND be impotent, masochist, might have
LITERARY PARALLELS syphilis, also hallucinates and we know
all about his bowl movements; Molly
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was Bloom battles a number of anxieties in
born on 2 February, 1882 in Dublin, Ire- connection to her physical appearance
land. He was the first of ten surviving and intelligence and is sexually promis-
children of John Stanislaus Joyce and cuous. In order to help his friends, Carlo
Mary Murray. On 16 June, 1904, Joyce Linati (1878−1949) and Stuart Gilbert
had his first date with Nora Barnacle (1883−1969), understand his novel,
· vol. 40 · januar-jun 2018. · br. 1
(1884−1951) who immediately became Joyce went as far as to draw two schemes
his lifelong companion. The couple had in which he depicts the connections be-
two children, Giorgio (1905−1976) and tween human organs and the chapters
Lucia (1907−1982). James Joyce died in in Ulysses[3]. The schemes are abundant
Zurich in 1941 of a perforated ulcer. with explanations and indications which
In order to understand the connec- disease and which organ are central for
tion between literature and medicine in each chapter.
Joyce’s novels it is important to mention Many Joyceans suggest that Joyce
Engrami
that he studied medicine in Dublin and found inspiration for the topics he ex-
Paris before he tried his luck as a writ- plored in his personal life[4, 5, 6]. Name-
er. Nevertheless, according to Lyons, ly, his mother died in a cancer induced
Joyce’s medical knowledge came from delirium, picking butterflies of the bed,
his acquaintance with a group of med- while his father was an alcoholic[7]. He
22himself suffered from conjunctivitis and usually sensitive, delicate and anxious
other eye illnesses which led to almost about her health”[7]. Joyce, too, was anx-
complete blindness towards the end. ious, sensitive and fanatically supersti-
Moreover, he wore an eye patch and was tious, socially phobic and a hypochon-
short-sighted[8]. Many argue that he had driac[7, 12]. The inspiration for phobias
syphilis, gonorrhoea and/or other vene- Joyce probably found in his fear of dogs,
real diseases and that both he and Nora thunder, lighting and water (cynophobia
were treated with mercury and arsenic, and keraunophobia)[7]. Allegedly, he was
know remedies of the time for syphilis attacked by a neighborhood dog when
and gonorrhoea[9, 10, 11]. Joyce even be- he was young and a religious aunt told
lieved that his own sexual promiscuity him that thunder was God’s anger[13].
and acquired venereal diseases had con- According to LeBlanc, agoraphobia is
tributed to the mental instability and present in Joyce’s Dubliners in the sto-
overall illness of his children[9]. ry “Eveline”[14]. Nevertheless, it also ap-
In his letters to Nora, Joyce exhibits pears that Mr. Bloom may suffer from
masochist and voyeuristic desires as agoraphobia in the “Circe” chapter of
well as a thing or two for coprophilia, Ulysses. At first, Mr. Bloom expresses a
dirty talk and fetishism altogether[5, 6]. high level of discomfort and is embar-
Throughout the texts of the letters Joyce rassed, fearing that he might be seen and
does not withhold any of his sexual fan- recognised in the brothel. Although he
tasies and nothing is left unsaid or re- wants to escape the sinister place at the
pressed. In addition, Joyce, much like his beginning, expressing even signs of ag-
father and son was in the habit of heavy oraphobia, he gradually becomes more
drinking. Once Ulysses was published and more relaxed and in the end enjoys.
· vol. 40 · januar- jun 2018. · br. 1
and the psychotic, hallucinations of the It may be argued that the character
“Circe” chapter, along with all the other of Molly Bloom was shaped to resemble
phobias and deviations saw the daylight, Nora[15], Evidence for such claims can
Joyce’s mental state was given another be found in the letters Joyce and Nora
look and he was considered both genius exchanged[5, 6]. Unfortunately, some of
and mad[1, 7]. Carl Jung was one of those Nora’s letters seem to be lost. Thus what
who believed Joyce was mad, especial- can be found in Nora’s answers is not as
ly after having read Ulysses and having open-minded as Molly Bloom’s thoughts
Engrami
treated Lucia[7]. and her sexual appetite is not as copious
According to Kaplan, the Joyce fam- as Molly Bloom’s, although it certainly is
ily did not have a history of psychiat- sexual. When Nora was asked about the
ric illnesses. However, Joyce’s paternal resemblance all she said was that she was
grandmother, Ellen O’Connell, was “un- much slimmer than Molly[16]. It should
23be noted that Nora ran away with Joyce was also hospitalised[7], while Giorgio
in 1904. The couple moved to the conti- himself battled with alcoholism[4, 17]. As
nent and lived for over thirty years out it appears the talented and artistic Joyce
of wedlock. Therefore, Nora was not a children lived in the shadows of their
typical Irish Catholic girl. much famous father, depressed, misun-
Joyce’s daughter Lucia was found derstood and prone to mental instabi
mentally ill and in the 30s she was per- lity[7]. However, their misfortunes seem
manently hospitalized. Lucia was de- to have provided the bedrock for the
scribed as violent, aggressive; she liked foundation of Ulysses.
setting things on fire and was even brief- In Ulysses, its main characters are
ly and unsuccessfully treated by Carl troubled by numerous diseases and
Jung, who was her twentieth doctor[4, 7, body issues. According to George, “Ul
17]
. Additionally, Lucia appears to have ysses presents non-reproductive sexual
had quite an adventurous and promis- acts” most of which are especially famil-
cuous sexual youth which may have re- iar to Mr. Bloom and Molly Bloom[18].
sulted in two abortuses. Samuel Beckett Mr. Bloom, as we find out in the “Circe”
and Alexander Calder were among her chapter, could be suffering from epilep-
lovers[7, 17]. Most diagnosed that Lucia sy, inherited from his grandfather Virag.
has suffered from hebephrenic schizo- Virag committed suicide, which sug-
phrenia[7], although other interpreta- gests that he had depression at least, if
tions of her mental instability were giv- not other mental illnesses. In addition,
en. Joyce refused to come to terms with Mr. Bloom has voyeuristic tendencies,
Lucia’s bleak diagnosis and was con- which we find out from the “Nausicaa”
vinced that she possessed a fire inside chapter in which he watches young
· vol. 40 · januar-jun 2018. · br. 1
herself. What Joyce saw in his daugh- Gerty MacDowell and pleases himself.
ter was talent, creativity and passion[17]. From his letters to Marta Clifford and
Even though many considered Joyce to his experience in the brothel we find out
be schizophrenic or psychotic – Carl that he is a masochist too. Molly Bloom
Jung being one of them − it appears that tells us that her husband is impotent,
Lucia inherited her mental illness from into fetishes, onanism, cunnilingus,
her mother’s side of the family as several fellatio, pornography and coprophil-
relatives were treated for serious mental ia. Throughout the “Penelope” chap-
Engrami
illnesses[7]. ter, Molly Bloom recalls all the sexually
Sadly, Joyce’s worries did not end deviant intercourses she and her hus-
with Lucia. Namely, his daughter-in- band indulged in. In the brothel scenes
law (Girgio’s wife) had a nervous break- of “Circe”, Mr. Bloom’s nympholepsy,
down, was found manic depressive and transvestism, homosexuality, androgy-
24ny, bisexuality, cuckoldry and conniv- everything that surrounded him from
ance in cuckoldry all become apparent. art, literature, music, history, politics
Furthermore, Mr. Bloom hallucinates and mythology to medicine. However,
and shows signs of psychosis. it appears that his own health and the
Gerty, appears to be narcistic, and ob- health of his closest family members
sessively compulsive when it comes to allowed him to portray deeply troubled
her looks and underwear. Additionally, characters in Ulysses. James Joyce, Nora
Gerty puts on an exhibitionist perfor- Barnacle, Lucia and Giorgio as well as
mance for Mr. Bloom. Molly Bloom, their parents, grandparents, friends,
herself also prefers some unconvention- relatives and partners gave inspiration
al sexual intercourses. She does not op- for the sexual deviations, mental
pose to doing whatever her loves ask of instabilities, phobias and anxieties of
her, she even has an idea or two of her Molly Bloom, Mr. Bloom, Stephen
own and appears rather keen on having Dedalus and Gerty MacDowell among
sexual intercourse in public places. She many other characters.
seems melancholic, hypochondriac and
has several body issues. She resorts to
remedies and tricks to lose weight and
enhance her breasts.
Stephen Dedalus is haunted by ghosts
and guilt. He hallucinates and drinks
heavily. In addition, he too is melanchol-
ic and depressed. He is often acquainted
by prostitutes and evidently suffers from
· vol. 40 · januar- jun 2018. · br. 1
venereal diseases. Stephen Dedalus is
portrayed as James Joyce’s alter ego and
hence mirrors many of Joyce’s charac-
teristics, one of which could be social
phobia.
CONCLUSION
Engrami
Certain parallels between the
medical history of the Joyce family
and the health issues of the characters
from Ulysses are drawn throughout
this paper. Joyce found inspiration in
25PORODIČNA ANAMNEZA KAO
INSPIRACIJA ZA REMEK DELO:
ULIKS DŽEJMSA DŽOJSA
Sonja Ðurić
Centar za jezike, drugih telesnih problema i nesreća je
Univerziet u Valensiji, Španija beskonačna u Uliksu. Glavni likovi Moli
Blum, gospodin Blum, Stefan Dedalus
GENTEXT istraživačka grupa,
i Gerti MekDovel, kao i mnogi drugi
Univerziet u Valensiji, Španija
pate od niza medicinskih problema.
Mnogi Džojsovci sugerišu da je Džojs
UDK: 616.895-02-036:616.895.8 pronalazio inspiraciju za teme koje je
istraživao u svom ličnom životu, jer
su se njegovi članovi porodice borili
protiv fobija, seksualnih devijacija,
Kratak sadržaj mentalne nestabilnosti, anksioznosti,
delirijuma i alkoholizma. Džejms Džojs,
U ovom radu se ukratko pominu neki Nora Barnakl, Lusija i Džiordžio, kao
od najistaknutijih primera ludila, fobija, i njihovi roditelji, prijatelji, rođaci i
· vol. 40 · januar-jun 2018. · br. 1
mentalnih bolesti i drugih neobičnih partneri dali su inspiraciju za seksualne
mentalnih stanja iz Uliksa Džejmsa devijacije, mentalne nestabilnosti, fobije
Džojsa sa namerom da se prikažu i anksioznosti Moli Blum, g. Bluma,
rezultati književnog teksta analiziranog Stefana Dedalusa i Gerti MakDovel
kroz medicinsku prizmu. Istorija bolesti među mnogim drugim likovima.
porodice Džojs izložena je u ovom radu
sa namerom da se povuku paralele Ključne reči:
između realnosti i fikcije, dokazujući Džejms Džojs, Uliks, medicina,
mentalna nestabilnost, seksualne
Engrami
da je stvarnost mogla da da inspiraciju
za fikciju. Džojs opisuje jedan dan, 16. deviacije
juna 1904. godine u Dablinu kroz 18
poglavlja i na 732 strane. Lista bolesti,
fobija, mentalnih stanja, zavisnosti i
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