Ulysses, Capitalism, and Colonialism: Reading Joyce After the Cold War

A reassessment of the work of James Joyce, especially Ulysses , in the light of postcolonial and Marxist literary theory. It explores the influence of Cold War anticommunism on previous readings of Joyce in the West. Focusing on Karl Radek’s criticisms of Joyce, the volume begins with a detailed discussion of the rejection of Joyce’s writings by many leftist critics. It then examines those aspects of Ulysses that can be taken as a diagnosis and criticism of the social ills brought to Ireland by British capitalism. The following chapters explore Joyce’s language as part of his critique of capitalism, the role of history in his works, the failure of Joyce to represent the lower classes of colonial Dublin, and the political implications of Joyce’s writings.