Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Modern period in English literature experimented a profound transformation in narrative style, themes and character development. Characters in modern literature engaged with alienation, existential dilemmas, and the search for identity amidst rapidly changing social, economic and cultural landscapes. The modern period witnessed a shift towards unreliable narrators and experimental forms encouraging readers to engage actively with the text which allow for a higher understanding of character motivations and the thematic undercurrents that define their journeys. Joyce’s characters embody the complexities of modern life and through the technique of stream of consciousness, he captures their inner lives helping readers to resonate with the characters on a deeper level of comprehension. The distinctive nature that reflects in the characters created by James Joyce is exploration of self; feelings of alienation from society, family or even themselves; non-heroic protagonists lacking clear moral delineation, exhibiting both admirable and flawed qualities; the influence of Freudian theory and existential philosophy; embodying the tensions and issues of their time, such as class struggle, gender roles and racial identity. Stephen Dedalus is a multifaceted character of Joyce who holds the central character among his important literary works such as A Portrait of The Artist as A Young Man and Ulysses. His journey reflects profound questions about identity, art, and the search for meaning, making him one of Joyce's most compelling and enduring creations. Another character would be Leopold Bloom who is a richly developed character making him one of literature’s most memorable protagonist. To familiarize these two characters could open the author’s various facets of his personality, beliefs and experiences as Freud mentions in his essay Creative Writers and Daydreaming: “His Majesty the ‘Ego’ of the writer becomes the hero of the story.”
Authors: Haobam Tabashree, Bidyarani Mayengbam
Institution: Manipur International University
Language: English
Topic: Giambattista Vico and Joyce
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411464904