The Cyclops Analysis

    In the early twentieth century, Ireland, and more specifically Dublin, was a place defined by class distinctions. There were the wealthy, worldly upper-class who owned large, stately townhouses in the luxurious neighborhoods and the less fortunate, uneducated poor who lived in any shack they could afford in the middle of the city. For the most part, the affluent class was Protestant, while the struggling workers were overwhelmingly Catholic. These distinctions were the result of nearly a century of disparity in income, education, language, and occupation, and in turn were the fundamental bases for the internal struggle that many of Joyce's characters feel.

Cyclops (Polyphemus, specifically) is a gigantic one eyed monster, considered the sons of Titans, Uranus, Gaea, and the other Cyclopes were his brothers.Polyphemus was considered a skilled metalsmith craftsman fashioning useful items like certain tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewellery, and weapons out of various metals and he was very strong, but also stubborn. One weakness would be his one eye, so the Cyclopes could be easily blinded. One short myth on Polyphemus is that,Odysseus and his men entered a cave that Polyphemus lived in but he wasn’t there at the time.So Odysseus and his men helped themselves to the food and drink they found there. Then Polyphemus, returned to the cave.Finding Odysseus and his men in the cave

Joyce 's novel demonstrates a city and a society full of contradictions, parochial ideas, and paralysis. The Dublin inhabitants are divided by the river Liffey, into 'North and South ', 'rich and poor classes

The history of Ireland is one of early scholasticism and rich culture in times when the rest of Europe had less of a literary and artistic tradition. By the time of Hyde’s speech, the nation had become “one of the least studious and most un-literary”3 countries of the area, and he claims that the fault lies in a divergence from “the right path.”4 Progressive Anglicization has led the Irish to forget their own culture and its traditions. The British claim that because the Irish have forgotten much of their language and customs, they should be content as an integral part of the United Kingdom, and

There is a sense of forced assimilation through the loss of the Irish language, with the reoccurring feeling of isolation appearing to be the result. A lack of mutual understanding is present between not only the British and Irish but also the Irish themselves, for there are common disputes about conforming to the English language. “The native language declined, not as an outcome of British policy so much as because an entire generation of the Irish themselves decided no longer to speak it” (Kiberd 1995:

and presents a paradox with which the native writers must grapple. The pathetic city drunks and

The British have reigned over the Irish so long and so cruelly that they have left Ireland in “state of dependence” psychologically, politically, and economically. In other words, the “ideology of Protestant consumption” has “actually eroded” the self-confidence and sense of worth of the Irish so badly that it has left Ireland a nation unable to sustain itself (Mahoney). England is eating up Ireland. But this tribulation cannot be blamed solely on the British. Swift cleverly condemns the British aristocracy for their mistreatment of the Irish people while also criticizing the Irish people for allowing this exploitation.

Throughout the novel, Dominic’s heavy, and eventually unhealthy dependence on alcohol is talked about. After the death of Joe, Dominic “drinks himself to oblivion.” This display of Dominic’s reliance on alcohol reflects the idea of an Aussie Battler, a person who deals with adversity in the unconventional way of drinking alcohol instead of talking about it.

The two characters symbolize the differing attitudes to the war, to personal ambition and even the way they run and how, the way they run, reflect how they live. Archie’s sacrifice is the apotheosis of ‘greater love’ when he takes Franks place in the line symbolizing an act of a hero. But like all heroes Frank and Archie must undergo shared trials, such as crossing the desert before they can attempt to enlist, as well as both, having to suffer the individual humiliation of being rejected into the army. ”A special kind of man went. Sure, they were adventurers, but a very simple kind. They weren’t swashbucklers, but they were a kind of warrior class” Isolating the characters from their positions in a way of dramatic irony and representing them ignorant of the causes and horrors of war, strengthens the sense of the lost generation’s innocence and the growth of a national understanding since the end of the imperial compliance.

Identity is pivotal to the story and holds its own innate power, but what is even more pivotal is that the Irish do not necessarily all share the same views. The Irish find their history very important because it is the foundation of the language. Hugh says, “It is not the literal past, the ‘facts’ of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language” (88). It is evident then that Hugh finds the historical meanings of

Although the young boy cannot apprehend it intellectually, he feels that the street, the town, and Ireland itself have become ingrown, self-satisfied, and unimaginative. It is a

Drinking is another item that is symbolized in the story. The drinks that the American

As Deane asserts, the play is in many respects an intelligent and enlightening metaphor for the situation in Northern Ireland. The aims of raising cultural awareness and dispelling socio-political apathy in the North were central to

A cyclops was a one-eyed monster. The first cyclopes were Arges, Steropes, and Brontes. They were the sons of Uranus and Gaea. These three cyclopes were locked in Tartarus by, Cronus and Uranus. After being released, they helped Zeus fight in the Titanomachy. Another cyclops who was more famous was Polyphemus. He was the son of Poseidon.

At the time of publication, 1916, Ireland had seen events such as The 'Easter Rising ' in which Catholics rebelled against the British and the Protestants in a bid for independence. This mix of both the need for Independence and religious extremism are elements that we see portratyed through Stephen. Knowing this information we can see that Joyce portrays not only his own struggles with religion and independence using this method but also the conflict found