To develop an understanding of the Jewish themes and anti-Semitism in Ireland, in James Joyce’s Ulysses, it is important to keep in mind the complex Irish culture. Factors such as, being English, at the same time a colonial society, during post-Famine time, all contribute to the anti-Semitism issues in Irish society. In the article, “Only a Foreigner Would Do: Leopold Bloom, Ireland and Jews”, Andrew Gibson, argues that James Joyce’s anti-Semitism in Ulysses is more complicated and unique to Irish history and culture than other critics have reviewed and has historical and cultural reasoning behind it. This complex situation of Irish Jews with awareness of the colonial Irish culture as an English oldest colony creates intellectual paralysis of Ireland and their cultural identity that leads to intolerance and opposition towards others.
According to the article, Gibson points out that Jewish issues commonly prevailed in Ireland in the beginning of twentieth century. The Limerick boycott in 1904 “was a significant outbreak of Irish anti-Semitism historically close to the date at which novel is set” instigated by Catholic Irish (p.44), particularly Father Creech, a Roman Catholic priest. Jewish people became a model minority and stand out as a clever and hardworking people compare to “the slothful, feckless, deceitful, unruly and, indeed, sometimes, savage Irish worker or peasant.” (p.47). In Ulysses, Leopold Bloom is an intelligent, responsible and economic protagonist. He performs house duties, work errands and cares for his wife. He fulfills a number of good deeds such as attending Paddy Dignam’s funeral, one of the first to help Dignam’s wife and son and also assists a blind person to cross the street. Despite his faults, Bloom becomes a hero as it is harder not recognize his compassion, kindness and goodness towards others.
In Dublin, Bloom is an outsider where everyone is aware of his Jewishness. In the Chapter “Aeolus”, Bloom’s task is to put an advertisement for Keyes’ teashop in the newspaper, “But wait Mr. Bloom said. He wants it changed. Keyes, you see. He wants two keys at the top.” (lines 126-127, p. 99) The fact that Bloom is preoccupied with Keyes’ advertisement makes him a powerful figure because two crossed keys have a significant representation of the independent Isles of Man and dream Irish home rule and the Vatican. “He wants to changed it”, the quote represents Irishmen who would like to have domestic rule. However, even a possessing “two keys”, a theme of Bloom as an outsider is being reinforced when Bloom always stands on the way of Irish people, “My fault, Mr. Bloom said suffering his grip. Are you hurt? I’m in a hurry.” (line 419, p. 106). Bloom seems to be out of place when a group of gentlemen mock Dan Dawson’s patriotic speech and read a romanticized travel guides before heading to a public house. This portrait of “industrious, honest and law-abiding Jew” Bloom among nostalgic and sentimental alcoholics, who spend days at the pubs, is what made Bloom stand out as a model minority. In the chapter “Cyclops”, Bloom shows his disapproval when he refuses to drink, “So they started arguing about the point, Bloom saying he wouldn’t and he couldn’t and excuse him, no offence and all to that and then he’d just take a cigar. Gob, he’s a prudent member and no mistake.” (lines 435-437, p. 249). The fact that Blooms turned out the drink, makes his stand out as a strong-willed person and at the same time label him as a prudent member of the society by peers. This contributes to his alienation because drinking plays a big part of Irish culture and the significant aspect of their lives. For Bloom, “Ireland sober is Ireland free.”(line 692, p.255) as he refuses to part to follow community’s rules of socialization and he is being criticized for not buying rounds.
Intellectual paralysis of seeing Jewish people as intruders refers to the colonial mindset and a struggle for identity, “The other from the elsewhere can only be the enemy.” (p. 53). Andrew Gibson’s argues about the similarities between both cultures’ history of oppression used to be a political tool for political leaders. An Irish political leader Daniel “O’Connell allied himself with English Jews on questions of religious emancipation.”(p.49). Jews played an important role and participated in the Irish political issues until the Jewish mass immigration to Ireland and Jewish financial prosperity and determination falsely identified them as invaders. This refusal of being able to imagine otherness and intolerance led to the Aliens Act of 1905, “Balfour- who wanted to keep Britain “Anglo-Saxon’’-spoke of the undoubted evils which had fallen upon portions of the country from an alien immigration which was largely Jewish” (p. 51). The chapter “Cyclops” highlights the ongoing attitude of Irish Christians towards Jews. A narrator, who is a debt collector, tells a story to Joe Hynes about an old plumber, Geraghty, who stole some tea and sugar from a Jewish merchant Moses Herzog. An anti-Semitist narrator mocks a character by saying, “Jesus, I had to laugh at the little jewy getting his shirt out.” He continues to mock him by imitating an old merchant’s words, “He drinks me my tea. He eats me my sugars. Because he no pay me my money?” Even though he realized the wrongdoing of a plumber Geraghty, he ridicules Herzog’s broken English and belittles a merchant by calling him a “jewy”.
Once in the Barney Kierman’s bar, the narrator’s anti-Semitic remarks continues throughout the chapter and it becomes pretty evident that the narrator is biased against Bloom as well as other Jews, “So they started talking about capital punishment and of course Bloom comes out with the why and wherefore and all the codology of business and the old dog smelling him all the time I am told those jewies does have a sort of a queer odour coming off them…” (lines, 450-454, p.250). The quote illustrates narrators’ bigotry towards Bloom. This immature and xenophobic remark makes the narrator feel superior, even a body odor of Bloom classify him as different from others. This type of remarks demonstrates Irish paralysis that leads to prejudice and narrow-mindedness. The narrator is envious of Bloom’s questioning and the tendency of imagining other possibilities and new viewpoints. As the men continue to drink, one of the main character, the citizen, a proponent of the Irish cultural revival, prejudiced against Bloom as well as a narrator, “the citizen has only one type for the incoming arrival or alien intruder, and its colonial. It is thus no accident that the citizen’s vituperations in “Cyclops” are Jews on the one hand and British imperialism on the other. One-eyed viewpoint on the history and the habit of blaming others for their own bad conditions is a condition of colonial pathology. Colonial pathology comes from resistance to English oppression, “the other from elsewhere can only be the enemy.” (p.53). Rambling about the invaders of Ireland, the citizen makes some remarks about English civilization, “Their syphilisation, you mean, says the citizen. To hell with them! The curse if a goodfornothing God light sideways on the bloody thicklugged sons of whores’ gets! No music and no art and no literature worthy of the name.” (lines 1197-1199, p. 266-267).
The anti-Semitic attitudes was not uncommon in the late nineteen and early twentieth century Ireland and showed the regression of the Irish culture and a national opposition to the English rule. In “Cyclops”, discussing different topics related to the state of Ireland and reading out obituaries, fueled by alcohol, before getting all drunk, the citizen and a group of Irish cannot accept Bloom’s Irish-Jewish identities. Bloom’s unique situation as a Jew, yet baptized as a Christian, foreigner, yet identifies himself as an Irish, positions him as both insider and outsider. Bloom is also “not even typical Jewish immigrant, since those who arrived before the 1880s – like Bloom’s father- came from England, Holland, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Galicia, Lithuania, and even Morocco, but apparently not Hungary.” (p.55). So Bloom’s situation does not fit into societal pressure to define oneself as one thing and into the cookie cutter of Irish-Jewish identification that the citizen strives to hold onto, “And I belong to a race too, says Bloom, that is hatred and persecuted. Also now. This very moment. This very instant.” (lines 1467-1468, p. 272-273). Bloom’s answer may refer to the both nations and demonstrate the resemblance between Irish and Jewish histories. The repetition and redundancy of “now”, “this very moment”, “this very instant” refers to the pub as a main place of bigotry and racism that Jewish people face. Bloom knows that he is being viewed as inferior and perhaps possesses an insecurity of having double identity. That is reason why Bloom struggles to define the word nation, “A nation is the same people living in the same place. ” (line 1423, p.272) and give a vague explanation which causes him to be laughed at. This contributes to Bloom’s struggle as an Irish-Jewish to fit into the Irish society.
Historically, anti-Semitism plays a significant role in Irish culture and has a unique position. By creating Leopold Bloom as character with more than a singular identity, Joyce’s responds and resists a bigotry and intolerance of Irish society and attempts to help two races to get along and living together as one nation. Through Bloom’s struggle to become a part of Jewish society, Joyce points out the intellectual paralysis that Ireland faced during post-Famine years.
Works Cited:
- Gibson, Andrew. Joyce’s Revenge: History, Politics, and Aesthetics in Ulysses. Oxford University Press, 2002.
- Joyce, James, et al. Ulysses. New York, Garland, 1