J(oyce)-Term: Syllabus
Barker 018
Instructor: Miles Osgood
mosgood@fas.harvard.edu
TF for Hum 10a and b; PhD Candidate, English Department
Office: Barker 030
Available after class or by appointment
Course Description
This seminar will introduce students to James Joyce’s modernist epic, Ulysses, as preparation for
going through the full novel in Hum 10b. Students will read 5-6 key chapters from across the work,
as well as a few related materials (excerpts from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, some
contemporary reviews, and a legal decision concerning Ulysses’ censorship). The instructor will
provide short overviews on Joyce, modernism, Irish history, and the text as a whole, but class-time
will be focused on discussion, with topics including the novel as a genre, experiencing the modern
city, empire and rebellion, literary experimentation, and the uses of myth. By the end of J-Term,
students will be familiar with Joyce and his context, the major characters in Ulysses, and important
peculiarities of the text’s structure and history. On the last day, students will present creative projects
related to the novel, alone or in small groups.
Seminar Policies
- Attendance and participation. This course is an opportunity to dive into the details of Joyce’s
work in a small, friendly group setting—more informal than a Hum 10 seminar, but still a site for
discussion. Please arrive promptly at 1 with notes on your reading so that we can jump right into
conversation. We’ll be talking both about very small passages (looking at wordplay, allusions,
representations of consciousness) and about overarching structures (characters, recurring themes,
Homeric equivalences). Please speak up even if you’re not sure of your response: this is a chance for
all of us to enjoy the text, speculate about its many meanings, and learn.
- Books and materials. Please acquire the Hum 10b edition of Ulysses (see below) before the class
begins. Please also print and bring extra materials that are assigned.
- Electronics. Unless I tell you otherwise, we won’t be using electronic devices in this class. Please
bring a notebook and a pen for notes. If you require the use of an electronic device for learning
reasons, please let me know before the course starts.
- Creative project. To complete this J-Term course, you’ll need to complete a creative project
inspired by Ulysses and present it to the rest of the class. You may work alone or in a small group
(and you’re welcome to participate in multiple groups, if you like). I’ve provided some ideas for
projects at the end of this syllabus, but I hope you take this assignment in a unique, personal
direction! If you’re stuck, come talk to me after class, and we’ll come up with something based on
your interests.
Materials
- James Joyce, Ulysses. Vintage (Gabler Edition). ISBN: 978-0394743127
- Extra readings supplied as scans on course website. Please print and bring to class.
SCHEDULE
All meetings take place in Barker 018 from 1 to 3 PM. On Wednesday, we’ll go to Houghton Library
from 3 to 4 PM. On Friday, we’ll share creative projects from 3 to 4 PM (in Barker 018).
Tuesday, January 19: Meet James Joyce and Stephen Dedalus
Video: James Joyce, a short biography and bibliography; introduction to Ulysses
Readings:
- Selections from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Scan A)
- “Telemachus,” “Proteus”
- Contemporary reviews: Scan #1
Wednesday, January 20: Meet Leopold and Molly Bloom
Video: Modernism, Consciousness, the City
Readings:
- “Calypso”
- Selections from “Penelope”: p. 608-613
- Contemporary reviews: Scan #2
Special Event (3 - 4 PM):
- Visit Houghton Library to see Joyce materials and continue discussion
Thursday, January 21: Ireland, 1904-1922
Video: Irish independence, nationalism
Readings:
- Selections from A Portrait (Scan B)
- “Cyclops”
Friday, January 22: A Novel on Trial
Video: Ulysses’ legal battle
Readings:
- “Nausicaa”
- John Woolsey’s defense
Special Event (3 - 4 PM):
- Student presentations of creative projects
----Ideas for Creative Presentations:
- Write a log of your conscious thoughts as you walk through Cambridge or Boston. Try imagining these moments in
different styles or voices and/or add revisions to your experience later.
- Paint or assemble a cubist collage based on “Aeolus,” or picture a different Ulysses episode in the style of another
modern art movement.
- Design a better book cover or jacket for Ulysses. Design a page of the interior.
- Film a (G-rated) scene from “Circe” or dramatize a narrative episode that we read.
- Record your own musical version of the opening to “Sirens.”
- Write a scene from everyday life in a chronological pastiche of styles, as in “Oxen of the Sun.”
- Provide a synopsis of an episode we discussed in the form of a catechism, as in “Ithaca.”
- Write the case for the prosecution or the defense of Ulysses (or partner up with someone and present both sides).
… and, of course …
- Come up with something of your own and pitch it to me!