Reclaiming Myths of Femininity: Molly Bloom's Response to Modernity

Abstract

Joyce's depiction of the voices of Molly and Gerty allow him to push the cultural boundaries of femininity, ultimately creating an avenue for expression that is unbound by cultural myth. Joyce characterizes Gerty to expose the absurdity and insidiousness of cultural myth, demonstrating the restriction that the web of myths inherent in Modernity creates. As he exposes myths of femininity which prescribe rigid gender identities and ultimately lead to damaged relationships, he also demonstrates through Molly the ability of the individual to transcend cultural limitations through natural love. Indeed, in a novel that, I believe, is all about love, Joyce, in his novel of maturity, creates Molly's voice to commemorate his literary creation, which is made possible through his own personal love for his wife, Nora. Through characterization of the female characters in his novel, Joyce has exposed the myths which determine the Modem individual, but he uses Molly's freedom and creation as a means to counter the cultural restriction imposed upon his characters and upon himself, effectively escaping his literary influences through the use of a female voice. [From Conclusion]