For Gerty McDowell, it is mariolatry that conceals her personal philosophy. It is mariolatry she uses as a hideout and it is mariolatry she uses as a Mask. To see her true face, we must have a look at her mask, for it is what she wants us to think of her, a look at her actions, for it is her most objective description, and finally a look at her dreams, for they are whom she wishes to be. It is her being in all its contradictions, that gives Gerty her purpose in Joyce's "Ulysses".
Despite her relatively brief appearance, her character is integral as it represents the aspect of woman that is connected with piety. By looking at the incongruities in Gerty McDowell's self-depiction and her actions, we see Joyce's criticism that women hide their true personality behind the mask of mariolatry.
Table of Contents
I Introduction
II The Construction of Gerty McDowell
III Gerty’s Identification with the Virgin Mary
IV Gerty's True Character
IV.I Gerty's Moral Values
V Suppressed Sexual Desire versus Sexual Innocence
VI Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This work aims to analyze the character of Gerty McDowell in James Joyce's "Ulysses" by examining the conflict between her public persona and her private desires. It investigates how Gerty utilizes the religious ideal of the Virgin Mary as a "mask" to conceal her true personality, narcissism, and repressed sexuality, ultimately critiquing the societal pressure on women to adhere to rigid pious archetypes.
- The construction and literary influences of the Gerty McDowell character.
- Gerty’s performative identification with the Virgin Mary.
- An analysis of Gerty’s true character, including her vanity and social behavior.
- The moral contradictions inherent in Gerty's self-depiction and actions.
- The tension between suppressed sexual desire and the veneer of innocence.
Excerpt from the Book
Gerty’s True Character
To show that the picture of the Virgin Mary is just a mask behind which Gerty hides, we must reveal her true character, shown by her thoughts and actions toward other people, instead of her self-description. As simple as Gerty would like to portray her garments, she still spends “all Tuesday week afternoon […] hunting” her straw hat (316). She wears what, from the Lady’s Pictorial, is expected to be worn, shows off her shoes, which “were the newest thing in footwear” (316) and prides her transparent stockings while describing Cissy “with the flimsy blouse she bought only a fortnight before like a rag on her back and a bit of her petticoat hanging like a caricature” (325). She also enjoys the thought of taking “the shine out of some people she knew” (316).
Since Gerty not only puts great effort into purchasing and coordinating her garments, but also uses them to set herself of from her friends, there is no simpleness or modesty in her style of clothing. Her vanity does not only display itself in her clothing though but also in her love for her own reflection. We are reminded of Narcissus or Snow White’s grandmother as we read that Gerty’s reflection tells her “you are lovely, Gerty”, that “she knew how to cry nicely before the mirror” (317) or that she keeps “smiling at the lovely refection which the mirror gave back to her” (316).
Summary of Chapters
I Introduction: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework, utilizing Nietzsche's concept of the "mask" to introduce Gerty McDowell as a character who hides her true identity behind the piety of Mariolatry.
II The Construction of Gerty McDowell: This chapter explores how Joyce constructs Gerty as a "second-hand" character, drawing upon cultural templates like Nausicaa and literary figures to delineate her idealized, overly romanticized world.
III Gerty’s Identification with the Virgin Mary: This chapter analyzes how Gerty meticulously aligns her appearance, scent, and self-attributed characteristics with the iconography of the Virgin Mary to curate a public image of purity.
IV Gerty's True Character: This chapter contrasts Gerty’s self-perception with her actual behavior toward her peers, revealing significant vanity, jealousy, and social manipulation behind her pious facade.
IV.I Gerty's Moral Values: This chapter examines Gerty's moral failures through the lens of the seven deadly sins, highlighting the hypocrisy between her claims of innocence and her actual conduct.
V Suppressed Sexual Desire versus Sexual Innocence: This chapter explores Gerty's repressed eroticism and how she navigates her sexual curiosity while maintaining the outward appearance of a "good Catholic."
VI Conclusion: This chapter summarizes that Gerty is a multifaceted construct who highlights the broader societal conflict between authentic identity and religious ideals.
Keywords
James Joyce, Ulysses, Gerty McDowell, Nausicaa, Mariolatry, Identity, Mask, Piety, Narcissism, Hypocrisy, Sexual Desire, Virginity, Literature, Character Analysis, Irish Literature
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this work?
The work examines the character of Gerty McDowell in the "Nausicaa" chapter of James Joyce's Ulysses, specifically focusing on the discrepancy between her outward religious performance and her internal motivations.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the construction of literary identity, the use of religious imagery as a social mask, feminine vanity, social jealousy, and the tension between sexual repression and natural desire.
What is the main research question or objective?
The objective is to expose the "mask" of Mariolatry that Gerty wears to hide her true, often contradictory personality, and to demonstrate how Joyce uses this character to criticize societal expectations of women.
Which scientific or analytical method is applied?
The author employs a literary analysis method, juxtaposing textual evidence from Joyce's novel with external secondary literature and established cultural archetypes to interpret character development.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body systematically analyzes Gerty’s literary construction, her imitation of the Virgin Mary, her spiteful interactions with friends, her violation of traditional moral values, and her struggle with suppressed sexuality.
Which keywords define this analysis?
The core keywords include Gerty McDowell, Ulysses, Mariolatry, identity, hypocrisy, and suppressed sexual desire.
How does Gerty's use of clothing relate to her character?
Her focus on clothing is portrayed as a tool for social competition and vanity rather than modesty, serving as a primary indicator that her public persona is a carefully constructed performance.
How does the author interpret the interaction between Gerty and Bloom?
The author interprets their interaction as a borderline sexual encounter where Gerty, aware of Bloom's attention, chooses to perform her "innocence" while simultaneously drawing pleasure from the situation.
- Quote paper
- Anna Klamann (Author), 2013, A critique of mariolatry in James Joyce "Ulysses". Incongruities in Gerty McDowell's self-depiction and actions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/381018
