Randall J. Pogorzelski, Virgil and Joyce: nationalism and imperialism in the Aeneid and Ulysses [Reseña]

ExClass 21, 2017, 467-471 ISSN 1699-3225 RANDALL J. POGORZELSKI, Virgil and Joyce: nationalism and imperialism in the Aeneid and Ulysses, Madison; London: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2016, x+78 pp., ISBN 978-0-299-30800-1. Presumably an elaboration of his PhD dissertation, Pogorzelski’s Virgil and Joyce: nationalism and imperialism in the Aeneid and UlyssesðPPW an important gap in Joyce Criticism. Robert Schork, the undisputed authority on Latin and Roman Culture in Joyce 94SJ*PSVMHEEǭVQIHXLEX t0EXMR[EW.S]GIqWðVWXWIGSRHPERKYEKIuERHZIVMðIHXLEX:MVKMPqW[SVO was part of his library in Trieste. With his initial help, Pogorzelski starts by XVEGMRKHMVIGXVIJIVIRGIWXS:MVKMPMRUlyssesKSIWSRXSVIEH:MVKMPXLVSYKL .S]GIERPIRWIWERHFVMRKWMRt2EXMSREPMWQuEWtertium comparationis. He GSRXIRHWXLEX.S]GIYWIW:MVKMPXSGSRWXVYGXtEGYPXYVEPLMWXSV]SJ-VIPERH XLVSYKLXLI)YVSTIERGPEWWMGEPXVEHMXMSRuERHMRXYVR4SKSV^IPWOMLMQWIPJYWIW.S]GIXSHMWGSZIVERI[:MVKMPXLI:MVKMPSJ2EXMSREPMWQ Readers of e-books and similar digital formats often read more than one at the same time. This is obviously not the end of the book bounds. It is SRP]SRIQSVIWXITXS[EVHWRSRPMRIEVVIEHMRKt'SYPHELMWXSVMSKVETLIVu asked Sterne in Tristram Shandy long ago, “drive on his history, as a muleteer drives on his mule,—straight forward. . . without ever once turning LMWLIEHEWMHIIMXLIVXSXLIVMKLXLERHSVXSXLIPIJX#u4IRKYMR<-: Books have the capacity to talk to other books. Our attentive reading may easily stop at any given point and take us through a maze of hyperlinks. Every paragraph, every sentence, any word is --or may seem to us-- linked to others. While reading we often hop from book to book at a pace directly proportional to our degree of obsession and inversely proportional to our concentration. It is no news to start this review noting that we generally read James Joyce in this way. As he wrote Ulysses, he also reordered the ways in which we were to WIIXLIGSRRIGXMSRFIX[IIRLMW[SVHWERHXLSWIMRSXLIV[SVOWu-FIPMIZI- XSPH]SYuWEMH.S]GIXSLMWJVMIRH*VERO&YHKIRtXLEXQ]FSSOMWEQSH- ern Odyssey. Every episode in it corresponds to an adventure of Ulyssesu (James Joyce and the Making of Ulysses, OUP, 1989, 20). Joyce’s friend Stuart Gilbert, himself a graduate in Classics at Oxford, did a lot to promote the idea that we were to read Ulysses keeping an eye on the Odyssey, and IRZMWMSRMRK,SQIVQSVISVPIWWEWEtTVIðKYVEXMSRuSJ.S]GIXLSYKLXLI only evidence we have is the title of the novel (not even the Greek names of the episodes were ever published). The distance between the writer’s appar- 468 R. NAVARRETE FRANCO: RANDALL J. POGORZELSKI, Virgil and Joyce ... ExClass 21, 2017, 467-471 ent intentions and the textual parallels are such that we never know how far XSXEOIXLIQSV[LIRXSWXST;LIXLIVXLI]EVIPEFIPPIHtMRñYIRGIutEPPY- WMSRWuSVtMRXIVXI\XWu[IEVIPMOIP]XSIRHYTVITIEXMRKXLIH]MRKVITPMGERXqW words in Blade Runnert-qZIWIIRXLMRKW]SYTISTPI[SYPHRqXFIPMIZIu What came afterwards is well known to Joyceans (and commonly ORS[REWXLIt.S]GIMRHYWXV]u-RSVHIVXSVIEHUlysses, even precariously, we can hardly resist the temptation to stop from time to time and open other books. We need at least half a dozen on our desk. Weldon Thornton’s Allusions in Ulysses (U of North Carolina P, 1968) or James Atherton’s The Books at the Wake (Southern Illinois UP, 1959) are indispensable. There are also some concrete, distinguised ghosts. Were it not for his insistence on Homer, many would agree that Shakespeare’s Hamlet KSIWðVWXMR Ulysses.:MRGIRX'LIRKqWQEWXIVJYPShakespeare and Joyce, A Study of Finnegans Wake (Pennsylvania State UP, 1984) explores the connections between these two major creators –that is, after God, as Joyce would say in Ulysses. Also, Mary Trackett Reynolds’ Joyce and Dante: The Shaping Imagination (Princeton UP, 2014); or Patrick Colm Hogan’s Joyce, Milton, DQGWKH7KHRU\RI,Q¾XHQFH (Florida James Joyce, 1995) are valiant enough to bring these major writers together. Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, +MEQFEXXMWXE:MGSERHQER]SXLIVWGSYPHFIEHHIH:MVKMPRSHSYFXLEWER MQTSVXERXTPEGIMRXLMWPMWX(SR+MǬSVHqWTVMGIPIWWAnnotated Ulysses (U of 'EPMJSVRME4PMWXWRSPIWWXLEREHS^IRVIJIVIRGIWXS:MVKMPMRGPYHMRK cross-references to Dante, Milton, or Blake. -RGLETXIVt.S]GIqWt%ISPYWuERHXLI7IQMGSPSRMEP:MVKMP,” Pogorzelski WXEVXWLMWEREP]WMW[MXLXLIðVWXEPPYWMSRXS:MVKMPMRUlysses: :-6+-0-%2 7%=7 4)(%+3+9) 734,3136) 409147 *36 OLD MAN MOSES. —Call it, wait, the professor said, opening his long lips wide to VIñIGX'EPPMXPIXQIWII'EPPMXdeus nobis hæc otia fecit. —No, Stephen said. I call it A Pisgah Sight of Palestine or The Parable of The Plums. (U 07.1054-8) *SPPS[MRKXLIXLMRXLVIEHPMRISJXLIITMWSHIt%ISPYWuX[SKMVPWGPMQF up Nelson’s Pillar to have a view of Dublin from the top. They are eating TPYQWERHWTMXXLIWIIHW[LMGLQEOIEtTEVEFPIuHS[RXLIWXVIIX8LEXMW why Stephen proposes the title The Parable of The Plums. The connection FIX[IIR:MVKMPqWUYSXEXMSRMR0EXMRERH2EXMSREPMWQMWMRSVHIVLIVIMJ[I remember the tendency to associate Latin with the Empire and England and Greek with Irish Nationalism. ;LEXIPWIMWMRZSPZIHMREñMKLXSJWXEMVW#4SKSV^IPWOMKSIWSRXSEVKYI that “their laborious climb to the top represents the Irish struggle for inde- TIRHIRGIMRKIRIVEPERHXLIPERH[EVMRTEVXMGYPEVu-X[SYPHETTIEVXLEX 469 ExClass 21, 2017, 467-471 REVIEWS / RESEÑAS Pogorzelski forces the reading of the episode. And does he? The Joycean an- W[IVMWXLEXLItEPPIKSVM^IWuMIVEMWIWJVSQXLIPMXIVEPVIEHMRKGPMQFMRKXLI WXEMVWXSEHMǬIVIRXPIZIP-VMWLWXVYKKPI*YVXLIV4SKSV^IPWOMFSVVS[WXLI XIVQtWIQMGSPSRMEPuJVSQ(IVIO%XXVMHKIqWWYGGIWWJYPWXYH]Semicolonial Joyce'EQFVMHKI94XSXMXPIXLMWðVWXGLETXIVt.S]GIqWt%ISPYWuERH XLI7IQMGSPSRMEP:MVKMPut7IQMGSPSRMEPuETTPMIWXS.S]GIEQFMZEPIRXL]FVMH --and polemical—attitude in respect of Irish Nationalism. Reading Joyce in XLMW[E]EPPS[W4SKSV^IPWOMXSWII:MVKMPJVSQETSWXGSPSRMEPTIVWTIGXMZIEW semicolonial too. The only objection to Pogorzelski’s reading of the episode has little to do with how far he takes the parallel. This only makes him a Joycean. It MWVEXLIVLMWMRMXMEPEWWYQTXMSRXLEX.S]GIERH:MVKMPFIPSRKI\GPYWMZIP]MR XLIMVWITEVEXITIVMSHWXLEXt1SHIVRuERHt'PEWWMGuEVIMRHITIRHIRXVIEPMXMIW VEXLIVXLEREVXMGMðEPXSSPW[IYWIXSQEOIETVIGEVMSYWWIRWISJLMWXSV] 8LI WIGSRH GLETXIV t.S]GIqW 'MXM^IR ERH :MVKMPqW 'EGYW” centers on XLIt']GPSTWuITMWSHIERHMXWEWWSGMEXMSR[MXL:MVKMPqWQSRWXIV'EGYWEP- though the critical terminology used is somewhat elusive (are they allusions? Intertexts?). Cacus, who is killed by Hercules, serves as a model for the citizen, the famous nationalist. But Cacus (as Latin) is also the British colonizer: “’Cyclops’ not only links the citizen to the monster Cacus, but also subtly EPMKRWXLIGMXM^IR[MXLXLILIVS,IVGYPIWu;MXLXLIEMHSJXLITSVXQERXIEYGSRGITXSJtL]FVMHMX]u4SKSV^IPWOMQEREKIWXSGSQFMRIERYQFIV of characters into one: the Cyclops and Cacus; the Irish Nationalist and the Roman invader. Other pastoral monsters, together with Fritz Senn’s hints to Polyphemus in Ovid’s Metamorphosis (52), are added to the citizen’s hybrid identity. Joyce –it often occurs—seems to trap us in a web of resemblances. In 1980 Shari and Bernard Benstock made reference to this particularity in the title of their directory: Who’s He When He’s at Home : A James Joyce Directory9SJ-PPMRSMW4-XMWRSXEñE[XLIRFYXXLIREXYVEPVIWYPXSJ Pogorzelski’s meticulous reading of Joyce, that he uncovers multiple and IZIRGSRXVEHMGXSV]MHIRXMXMIWMRXLIGMXM^IRLIMWt'EGYWuEWtWLITLIVHu t,IVGYPIWuEWtQEHQERuERHt%YKYWXYWuEtVITVIWWMZIQSREVGLu 1SWX SJ GLETXIV  t8LI :MVKMPMER 4EWX SJ 2EXMSREPMWQu GIRXIVWSR Nationalism and the Aeneid)ZIRXLSYKLXLIGSRGITXSJt2EXMSREPMWQu MXWIPJMWQSHIVRERHMRMXMEPP]EPMIRXS:MVKMPVIEHMRKUlysses changes our TIVGITXMSRSJXLMRKWERHEPWSSYVYRHIVWXERHMRKSJXLITEWX'SRWIUYIRXP] Pogorzelski reads the Aeneid with postmodern eyes. More concretely, it MW.S]GIqWMHIESJt-VMWL2EXMSREPMWQuXLEXEPPS[WLMQXStIRZMWMSRuERI[ :MVKMPXLI:MVKMPSJREXMSREPMWQ 470 R. NAVARRETE FRANCO: RANDALL J. POGORZELSKI, Virgil and Joyce ... ExClass 21, 2017, 467-471 And what is a Nation? “—A nation? says Bloom. A nation is the same TISTPI PMZMRK MR XLI WEQI TPEGIu U 12.1422-3). Pogorzelski can read in &PSSQqWHIðRMXMSRXLITVIIQMRIRGISJtXIVVMXSVMEPMX]uSZIVVEGIERHPERKYEKI ,IEHHWXSXLMWXLIGVIEXMSRSJEVXMðGMEPERGMIRXVSSXWt8LI]MQEKMRIXLI XIVVMXSV]EWERERGMIRXERHREXYVEP[LSPIu8LI[E]WMR[LMGL:MVKMP constructed ancient roots for Italian identity are seen as parallel to Joyce’s exploration of ancient roots for Irish identity. ;MXLXLIEMHSJ&IRIHMGX%RHIVWSRqWMRñYIRXMEPImagined Communities :IVWS4SKSV^IPWOMVIGEPPWJSVYWXLI[E]WMR[LMGL2EXMSREPMWQXVERW- forms “fatality into continuity, contingency into meaning (Anderson 2006, uERHVIQEVOWXLIt2EXMSREPMWXqWuRIIHSJtQSYVRMRKut2EXMSREPMWQEW %RHIVWSRQEOIWGPIEVMWEJSVQSJQSYVRMRKu'SRWIUYIRXP]XLIGLETXIV ends with an account of the death of Lausus. t.S]GIqW6YH]ERH:MVKMPqW1EVGIPPYWuGLETXIVGIRXIVWSR1EVGIPPYW the heir of the Roman empire, and Rudy, Bloom’s dead son. In both a similar process is at work: “the emotional power of ancient injustice to engender GSPPIGXMZIREXMSREPMWXMHIRXMðGEXMSRu-RXLMWGLETXIV4SKSV^IPWOMQEOIW an important correction in the traditional understanding of Ulysses. He GSRXIRHWXLEX.S]GIqWt'MVGIuITMWSHISJUlysses) is more similar to the AeneidXLERt,EHIWuITMWSHISJUlysses;LEXQEOIWt'MVGIuWMQMPEV to a descent to Hades is its peculiar understanding of time: it is a return to the past (the past of dead friends and family) and an anticipation of the problematic future (by way of prophecies). At this point, curiously, Pogorzelski takes a two page detour (94-95) to account for references to Aeneid 6 in Finnegans Wake. Is he suggesting a broader parallel between the WakeERH:MVKMPqWCountry of the Dead? In ER]GEWI6YH]&PSSQqWHIEHWSRETTIEVWEWEKLSWXEXXLIIRHSJt'MVGIu and makes Bloom speculate on what would have become of Rudy, had he PMZIH:MVKMPJSPPS[WXLIWEQIXVIRHSJXLSYKLXWVIKEVHMRKXLIHIEXLSJLMW son Marcellus. 'IVXEMRP]tTEXIVRMX]uERHXLIPSWWSJEWSREVIGIRXVEPXLIQEXMGPMROW in Ulysses (that is why the ghost of Hamlet haunts the book). What 4SKSV^IPWOM HSIW MW XS EWWSGMEXI MX XS :MVKMP ERH XS 2EXMSREPMWQ XLVSYKL Marcellus. First, once Marcellus and Rudy die, the lineage is discontinued. 7IGSRHtXLIEWWSGMEXMSR[MXL1EVGIPPYWTSPMXM^IW6YH]u8LIHIEXL SJXLIWSR1EVGIPPYW6YH]ERRSYRGIWXLIGSñMGXWXSGSQIMR:MVKMPqW Rome, in Joyce’s Ireland. Again this is at a remove from a literal reading. -XMWERSXLIVPIZIPSJVIEHMRKXLITSPMXMGEPPIZIP[LIVIt'MVGIuIREGXWXLI t4VSFPIQSJ7YGGIWWMSRuREQIP]XLIEFWIRGISJERLIMV Pogorzelski goes to the extreme and associates this discontinuity of line- EKIXSJVEKQIRXEXMSRMRREVVEXMZIERHWX]PIt'MVGIuMWMRXLMW[E]EPWSER interruption in the narrative of Ulysses: “the discontinuities and anti-nar- VEXMZIWX]PISJt'MVGIuEPWSWYKKIWXWHMǭGYPXMIWSJWX]PIu8LSWIVIEHIVW 471 ExClass 21, 2017, 467-471 REVIEWS / RESEÑAS who are not ready to go this far with Pogorzelski should take into consideration that he supports his arguments with the help of notorious critics, like )QIV2SPER)RHE(YǬ]SV(EZMH5YMRX 'LETXIVt:MVKMPqW.S]GIER4SIXMGWuFVMRKWEtRI[uTSWXQSHIVRTIVWTIGXMZISR:MVKMPERHIZIRXYEPP]EtRI[u:MVKMPt(MWGSRXMRYMX]uMWXLIIW- sential postmodern feature that Pogorzelski imports from Frederic Jameson to embark on his original reading. Provoked by Imperialism, always accord- MRKXS.EQIWSRtHMWGSRXMRYMXMIWuTSMRXXSXLIJVEKQIRXEXMSRSJHEMP] life, and this is true in both modern Ireland and ancient Rome, in “times SJSJZMSPIRXERHWMKRMðGERXGLERKIu4SKSV^IPWOMGSRXIQTPEXIWEZEVMIX]SJHMWGSRXMRYMXMIW8LIðVWXMWt*EQMPMEP(MWGSRXMRYMX]uERHETTPMIWXS(EIHEPYWqtMRGSQTPIXIuWXSVMIWERHWGYPTXYVIWEWLIEVVMZIWEX'YQEI 4SKSV^IPWOMQEOIWEGSRWMHIVEFPIIǬSVXXSQEOIYWWIItMRGSQTPIXIuEWtHMW- GSRXMRYSYWu%WIGSRHX]TISJHMWGSRXMRYMX]MWtWIQERXMGuERHETTPMIWXS the sibyl’s prophecy (119). Prophecies have multiple meanings, and thus are semantically unstable, whereas the space between text and meaning mark the XIVVMXSV]SJTVIGMWIP]tHMWGSRXMRYMX]u%XLMVHOMRHSJHMWGSRXMRY- ity to be seen in the AeneidMWtLMWXSVMGEPuERHGSRGIVRW8LI4EVEHI of Heroes. The parade is not ordered history, but rather a “discontinuous WIPIGXMSRSJZMKRIXXIWu4SKSV^IPWOMqWYRHIRMEFPIQIVMXERHSVMKMREPMX] in this chapter is slightly marred by enthusiastic –and perhaps vague-- generalizations on discontinuity: “The problem lies in language itself. There is EKETFIX[IIRWMKRMðIVERHVIJIVIRXXLEXVIRHIVWWIQERXMGGSQQYRMGEXMSR HMWGSRXMRYSYWu To conclude, Pogorzelski’s Virgil and Joyce: nationalism and imperialism in the Aeneid and Ulysses is valuable for many reasons. First, the FSSOI\LEYWXWEPQSWXEPPXLITSWWMFPITEVEPPIPWFIX[IIR:MVKMPERHUlysses (not Finnegans Wake). There is not much to be added after Pogorzelski’s XLSVSYKLVIEHMRK7IGSRHP]ERI[:MVKMPMWFSVRMRXLMWFSSOXLI:MVKMPSJ 4SWXQSHIVRMQ%RHXLMVHP]SYVYRHIVWXERHMRKSJt2EXMSREPMWQuI\TERHW MXWSVMKMREPFSYRHEVMIWEWMXMWRSPSRKIVtSRP]uQSHIVRRSPSRKIVHMWGSR- nected from the ancient past. RICARDO NAVARRETE FRANCO Universidad de Sevilla rnav[email protected]s