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James Joyce And His Other Language: The "Abnihilization Of The Etym", Lisa J. Fluet '96

Fenwick Scholar Program

This thesis proposes to say something new about Joyce's female characters that would in a sense redeem Joyce from the sharp criticism his texts encounter from feminist theorists. To achieve this, I have worked to dismantle the notion of literal, primary-word meanings to expose the etymon's origin from nothing. By tracing points in various works of Joyce where the word, the basis for most patriarchal literary representation, is not revered, but instead is dismantled, proven inadequate, and ultimately "abnihilizated," I attempt to demonstrate that female characters kept outside active participation with the word warrant serious consideration, as harbingers of a …