Guilt and Finnegans Wake: From Original Sin to the Irredeemable Body

Exploring the important themes of guilt and morality in James Joyce’s final work



James Joyce’s last novel, Finnegans Wake,
is notorious for its complex structure and is considered by many to be
unreadable. Approaching this complicated book with attention to the
theme of guilt, an important concept that has been underexplored in
studies of the Wake, Talia Abu presents a clear and thorough
interpretation that helps illuminate the book for even the most novice
Joyce readers.

In Guilt and ＂Finnegans Wake,＂
Talia Abu examines how Joyce portrays the evolution of cultural beliefs
about morality, from the concept of a moral code set in place by a
transcendental authority to an embodied morality that originates in
material existence. Through close readings of the novel, Abu
demonstrates that Joyce engages with guilt as it relates to the Catholic
doctrine of original sin, the institution of the marriage contract, the
theories of Nietzsche, and the views of Freud--including Freud’s
emphasis on physical experience as the primary aspect of being.
Ultimately, Abu argues that Joyce sees guilt as a personal and unique
experience and that emotions such as guilt can be reclaimed from the
influence of religious and social institutions.



Delving
into Joyce’s representation of historical events while also analyzing
Joyce’s wordplay and linguistic techniques and drawing from multiple
disciplines to understand different conceptions of guilt, this book
shows the importance of the theme to the form of Finnegans Wake and
Joyce’s craft more broadly. Pursuing the questions and ideas that Joyce
raises about guilt and morality, Talia Abu makes a case for the enduring
relevance of Joyce’s work today.



A volume in the Florida James Joyce Series, edited by Sam Slote