Thomas Richards, in his 1990 exposition of cultural theory, The Commodity Culture of Victorian England: Advertising and Spectacle, 1851-1914 states: “In the mid-nineteenth century the commodity became the living letter of the law of supply and demand. It literally came to life.”(Richards 2) The “commodity” adopts a corporeal attachment to Victorian society in the form of the female body, as proposed in James Joyce's modern epic, Ulysses. The narrative techniques and representations of the human body simultaneously submit to the authoritative culture of the commodity that pervades and structures Joyce's text. As Richards' publication argues, Ireland, under the economic influence of Victorian England, experienced significant changes in cultural values, which began to reflect a modern capitalist system. Joyce, throughout the novel, creates an accurate depiction of Dublin during the rise of capitalism; consciously and predominantly unconsciously, underwritten by advertising and consumer desires. The narrative is saturated with mercantile discourse, as Molly and Bloom move through the day interacting with commodities in physical and mental states. With particular emphasis on feminine hygiene products, such as “ointment” and “lotion,” it is evident that Joyce has invented characters who are completely immersed in commodity culture, and is primarily concerned with constructing an anatomical, feminine counterpart to the “commodity ”. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The term “commodity” infiltrated the Irish economy at an exponential rate, and with it, capitalism began to permeate the country’s industrial status. By consulting Karl Marx's Capital: Critique of Political Economy, it is possible to contextualize objects such as “ointment” and “lotion,” and the palpable, cerebral interactions of characters with these objects, as events within “commodity culture.” “Volume 1” of the bourgeoisie-led work is essentially a critical analysis of capitalism as a political economy and the role of the commodity within it. This system is applicable to what governs the characters and the consumerist intentions and desires they experience throughout the day. In examining Bloom's thoughts, particularly those concerning the topical lotion and soap he buys for Molly, it is evident that such merchandise is erotic and inspires in him a sexual appetite. Although erotic thoughts are not uncommon for Bloom, it is significant to consider that ointment and lotion, as commodities, provoke a coherent image of woman and a sense of femininity. The episode “Nausicaä” formally introduces the impressionable figure of Gerty MacDowell, Joyce's literary manifestation of “feminine sensibility”. Gerty represents a hyperbolically feminized 'poster girl' for feminine hygiene products, as she is appropriately called the "Queen of Ointments." His narrative is heavily imbued with commercial language and consumerist desires; Gerty's thought process is entirely unique to the novel, but dictates a universal way of thinking adopted by women in 1904 Dublin. The thoughts that make up “Nausicaa” reverberate in a slogan for “the girl from the sea,” the commercial fantasy for both men and women; for the former, an eroticized jingle that addresses the male libido, and for the latter, an emblem of female jealousy and standardized beauty. Ointments, lotions, perfumes, and creams are the necessary components for building and maintaining femininity, just as Joyce's awareness of commodity culture is necessary for “writing” literary femininity. Joyce faces realityexperience of the advertised spectacle, not only as a social space to display goods, but also as a coercive agent to invade and structure human consciousness. The “Nausicaa” chapter of Ulysses defines the impact of all this calculated consumption on the sole consumer, Gerty MacDowell. Materialism and concern for acquiring possessions appear persistently throughout the day in the characters' thoughts; Bloom, for example, goes through the day by reminding himself of certain items he needs to purchase and by handling those items he purchases. Consumerism is so deeply ingrained in Bloom, that in the episode “Circe,” during a hallucinatory moment, the bar of soap residing in his pocket speaks for itself: “THE SOAP: We are a capital couple, me and Bloom. ” (Joyce 406) The capitalist relationship is present in Bloom's mind, on a conscious and subconscious level. Marx, concluding the first chapter of “Volume 1” of Capital, establishes a definition of a commodity: “A commodity appears, at first sight, to be a very banal and easily understandable thing. His analysis shows that it is, in fact, a very strange thing, full of metaphysical subtleties and theological subtleties. in what he calls “the fetishism of commodities”. In a capitalist system, human relationships are increasingly characterized by alienation, monetization and commodification. Relationships between workers and owners, buyers and sellers are mediated through the goods produced. These goods become objects of fetishism; there seems to be an objective existence to them, which obscures the individual labor involved in their production. In the act of exchange the commodity acquires an intrinsic value distinct from its use value or physical properties. This relationship is evident between Bloom and the pharmacy: “Better make up that lotion. Where is this? Ah yes, the last time. Sweny is on Lincoln Place. Chemists rarely move. Their green and gold headlights were too heavy to move... They certainly made her skin so delicate, white as wax." (Joyce 75-76) The passage, excerpted from Bloom's ongoing thought process while running errands, exposes his unconscious priority for feminine hygiene products. Bloom considers the chemist's job, as his mind wanders into the territory of the store and the effects that chemicals can have on an individual who produces them for use by part of the customer. It also recalls the previous effect of the lotion on Molly, provoking an image of desire which, as the “commodity fetishism” narrates, it is evident that Marx was aware of a dichotomy that structured the concept of the commodity; goods are calculable and quantifiable, but on the other hand they carry with them a cultural baggage whose origins are untraceable to man due to his immediate and omniscient presence in a society. Marx writes: "A commodity is therefore a simply mysterious thing because in it the social character of men's work appears to them as an objective character imprinted on the product of this work; because the relations of the producers to the sum of their labor is presented to them as a social relation, existing not between themselves, but between the products of their labor." (Marx 665) Although Bloom is an appropriate candidate for this distorted social relation , Joyce was perhaps doubly aware of the commodification of the characters , as the soap performs functions that go beyond those of an inanimate object The commodity becomes part of the mercantile conversation and further mystifies the “commodity”. by Gerty MacDowell reveals more than just desires for her “dream husband”; her narrative is full of “needs” and “desires” for beauty products, which ultimately become indistinguishable. human action in an increasingly consumerist system,which is perhaps best exemplified in the figure of Gerty: “Perfectly following Marx's account of commodity fetishism in the first volume of Capital, Gerty shows a tendency to fail to see that it is a social relationship between human beings and has instead assumed that it has to do with a relationship between things.” (Richards 218) Richards' criticism also refers to Marx's theory, reinforcing Joyce's authorial closeness to commodity culture. Joyce, in her choice to use free indirect discourse to convey the Gerty episode, demonstrates the commodity-driven thought processes of a young woman placed at the center of a system of which she is both object and agent; the vulnerable consumer and the “Queen of Ointments”, simultaneously. The role of the commodity varies within Joyce's text; Bloom, Molly and Gerty interact physically and mentally with a wide spectrum of goods and products throughout the day. By narrowing the product, as contextualized by Marxist theory, to women's beauty products, a pattern begins to emerge. There is a consistent connection between the ointment and the provocation of eroticism associated with the female body. Bloom's head is constantly filled with sexualized images, as he fantasizes about female hands smeared with ointment: “O wonder! Coolsoft with ointments his hand touched me, caressed me…” (Joyce 162) This fantasy suggests an unconscious relationship between commodities and sexuality, especially that which corresponds to the female body. In the episode “The Wandering Rocks,” Bloom is seen in a bookstore, contemplating pornographic novels for Molly: “Mr. Bloom reads again: The Beautiful Woman. The heat hit him softly, enveloping his flesh. The flesh gave way widely between the crumpled clothes... Breast ointments melting (for Him! For Raoul!)... Listen! Press! Crushed! Young! Young!" (Joyce 226) The merchandise involving the ointment is highly romanticized in Bloom's mind; he becomes infatuated with female romance, distinctly, the romance of a woman covered in ointments and lotions. Richards theorizes the model of commercial consumption and the manipulation that the female body undergoes in a male-dominated economic system: “Advertising has managed to establish a model of female consumption without ceding the business entirely to women. Advertisers defined consumption as an extension of the sexual division of labor enshrined in the Victorian family.” (Richards 206) The “female model” supports the sexes in the same way as consumers of particular products, ointments and erotic novels. Bloom responds to both elements; is excited by the contents of the book and incorporates the ointment as a means of standardizing “the beautiful woman,” products initially intended for female use. This dual use will also emerge later when examining Joyce's narrative technique in "Nausicaa", in the demonstration of "female writing". It is important to consider female intertextual symbols in commercials, jingles, and romance novels alongside the representation of women. in Joyce's text. These figures recur frequently, such as that of the "beach girl" or the "beautiful woman", and have the function of advertising and arousing male and female consumers. Molly, and more specifically Gerty, interact with such figures on a conscious and sometimes subconscious level. Molly, aware of the scrutiny she faces in maintaining her outward appearance, displays bouts of jealousy and sees herself as a singular sexual figure desirable to all men, including Bloom. Gerty, however, consciously and unconsciously distributes the same desire for an attractive external appearance. His desires are kept "in secret", in his thoughts, which persistently refer to products ofbeauty and hygiene items. Richards diagnoses this way of thinking in detail, in his chapter titled "Those Lovely Girls of the Sea." She states that "...this neurosis-ridden woman became the prototypical consumer, and her traditionally feminine attributes were translated into a psychology of consumption and exploited by a new 'science,' the psychology of advertising." (Richards 206) Joyce provides a psychological profile of the typical consumer, but in this case the emphasis is on the female consumer. The female model structures and maintains the foundation of reduced consumerism for both sexes. Richards continues her discussion of women's advertising: “In the early twentieth century advertising became a primary vehicle for condensing the detritus of consciousness into a marketable language. Advertisers have now become specialists not only in constituting discourse but in constituting selves – especially female selves – to take positions within commodity culture. “(Richards 210) Gerty's narrative represents a specifically female experience of Victorian political economy; Joyce's exposition of female consumerism is inherently suspicious of a world of unrestricted buying and selling associated primarily with men. But Joyce assumes that women are already involved as both agents and objects in a consumer economy. Likewise, Joyce himself, as an author, expels a performative female voice, explicitly inserted into the literary market to critique the hidden values ​​and assumptions of capitalism. Moving to a critical discussion of the role of the commodity and its relationship To construct femininity it is necessary to focus on Gerty MacDowell and the narrative that the “Nausicaa” chapter conveys. Gerty appears elsewhere in the novel, briefly in "Wandering Rocks", but is formally introduced in "Nausicaa". Joyce's narration is gathered in an innately feminine thought process, when Gerty enters the scene on Sandycove beach: "Her hands were of finely veined alabaster with tapering fingers and white as lemon juice and the queen of ointments could not to do them, even if it wasn't true." who wore kid gloves to bed or even took a milk foot bath. "(Joyce 332) Immediately Gerty's body is described; physical appearance is a priority in the perception of Gerty's character. Primarily, the description illustrates a young, childlike girl, however, the inclusion of "ointment queen" suggests two things: first, Gerty is perhaps going through puberty as "queen" is a label attached to a woman entering or experiencing adulthood, and second, Gerty is Joyce's deliberate "female role model" within the consolidated commercial culture of the novel, Richards' criticism is relevant, commenting on the consumer language used to represent female figures in advertising: “They have created a big drama on a small scale, transforming the body from a off-limits zone in a place of loquacious discourse and privileged venue of spectacle.“ (Richards 203) By describing aspects of Gerty's body in relation to commodities, such as ointment, she herself is contextualized as a commodity; his body can now be interpreted as a consumable product, a living, breathing advertisement. Joyce provides as matter-of-fact characterization of Gerty, who, once again, lacks human depth: "...as fine a specimen of endearing Irish girlhood as one could wish to see...Her figure was slender and graceful, tending even to frailty, but those iron jellies she had been taking lately had done her a great deal of good, much better than Widow Welch's female pills, and she was very well.better than those secretions he usually had and which were tiring. feeling.”(Joyce 332) By labeling Gerty a “specimen,” her body is further classified as a consumable object; she is a physical representative of girls and women in Ireland and an advocate of the consumerist attitude that prevails in that society. Gerty's character and the act of defining her as an individual depend entirely on beauty products; Joyce is essentially constructing an aspect of femininity that relies on capitalism as an agent. More importantly, the narrative asks, "But who was Gerty?" (Joyce 331). Perhaps Gerty's body exists only in commodification, as the question suggests that a physical manifestation of Gerty is not present. Richards' argument is also relevant in providing context for the rapidly changing female identity: “…charlatans had already sunk the pincers of the market deep into the flesh of the consumer. The body had become the prevailing icon of commodity culture, and there was no turning back. ” (Richards 203) The “charlatans” that Richards refers to are dominant males who run the economy. She states that female participation in the economic space exists in the form of the body, however, in labeling the body as an “icon” perhaps not there is a corporeal, but rather symbolic representation. Richards is aware of the importance of identifying Gerty as the “Ointment Queen”, he states: “Although an advertisement such as the “Ointment Queen” exerts an unprecedented influence on Gerty, it does not do so in a vacuum but remains subject to its influence. variable needs and capacities.” (Richards 224) This point is compatible with the previous characterization of Gerty as the “object and agent” of the capitalist system. Being the “queen of ointments” limits and at the same time liberates Gerty in an economic system; she is encapsulated in a position that limits individuality and also provides her with agency in the system that envelops her. Essentially, a contradiction marks the narrative of “Nausicaa” and the representation of human consciousness that is exclusive to women. Joyce inscribes a way of thinking associated with female desires and the female body. Although gender confusion is common throughout the text, the female voice is heard most explicitly in “Nausicaa” and “Penelope.” Gerty's narration, however, dictates the thoughts of the vulnerable and impressionable opposition to Molly's character. Gerty, the “ointment queen,” is also the literary embodiment of the “sea girl”; this figure appears frequently throughout the text of the novel, especially in the minds of the male characters, Bloom and Blazes Boylan. The jingle, "Those girls, those girls,/Those lovely girls at the seaside." (Joyce 60) resonates in various narratives, just as a commercial slogan would in consumer thinking. Gerty, whose body lacks palpability and relies on cosmetic products for depth, is the free-flowing advertisement that pervades the minds of men and women. Richards' chapter, "Those Lovely Sea Girls," demonstrates an analysis of the jingle's function in relation to Gerty's purpose in the novel: "Over the course of the late nineteenth century the advertising industry organized a proliferation of commodity narratives in a stable semiotics. canopy for capitalist society, giving this integrated universe an ontological status independent of human activity.”(Richards 11)Richards proposes that “commodity narratives” are a form of meaning in “capitalist society” considering this, perhaps Gerty's narrative is Joyce's scheme for signifying female identity in the political and economic systems that structure his novel. Bloom reflects on the "sea girls", as the following occurs in his storypassage: “Beautiful girls of the sea. Raw tanned leather. I should have put the cold cream on first to brown it. Buttered toast. Oh, and that lotion must not forget. Fever near the mouth. Your head just is. Braided hair: seashell with seaweed. Why do they hide their ears with seaweed hair?" (Joyce 268) Although the passage does not possess the erotic tone that marks many of Bloom's other mercantile thoughts, its conception of the "lovely girls of the sea" calls for "lotion" and "cold cream " to fulfill the image of femininity. Richards justifies the form of objectification of women in terms of consumerism: “Because advertisers assumed that women acted as consumers only on the explicit instructions of men, they were not attentive to the many ways in which advertising spoke with a female voice and contributed to the formation of a specifically female consumer subjectivity." (Richards 207) Bloom is aware of his attraction to women who use cosmetic products and to the idealized "sea girl", however, he is not responsible for managing the opposition between men and women in the economic space. Gerty's unique narrative is not subject to male consumption, however, Joyce, being a male author, underwrites and manipulates Gerty's specific female voice, furthering the contradiction. The concept of écriture describes everything about writing that can neither be subsumed into an idea nor made to correspond exactly to empirical reality. It encompasses the “textuality” of all speech, and Helene Cixous can be credited with being responsible for women's inherently unique speech. Before her seminal work in feminist psychoanalytic theory, The Laughter of the Medusa, Cixous advanced Joyce studies by writing her doctoral thesis on his collected works. According to Cixous, Joyce's late style is perhaps the most accurate attempt to write in the English tradition. Cixous's feminine écriture aims to render figures of femininity literally and explore the consequences of such literalization. Cixous does not privilege the “feminine” half of an existing binary opposition between “male” and “female”; just like his contemporary theorists of ecritura, he questions the adequacy of said opposition to label the complexity of cultural realities. It becomes apparent, particularly in an application of Cixous's theory to Joyce's fiction, that an inconsistency lies at the heart of Cixous's theory. work: his insistence on the two incompatible logics within female ecritura. First, Cixous claims that female ecritura is characterized by the explicitly female body parts that have been repressed by traditional discourse and must be expressed by the writer. However, it also promotes the use of feminine writing for both men and women. Perhaps it is more appropriate to interpret Cixous's "body" as that of any transgressive or desiring individual; it is plausible that his interpretation of the body itself was repressed. The “body” may not even be a physical body, but rather figurative bodies that possess power or cannot possess power. Traditionally, power, authority and law have assumed the male body; but, since no real body is depicted, both men and women would have access to commentary about the body. Writing as if the female body could be affirmed, Cixous's feminine ecritura frees it from invisibility and, at the same time, does not make it a new model for the universal human being. By interpreting Gerty's body as that of Cixous's theory, a body that exists figuratively to express desire in a consumerist and sexual sense, it is possible to interpret Joyce's fiction as a collection of: