Eating and digesting "Lestrygonians": a physiological model of reading

Area of Science:

• Literary analysis
• Narrative structure
• Reader-response theory

Background:

• James Joyce's "Ulysses" episode "Lestrygonians" presents a seemingly straightforward narrative.
• Previous critical work has focused on physiological details within the episode.
• The episode's structure and Bloom's journey remain open to deeper interpretation.

Observation:

• The narrative structure of "Lestrygonians" is likened to a living, digestive entity.
• Protagonist Leopold Bloom is depicted as traversing within this organismic narrative.
• Bloom's experience is paralleled with being reduced to Lilliputian size within a digestive tract.

Findings:

• The episode's structure is fundamentally represented by a digestive model.
• This model governs the progression of both characters and the reader's experience.
• Joyce employs digestive imagery to structure the narrative and influence reader perception.

Implications:

• The digestive model offers a novel framework for understanding "Lestrygonians".
• This interpretation highlights the interconnectedness of narrative, character, and reader.
• The episode's design elicits synesthesia and autonomic responses in the reader, enhancing engagement.