The Citizen (character)

Ulysses character

This article is about the fictional character. For other uses, see The Citizen.

Fictional character

The Citizen

First appearance| Ulysses (1922)
Created by| James Joyce
Based on| Polyphemus
Michael Cusack
In-universe information
Gender| Male
Occupation| unclear, possibly retired
Religion| Catholic
Nationality| Irish
Portrait of Michael Cusack, on whom the Citizen is based.

The Citizen is a fictional character in James Joyce's novel Ulysses. In part, he is a satirical portrait of Irish nationalist (and Gaelic Athletic Association founder) Michael Cusack (1847–1906),[1] and Joyce's portrayal operates to expose what one critic called the "xenophobic ideologies of radical Celticists".[2] The Citizen appears to be a devotee of the Celtic Revival and Irish republicanism, and is well versed in the history of the Irish struggle for freedom against the British Empire. He also appears to be interested in Arthur Griffith's program for a limited Irish autonomy modeled on Hungary's dual monarchy, and uses the name of Griffith's newspaper and later of the political party he inspired ("Sinn Fein! says the citizen. Sinn fein amhain!") as a riposte to Leopold Bloom's assertions about the futility of armed rebellion as part of his xenophobic and antisemitic views expressed in Barney Kiernan's pub.[3] He ultimately accuses Bloom of being an economic parasite on the Irish and a "foreign" Jew, and thus an inauthentic Irishman, as well being cursed by God for rejecting Christ's divinity as symbolized in the apocryphal Christian figure of Ahasuerus.[4] As a gesture of his hatred, the Citizen throws a biscuit tin at Bloom as he departs from the pub. A character based on Cusack also appears in Stephen Hero, described as very stout, black-bearded, always wearing a wideawake hat and a long bright green muffler, with "the voice of an ox... he could be heard at a great distance, criticising, denouncing and scoffing."[5]

The Citizen is an important figure in the "Cyclops" episode of the novel. The character has been described as having characteristics not only of the mythological Cyclops Polyphemus, but also of the Irish epic figure Finn McCool.[6] Since Cusack's biographer never mentions his subject as having been antisemitic and rather only as a man "full of prejudices of all kinds",[7] it has been argued that the Citizen as he appears in the episode is a composite character composed of Joyce's distaste for Griffith's early antisemitic arguments in his first paper, United Irishman, and Cusack's brawniness and Celtic Revival-based patriotism.[8]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Ulysses characters

## Sources

[edit]

1. ^ Sen Moran, "Cusack's creation is a blooming legacy", The Irish Times, June 16, 2004, via HighBeam Research.
2. ^ Cheng, Vincent, J. (1995). Joyce, Race, and Empire'. Cambridge University Press. pp. 198ff. ISBN 978-0521478595.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ Joyce, James (1985). Ulysses. Random House. p. 251\. ISBN 0-394-55373-X.
4. ^ Joyce. Ulysses. p. 277.
5. ^ Stephen Hero, Chapter 17
6. ^ Maureen Waters, The Comic Irishman (SUNY Press, 1984), ISBN 978-0873957663, pp. 97ff.
7. ^ de Burca, Marcus (1989). Michael Cusack and the G.A.A. Anvil Books. p. 37.
8. ^ Davison, Neil (1995). ""Cyclops, Sinn Fein, and 'The Jew': An Historical Reconsideration"". Journal of Modern Literature. 19 (2): 245–257.

* v
* t
* e

James Joyce's Ulysses (1922)

Characters|

* Leopold Bloom
* Molly Bloom
* Stephen Dedalus
* Buck Mulligan
* The Citizen

Locations|

* 7 Eccles Street
* Davy Byrne's pub
* Glasnevin Cemetery
* Howth Castle and Environs
* Sandycove Martello Tower
* River Liffey
* Monto
* Poulaphouca
* Sandymount Strand
* Sweny's Pharmacy
* National Library of Ireland
* Museum of Literature Ireland

Analysis|

* Gilbert schema
* Linati schema

Adaptations|

* Translations
* Ulysses in Nighttown (1958 play)
* Ulysses (1967 film)
* Ulysses (1982 broadcast)
* Blooms of Dublin (1982 operetta)
* "The Sensual World" (1989 song)
* Bloom (2003 film)
* "Air War" (2007 song)
* Ulysses "Seen" (2012 graphic novel)

Music|

* The Croppy Boy
* Harry Castling (What-Ho! She Bumps)
* The Holy City
* Hope Temple (My Lady's Bower)
* The Lost Chord
* Love's Old Sweet Song
* M'apparì
* Siúil a Rúin
* C. W. Murphy (My Girl's a Yorkshire Girl)

Other|

* Bloomsday
* Joyce Trail
* Lilac Bloomsday Run
* Obscenity trial of Ulysses in The Little Review
* United States v. One Book Called Ulysses

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