Arguably one of the most remarkable sections of James Joyce’s renowned work Ulysses is the extensive monologue delivered by Molly Bloom, spanning over 60 pages with just two full stops.
This year, the spotlight will shine on Molly Bloom and her monologue during a Bloomsday celebration on 16 June, the day on which Joyce’s novel is set in Dublin. The event will emphasize the “female gaze” in Joyce’s work.
At the Yes festival, eight actors, including Fiona Shaw, Cush Jumbo, Imelda Staunton, and Miriam Margolyes, will present excerpts from Molly Bloom’s meandering stream-of-consciousness soliloquy in a video titled The Molly Films.
Seán Doran, co-curator of the Yes festival, highlighted the significance of the repeated use of “yes” throughout the passage, deeming it a fitting choice. From 8 am on 16 June to 2 am on 17 June, Derry and Donegal will serve as stand-ins for the Dublin landscape depicted in Ulysses.
While acknowledging that some enthusiasts of Joyce’s work may find the relocation of Bloomsday north of the border unconventional, Doran suggested that Joyce likely envisioned a broader scope beyond Dublin when crafting the Molly monologue in episode 18 of the novel.
Doran pointed out that Joyce penned this episode in 1921, a period coinciding with the enactment of the Government of Ireland Act, which partitioned the island. Joyce’s thematic focus extended beyond Dublin to encompass the entirety of Ireland, both north and south.
The festival will feature various events worldwide, with Dublin hosting activities where participants will retrace Leopold Bloom’s steps. This celebration marks the culmination of a two-year, Europe-wide festivity inspired by elements of Joyce’s novel, with artworks and performances showcased in multiple cities since 2022.
Molly Bloom’s character drew inspiration from Joyce’s wife, , and this innovative approach through the female perspective is not unprecedented in the interpretation of Joyce’s masterpiece.
Virginia Woolf, however, expressed a critical view, likening Joyce’s work to that of an inexperienced student and a frustrated individual seeking liberation through destruction.
The inaugural Bloomsday celebration in 1954, organized by Brian O’Nolan under the pseudonym Flann O’Brien, witnessed the presence of esteemed writer Patrick Kavanagh, capturing the essence of the spirited journey through Dublin that has inspired subsequent commemorations.
Recent Bloomsday festivities have featured theatrical adaptations of the novel and symbolic gestures like a patrol vessel sailing under the Munster flag in Dublin Bay in 2021, fulfilling the desires of one of Ulysses’ intriguing characters.