Explore one of world literature's most boundary-breaking chapters as Benjamin Boysen, dr.phil. and ph.d. in literary science, uncovers the "Circe" chapter from James Joyce's Ulysses. Joyce himself declared that only a thin line separated the chapter from insanity — it is considered among the wildest ever written.
The chapter takes us into Dublin's Nighttown, a dreamlike and hallucinatory universe composed as a stage drama. Here unfold the hidden desires, guilt, and fears of the main characters in a modern inferno where sexuality, religion, and power are central. Joyce's approach becomes a window into Irish society — caught between Catholic morality, colonial history, and the yearning for independence.
Throughout the lecture, we examine how Joyce employs grotesque humor, complex symbolism, and dramatic form to shatter the boundaries between art, identity, and consciousness. Benjamin Boysen, master's graduate in art history and literature as well as ph.d. from University of Southern Denmark, leads this in-depth analysis of a chapter's extraordinary experimentation.
The event is carried out in collaboration with The Danish James Joyce Society and takes place in "Toves Rum" on the ground floor (adult library).
