Abstract

This study examines how Leopold Bloom's behaviour relates to such human matters as fate, free will, chance and courage. Unravelling some of Ulysses' most challenging passages, it reveals the heroism of the novel's main character while also demonstrating the utility of chaos theory for literary analysis. In a detailed assessments of Bloom's thoughts, behaviour and character, the author examines the philosophy of life apparent in Bloom's persistence amidst the day's - and the novel's - dramatic shifts. He demonstrates specific ways in which the stream-of-consciousness technique conveys personality, how Bloom's contingent relationship with his world reveals his fears and hopes, and how he finally pursues his desires despite the sad life that fate seems to have prepared for him.