Date of Award
Spring 2006
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
English
First Advisor
Gillespie, Michael P.
Second Advisor
Ratcliffe, Krista
Third Advisor
Hathaway, Heather
Abstract
Finnegans Wake is a text that is comprised of hundreds of different discourses, languages, and conventions. Because Joyce created a text that uses language in such a unique way, it is easy for critics and readers to focus solely on Joyce's use of language. For many, the importance of Finnegans Wake centers on the linguistic matters of the text. Often critics focus on specific languages and how they are represented, and how to read Joyce's new form of writing. While Joyce's use of language is a significant part of Finnegans Wake, I believe that examining clothing will provide an important foundation for further exploration of his work. This dissertation focuses specifically on the images of clothing that Joyce presents. While it is impossible to address the images Joyce uses without addressing the intricacies of his language, my thesis goes beyond examining his style, or merely cataloging instances of clothing. By examining the different layers of meaning that Joyce crafted, I show how his representations of clothing help us to understand the roles of the different characters within the text. Furthermore, I explain how clothing functions as a visual form of rhetoric in Finnegans Wake...