Chapter 9 - The Macrogenesis of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake

Summary

From its inception, genetic criticism has faced the problem of synthesis. The challenging accumulation of data has become even more pronounced since the turn of the millennium, with the unearthing of major caches of prepublication materials and the unprecedented availability of Joyce’s reading material through large-scale digitization initiatives. Genetic critics now know a great deal more both about the books that crossed Joyce’s desk and about his notetaking and drafting processes. Crowley’s chapter describes the digital means through which we can begin to aggregate genetic findings and pathways through the dossiers of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake in order to uncover broader patterns. It presents new tools of visualization that interrelate and make sense of – and make accessible – Joyce’s system of writing. These movements towards the macrogenesis of Joyce’s final two works have the potential not only to impact Joyce criticism but also to influence the procedures of literary criticism more widely.