The Multiple Meanings of Nighttown in “Circe” = The Multiple Meanings of Nighttown in “Circe”

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Nighttown is the setting place of “Circe” where Bloom`s internal thoughts are presented through taking advantage of fantasy drama frame. This setting place is effectively used to raise several important issues related to sexuality and social system due to the fact that night-town itself strongly evokes “dreaming,” “sexuality,” and the fusion of time and place. The most dramatic event in the nighttown is Bloom`s transforming himself into “a prostitute,” which not only matches up with the setting place, but also helps to dismantle the staunch boundaries such as the dichotomy of gender. Also it helps to criticize the social system which has institutionalized “prostitution” at the expense of powerless women`s bodies in the society. Furthermore, the place allows Bloom who is a poor Jewish advertising canvasser in Irish society to transform himself into the most powerful figures such as an emperor and a pope. Therefore, the “nighttown” of “Circe” becomes a kind of cannibalistic place where it is possible to subvert the existing conservative social power structures and conventional ideologies such as patriarchal system and anti-Semitism. The nighttown of “Circe” has multiple meanings regarding sexuality, social system, and ideologies of the society. Thus the setting place of “Circe” plays the role to dismantle the fixed conservative ideologies which are basis of all kinds of dichotomy regarding gender, race, and social position.