Leopold Bloom in the Labyrinth of Solitude

Joyce, National Identity, and Mexican Multilingualism

Abstract

The paper discusses the assimilation of Joyce in Ibero-American literature of the late twentieth century, focusing particularly on the Mexican context where the modernist turn introduced by the Irish writer is reconsidered as a "multilingual turn" (Taylor-Batty 2013). This turn not only challenges nationalistic representations but also promotes the use of multilingualism itself. Examining Joyce's influence on authors such as Fernando Del Paso, Salvador Elizondo, and especially Carlos Fuentes, the article reflects on the contribution of this Joycean multilingual turn in reshaping the narrative of national identity. It explores the questioning and renewal of the Spanish language, acknowledging the traceable debts, including those of Borges as a translator and critic of Joyce.