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more grievously, signify the degeneration of the
intelligentsia. Retrospective rather than innovative,
dedicated to the borrowed rather than the self-created,
these “talents” fail to live up to their calling. In contrast
with Joyce
’
s portrayal of his protagonists, his depictions
of these “talents” offer critiques of the corruption of
certain intellectuals, his dialogue with those who
exercised profound influence on modern Ireland, and
his rethinking of the role of the intellectual.
Key Words:
“Aeolus,” James Joyce, intellectuals, Ireland