Vass Edina

The Conundrum of Language: Difficulties of Reading and Language in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake Vass Edina

Almost every piece of criticism concerning Finnegans Wake describes it as a difficult or unreadable work. Therefore, considering the above statement as starting point, throughout the book I analyzed the role of the reader and revealed the reading difficulties caused by the unconventional novel. I shed light on how the book relates to conventions and the changes generated, as a result, in the attitude of the reader. Finnegans Wake changes our entire concept of language, thus a central theme of the book is Joyce¿s special usage of language developed to the level of mastery. Readers often doubt even the mere existence of any meaningful language within the novel. However, it is worth noting that instead of imposing any kind of limitation, it broadens the borders. One should rely on the comfort and enjoy the humor provided by the novel rather than fear it.