Imagined Solidarities: The Boer War and Anti-imperialist Nationalism in Ulysses.

This article explores James Joyce’s strategic use of the Boer War in Ulysses to interrogate the ideological framework of Irish nationalism, particularly if it rests on trans-imperial anti-colonial solidarity. Drawing from Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities, the article argues that Joyce problematizes the romanticization of the Boers as fellow victims of British imperialism, exposing contradictions within Irish nationalist discourse. Through references across multiple episodes and voices, especially in "Lestrygonians" and "Cyclops," Joyce critiques both imperial jingoism and ethnocentric nationalism. The article contextualizes these literary references with broader historical and media narratives from Ireland’s engagement with the Boer War, illustrating Joyce’s disquiet with racially and ideologically reductive solidarities. The Boer War serves as a lens through which Joyce explores the limitations and exclusions of anti-imperial nationalism as a foundation for Irish identity. As contemporary popular expressions of Irish nationalism locate the tradition in a deliberately anti-imperial mode, Joyce scrupulously reminds readers of the complexities of such a posture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]