Re "James Joyce, Hibernian and Cybernaut," by Brian Stonehill, Commentary, June 16:
When the great Irish playwright Brendan Behan was asked what he thought of James Joyce, he often replied, "What do you think of yourself?" The works of Joyce, especially "Ulysses," are about everyman, the imprisoned and the free.
Each man is imprisoned by physical realities, but is free to create and explore by introspection, communication, both spoken and written, and deeds of action. As Stonehill reminds us, Joyce communicates in "Ulysses" a myriad of information colors that apply to contemporary cybernetics.
Shackled by the limitations of the physical presence, Joyce attempts to move beyond the known and the obvious by probing the brain and manipulating language that evokes thought. He is attempting to discover, and in a way communicate, the spiritual essence of man.
