Exile in James Joyce (1882-1941) and César Vallejo (1892-1938)

Abstract

This essay focuses on the biographical, social, cultural, and literary overlaps and coincidences that exist between the lives and works of two great twentieth-century writers, the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941) and the Peruvian poet César Vallejo (1892-1938). Although they never met, both lived in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s; and although neither read the other’s writings, there are striking similarities between their respective works. Both shared an anguished relationship with Catholicism, were also involved in left-wing politics, and were fascinated by the creative possibilities of wordplay (both are known for their extensive use of neologisms). This led both Joyce and Vallejo to rely on the «ear» —rather than the «eye»— in writing their masterpieces. Finally, their works demonstrate a coincidence in the use of certain topics, such as the focus on the contrast between oral communication and anal production, as well as the exploration of absurdity and paradox (the squared circle, the upside-down world, and the «sound» of silence).