Representations of masochism - both overt and oblique - permeate the work of James Joyce. While a number of critics have noted this, to date there has been no sustained and focused analysis of this trope in his writings. David Cotter argues that such an examination is key to understanding the meanings and messages of Joyce's work. Adding dimension to moral, political and aesthetic considerations in the novels and stories - particularly Ulysses - this book provides a comprehensive account of masochistic elements in the oeuvre of the twentieth century's most revered author. Cotter draws upon psychoanalytic theory and social history to illustrate the subversive power of 'perversity' in the literature of the modern period.