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There are certainly many definitions，literary，philosophical or sociological，of the term“identity”in the modern era.Identity usually stresses the stable features of a group or community over certain period.Both self and subject are connected with the identity issue.
People's fascination with the term“self ”results from the constant probe into the deep recesses of man.Self usually points to the inner state or structure and puts emphasis on the immediate association of condition instead of process.
Different from the self，subject highlights the sense of social and cultural entanglement，since our immediate daily life is always caught up in complex political，social and philosophical concerns.Subjectivity refers，therefore，toan abstract or general principle that defies our separation into distinct selves and encourages us to imagine that，or simply helps to understand why，our interior lives inevitably seem to involve other people，either as objects of need，desire and interest or as necessary sharers of common experience.（Mansfield，3）
The subject is always linked to something outside of it，an idea or principle or the society or other subjects.It is this connection that the word“subject”puts emphasis on.Etymologically，to be subject means to be placed under.One is always subject to or of something.The word subject，therefore，proposes that the self is not a separate and isolated entity，but one that operates at the intersection of general truths and shared principles.
Donald Hall has made an insightful explication of the notion of subjectivity.For him，subjectivity，as against the outside，implies a degree of thought and self⁃consciousness about identity，at the same time allowing a myriad of limitations and constraints on our ability to fully comprehend identity.Subjectivity as a critical concept invites us to consider the question of “how and from where identity arises，to what extent it is understandable，and to what degree it is something over which we have any measure of influence or control .”（Hall，3⁃4）Subjectivity refers to “who and what we are，‘how’we become and ‘why’we remain in that which we are and to what extent we have the capacity and the ability to become something different .”（Hall，5）It is concerned with that which one would know，that which one does know and individual or cultural ways of knowing.Subjectivity is thus“the intersection of two lines of philosophical inquiry：epistemology（the study of how we know what we know）and ontology（the study of the nature of being or existence）”（Hall 4）.
Subject is a term relevant to modern identity.With the philosophical implication of the opposition between subject and object，this term stresses the interconnection between individuals and the outside world.As literature is basically concerned about human existence，this term has often frequented literary criticism and acquired literary status.Subject and modernity are not only a philosophical concern but also a literary topic. The Sub ject of Modernity by Anthony J.Cascardi holds the opinion that an interpretation of the category of subjectivity is central to the understanding of modernization，the theory of the novel and the establishment of modern state.Both the narrative feature and the creative spirit of individuality result from the demand of subjectivity.Anthony applies subjectivity to the analysis of Lukacs. The Theory of the Novel and the role of The adventures of Robinson Crusoe .
The form and content of the novel are closely connected to individuality valued by modern subject. The Subject of Modernism by Tony E.Jackson offers an analysis of modern subjectivity with the narrative alterations in the fiction of Eliot，Conrad，Woolf and Joyce.According to Tony，
The history the temporal occurrence and sequence of changes of the novel most nearly parallels the history of the Cartesian subject...Certainly other factors affect the appearance and nature of the novel，but because of the structural connections between subjectivity and narrative form，a history of the novel can reveal in a compelling way a history of the subject.（Tony 16）
Tony argues that Joyce's depiction of Irish masculinity and femininity moves forward a great leap from Dubliners to Ulysses because of the parallel leap forward in narrative form.It is the manner of telling of “Cyclops”and“Nausicaa”that uncovers the subjectivity of the generic Irish male and female.
The application of the subjectivity approach will help to elaborate on the division between consciousness and world，the conflict between individual and society，and reveal the essential feature of modern identity in Ulysses .
The feasibility of the subjectivity approach first lies in the role of narrative innovation in manifesting the feature of modern identity in Ulysses .With the decline of the omniscient third⁃person narrative，the first⁃person narrative in the Inward Turn of modernism sets free the suppressed voices of modern individual.Moreover，the narrative transformation not only reveals the inner world of modern man but also reflects the relation of individuals with society，since the interiority is defined in relation to the outside world.All these are crucial for the exploration of modern identity through the subjectivity approach.
The Inward Turn itself also paves the way for the subjectivity approach.With the depiction of stream of consciousness， Ulysses actually proves the inner autonomy of modern individuals.As consciousness is the guarantee of the interior dynamics that is crucial for human existence，the analysis of Ulysses can reveal the challenge and change to man's modern identity.Both the narrative innovations and the Inward Turn help to determine the modern identity of man as individual subject.
Based on the subjectivity approach，the study of modern identity in Ulysses might reveal the nature of human existence both in Joyce's works and in modernist writings.In The Cambridge Companion to Modernism ，Michael Levenso holds the opinion that modernist writings reflect the changes in subjectivity but there is no universal agreement about the new form of subjectivity（Levenso，160）.Modernist writers may share something but also display their difference.D.H.Lawrence is concerned with the deeper self than ordinary feelings，while Woolf accepts the idea that there are different selves but they may shade into each other.With his revolutionary innovations rooted in the epistemological transformation of the modern age，Joyce，the representative modernist writer，actually probes into the deep recesses of human existence.As his pivotal work， Ulysses plays a crucial role in the revelation of modern identity.The study of modern identity in this novel might be helpful to the understanding of both Joyce's art and modernism in general.The general features of modern identity will be analyzed in the following part.