Molly Likes to Bang

I couldn’t help but wonder what a woman would think about this chapter. But in a way this curiosity, of the woman’s perspective, is essentially the last thing Bloom needs. In the end of the Odyssey Penelope and Odysseus reconvene at tell each other their stories. In Bloom’s case he has reunited with his son (Stephen), discussed a plan of attack (discussed philosophies, theologies etc.), and then retook his house (kissed Molly’s behind). While the two have a short discussion about their time apart, Molly’s stream of consciousness seem to be somewhere the Odyssey would never dare to go, into the woman’s perspective. But we find that Bloom has nothing to worry about, because there is something “immovable” about this bed. Part of this has to do with how critical Molly is of Boylan. The first thing is that Bloom, probably at Boylan’s age, is described as being just charming as the usurper. When Molly recalls the day that he proposed to her she thinks of his “grey tweed suit and his straw hat,” the same type of hat Boylan is seen with all day (782). And while we see Molly negatively think of Bloom’s undergarment fetish (745), she notices a similar trait in Boylan when he was “talking about the shape of my foot” (744). Last we know Bloom is silly, clumsy, and not exceptionally brilliant, but Boylan is made to look foul. He has “no manners no refinement nor no nothing in his nature slapping us behind like that on my bottom because I didn’t call him Hugh the ignoramus that doesn’t know poetry from a cabbage” (776).
The immovability of the Blooms’ bed is also found in the similarity of their thoughts. First is their respect for art and poetry, found in the quote above about Boylan. This makes them both have similar attitudes towards Stephen. One could read Bloom’s attraction to Stephen as sexual, but Molly thinks of it quite explicitly. She thinks “I’m not too old for him if he’s 23 or 24” and (I can’t exactly tell if it’s about Stephen) thinks about fellating him (775, 766). Also Molly worries about Bloom hanging out with the medical students, like Bloom does with Stephen. But of all these similar thoughts one stands out, how neither see each other separating. In this chapter Molly thinks, “Id rather die twenty times over than marry another of their sex of course hed never find a another woman like me to put up with him the way I do” (744). And there are probably few men who could tolerate Molly.

Is this one of the most brilliant things I've read? Possibly.

Seeing that this chapter is a long series of questions and answers it would be silly to think that not a lot is answered with this section. When Bloom invites Stephen to stay in the room above the kitchen that narrator asks, “What various advantages would or might have resulted from a prolongation of such extemporization?” (695). And each person of the house is benefited “For the guest: security of domicile and seclusion of study.” So Stephen would get the most practical benefit, an inviting home. “For the host: rejuvenation of intelligence, vicarious satisfaction.” Bloom shows signs or wanting a son or regretting never having one throughout the whole book. But when Stephen is portrayed as “the son” it’s a unique sort of emotion. If Bloom is rejuvenated by Stephen, and Bloom was Stephen’s age 16 years ago (679), then he would feel like the age when Milly was born. But if anything this rejuvenation seems to be an intellectual one, reminding him of the time when he was out of school and ambitious. “For the hostess: disintegration of obsession, acquisition of correct Italian pronunciation.” This line “disintegration of obsession” is really ambiguous. Could this be a referral to an obsession like Bloom’s over Rudy? Maybe this refers to Molly’s obsession with Boylan. Or Stephen could simply answer what metempsychosis is. In the next chapter we do see Molly think about living with Stephen, mentioning that she would like to have a conversation with an intelligent man. So later there is no mention of what this obsession may be. This definitely one line I ponder.

But beyond reaching a new level of connection with Stephen, Mr. Leopold Bloom also overcomes his problem with Molly. Not only do we learn that it has been ten years since they had sex, but “complete mental intercourse between himself and the listener has not taken place since the consummation of puberty” (136). But in this chapter Bloom overcomes this usurpation of his marriage but coming to grips with Boylan and Molly. The first thing he thinks is that while many men might sleep with Molly, she is still his man. Every adulterer is “imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone, whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series origination in a repeated to infinity” (731). But with these men Bloom feels “envy, jealousy, abnegation, and equanimity” (732). He is envious of fully function penises. Jealousy comes about because an attraction to others would mean Molly is not attracted to him. I don’t really understand what the “abnegation” answer is referring to, but I want to sum it up as a denial of silly distractions. And last is equanimity, in which Bloom pretty much says that having sex with others is natural, and not a crime compared to other acts. Eventually I think Bloom’s take on his marriage is summarized in the line “divorce, not now” (733). I read this a Bloom thinking if these affairs create controversy, then the couple should split. But as of now Bloom has retaken his wife and home and his bed may remain unmovable.

I've been stabbed

In terms of Bloom’s, and also Stephens, heroism this is one of the most significant chapters of the book. The reason why is he has now reunited with his son (metaphorical), like Odysseus does before he retook his family and home. Although, unlike in the Odyssey, Bloom does not conspire with Stephen to remove usurpers. There are some moments in this chapter that do relate to Bloom confronting Blazes and Molly. For example we learn that Bloom would not want to physically attack Blazes or Molly, for “criminal propensities had never been an inmate of his bosom in any shape or form” (642). The interaction between Bloom and Stephen looks most like the one between Odysseus and Telemachus when they talk “about sirens, enemies of man’s reason, mingled with a number of other topics of the same category, ursurpers” (665). But one of the strangest schemes that Bloom comes up with in this chapter is to manage a tour with Stephen. Seeing that this is what Blazes is doing for Molly, I find it hard not to read this as a sexual lust for Stephen. The intensity of this lust is minimal, but apparent. I’ve been reading a lot of Freud lately and can’t help apply a psycho-analytical reading to this whole affair. Bloom identifies with Stephen, meaning that at many points Bloom hopes to be similar to Stephen.

At the same time Stephen is Bloom’s object of affection. Since the loss of his son eventually led Bloom to stop copulating with Molly, Bloom must associate fatherhood and sexuality. When Bloom describes the Aztec he says sitting in the street Bloom “indicates on his companion the brief outline, the sinews, or whatever you like to call them, behind the right knee” (636). This seems like a part of the body that Bloom would have noticed on many women. Also later on Bloom tells Stephen, “lean on me,” a very affectionate request. So with the tour that Bloom is planning he is ambivalently trying to win Molly back. In terms of experience this tour could be very pleasant. Bloom assumes that Stephen has his father’s voice, and he would be able to travel (something he says he never really did). Again, this also looks like Bloom coming on to Stephen the way Blazes has with Molly. This could be read as Bloom redirecting his love for Molly. But considering that Stephen is both Bloom’s object of affection and identification helps explain the intensity of his psychological journey.

Bello's wild ride

“I’m talking about injustice” (332). This is one most of the most heroic things Bloom has said, implying that he is in favor of eliminating injustice altogether. His empathy is significant in looking at the interaction between Bella and Bloom. One of the most abrupt, yet significant, “hallucinations” in this chapter is when Bloom becomes a woman. On 530 I think this transformation occurs when Bella’s “heavy face, her eyes strike him in the mid brow. His eyes grow dull, darker and pouched, his nose thickens.” Within these few lines we see something change about Bloom’s countenance, but nothing particularly effeminate is named. Rather one could say that his widening nose is like an African American, or maybe the darkening of his eyes makes him more Jewish (according to Deseay). This would then make him more like a “bond-slave” (531). After “Bella” becomes “Bello” in the stage direction, but Bloom still calls her empress. Bloom’s submissiveness becomes womanish as he admires Bello’s size. Not only has Bloom transformed into a woman, but also Bello, like Circe, turns Bloom into a pig. In these lines Bloom’s empathy for animals and women take a different appearance, for he arguably wants to be treated like them. When Bello is riding Bloom “he bends sideways and squeezes his mount’s testicles roughly” (534). So during this part of his punishment Bloom is a man again. But he does cry “not man…woman” (535). It is in the next few lines Bello says Bloom will have to be dressed like a whore to be a woman. Here Bloom says, “I tried her things on only once, a small prank” (536).
At this moment Bloom’s sins of the past speak to him. I read this moment as Bloom being his own enemy, because he realizes how he rudely ogles women dressed this way. The next idea explored is marriage. Rather than becoming Bello’s wife Bloom becomes his property. So at this moment one sees how live-stock, slaves, and wives are the condescended. And on 540 when Bello presents Bloom like a horse for sale, the language resembles some sort of slave auction. Also Bloom’s lactation is advertised, emphasizing how women are like slaves to procreation.

Oh the labor Joyce must have gone through when writing this book.

I’d like to hypothesize about how Joyce reworks myth in this novel. In this chapter particularly I have come to some realizations. While many would want read this novel alongside the Odyssey, or scene by scene with Hamlet, I think that method could distort someone’s interpretation. I see this being a problem because this novel(?) alludes to too many other works. While it is titled Ulysses and the scenes parallel those from the epic, the scenes are out of order. I see Joyce superimposing images, characters, and themes from past works to essentially create a second Ulysses. I think the significance of the Odyssey is that it is the original heroic epic. Being this I think Joyce is either showing, or merely exploring, the idea that every hero since Odysseus has followed his journey.

If one were to boil down the “oxen of the Sun” scene in the Odyssey, one could say that bulls are killed and part of the crew is hit by lightning. At one point, I think Stephen in his drunkenness is frightened by the thunder. Before, there was discussion of how no-one knows where the soul travels too. Stephen also makes a joke about the friar’s vows saying that he had “obedience in the womb, chastity in the tomb, but involuntary poverty all his days” (392). I assume some of this blasphemy angers the “black crack of noise in the street” (394). While this refers back to what Stephen called the monotheistic god, it is also “Thor thundering.” What Joyce does here is superimpose two scenes of God creating lighting. If my hypothesis is true, then these are rewritings of the scene when Zeus strikes Odysseus’s crew.

Joyce does not only superimpose images and events, but also styles as well. If he is trying to find who has relived Odysseus’s struggles, he will also be curious in how their stories are told. In this chapter there are examples of Roman philosophy, Old English Verse, and even drunken bantering. By doing so Joyce can be a critic of philosophies and style. With all the puns and auditory devices Joyce uses, one has to understand that this novel is a manipulation of language as much as it is with themes. By using so much word play one has to question whether there is something inherent in language itself. For example Mrs. Purefoy thinks of Doady, “to lay in his arms that mite of God’s clay, the fruit of their lawful embraces” (421). This implies that this couple has created an Adam, God’s clay, from their relationship. While the mention of fruit recall the commandment “be fruitful and multiply,” it also implies that these “lawful embraces” are related to the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and original sin.

At this point in the novel I think I’m starting to grasp what Joyce is doing and how he is doing it. I think I’ll wait until class to try to piece these thoughts together.

Questions:

Bloom is often shown as being motherly, even womanish. Do you think this is because he was never able to a father to a son, or rather do you think it might have happened poorly? In one way this is how Bloom’s tale differs from Odysseus’s, because he has no Telemachus.

Why do you think that Mrs. Purefoy’s baby is like Christ?

In hopes to better understand the chapter, I vote we all masturbate in class

This chapter deals with attraction. Even thought this theme relates to topics as strange as magnetism, the chapter revolves around Gerty’s attraction to Bloom and Bloom’s to Gerty. This attraction reaches its climax, literally, when Gerty exposes herself to Bloom and Bloom ejaculates. In a way we get to see Mr. Bloom having his affair. After the climax the narrator mentions the lovers’ “secret, only theirs, alone in the hiding twilight and there was none to know or tell” (367). Like Sweets of Sin the infidels are now left with a secret between them. There is a sense of spiritual connection in the line “their souls met in a last lingering glance and the eyes that reached her heart, full of strange shining, hung enraptured on her sweet flowerlike face” (367). This sort of lovingness is then shattered when Bloom notices how this seemingly perfect, delicate lady is lame. And as the romantic style fades Bloom is left alone, clammy, cold and wet.
One of most interesting things about encounter is it look like a confession. Throughout the whole scene the narration flows in and out of focusing on the religious ceremony. In on of these descriptions Canon O’Halon “looked almost a saint at his confession box was so quiet and so clean and dark and his hands were just like white wax” (358). In this line one could make connections between Canon’s darkness and Bloom’s, also Canon’s white hands and Gerty’s white legs. Also Gerty recalls a time when she was confessing about menstruating. The priest’s response to her was “in this life that that was no sin because that came from the nature of woman instituted by God” (358). In considering the weight of this line in response to the rest of the sexual “confession,” it seems like Joyce is the nature of sexuality, and whether it is base. Gerty is called pure hearted many times, but is also made to seem vain, in how she contemplates tossing aside Mr. Reggy. And again she seems prideful of her beauty when her “skirt cut to the stride showed off her slim graceful figure to perfection” (350). But at the same time Bloom is “thankful for small mercies,” meaning Gerty’s willingness to show him her all.
Like a lot parts in this book, I find a strong connections back to Deseay’s rant in chapter two. The darkness of Bloom’s eyes is what Deseay says to be a trait of the Jew, and this is what attracts Gerty (361). It is strange how in most chapters evidence of Bloom’s Jewishness serves as a form of alienation. But here, it serves to attract a woman. The second connection to Deseay is how woman is a thing of sin. And in this chapter sin is found in Gerty’s sense of guilt towards menstruation, the religious service, and the fact that Bloom does something scandalous. Deseay also mentions how Helen caused catastrophe for many men. Gerty seems like Helen when Joyce states if she were of a higher class there would be “suitors at her feet vying with one another to pay their devoirs to her” (348). I have found this relationship of women and sin many times in this novel, and will probably write my paper on it.

Questions:

It has been some time since Bloom has mentioned his soap, but on 375 we see it again. For the first time since buying it Bloom recalls how he is still in debt for it. Do you think this could be read as Bloom needing some type of cleansing, like a confession? Or do you think it holds other symbolic significance? The soap is also mention on 100, 123, and 85.

Does Gerty seem like the female Boylan? I saw similarities in their beauty and the rosiness of their complexion.

I can only hope I get an erection when hanged.

Within this whole book, and especially within these last two chapters, there have been a lot of references to the second coming and the apocalypse. Early on in the novel Deseay pointed out how the Jews have “sinned against the light…you can see the darkness in their eyes” (34). Then in the wanderings rocks scene “Father Conmee thought of that tyrannous incontinence, needed however for men’s race on earth, and of the ways of God which were not our ways.” In that chapter people are shown to be incontinent, and all passively react to the fact that “Elijah is Coming.” In the Cyclops episode this theme is manifested in the “parodies.” The nameless narrator through parody displays the annals of history, and superimposes them. On pages 296-297 there is a long list of Irish heroes. But in this list there are people like Caesar and Napolean. This creates a sense of a common history, for either Ireland or all mankind. Being Irish, the characters have a blurred sense of identity. But simultaneously one realizes how all humanity is affected by these same heroes. Being this way, societies can become analogous to each other. The citizen mentions how the Irish are assimilated to British standards, meaning “there would soon be as few Irish in Ireland as red-skins in America” (329). Since varying societies have common histories, one can wonder if there will be a common end to society.

In this thought the importance of the apocalypse is made clear. If all cultures become interlaced, will their prophecies be too? This exploration is also found in the chapter. When the narrator speaks of the soul of Paddy Dignam he describes its theosophical journey. But Dignam was Catholic so many believe that his soul will follow a different route. This mixing of prophecy is also found in how Bloom is presented as a messianic figure in this chapter. Bloom is “crucified’ by his chiding comrades, and is referred to as “ben Bloom Elijah” (345). In this it is hard to say whether he is messianic himself, or like Elijah, is just a sign of the messiah coming. Either way there is a strong sense of the apocalypse in this chapter. There is the discussion of the earthquake and natural disaster, and also the citizen encourages people to “read the revelations that’s going on in the papers about flogging” (328). If anything the presentation of Bloom as messianic suggests that anyone can be. Since Bloom is a very ordinary person it implies that an escape from this “Wasteland” could be found in anyone.

Questions:

What significance do you think this new narrator played? I thought it was a great way to display how strongly Bloom is disapproved of.

Do you think Joyce shares any opinions with these characters? I find it difficult to make assumptions because all are equally supported and refuted.

Feeling Bluem

In this chapter what I found to be the most pressing issues are Bloom’s loneliness and frustrations. Not only do we see Bloom frequently mentioning his loneliness, like “I fell so lonely Bloom” (287), but also he admits it to Martha in his letter. He writes (sort of), “I feel so sad today. La reee. So lonely. Dee” (280). While this is technically Henry Flower speaking, the fact his feelings of desperation have reached this height is upsetting. I think this neurosis develops because in this chapter he is constantly contrasted to with Boylan.

For one thing Bloom and Boylan are contrasted in how the barmaids react to them. Bloom on one hand is compared to the drugstore attendant, with his goggling eyes. On the other hand when Boylan enters the room Miss Kennedy “smiled on him. But sister bronze outsmiled her, preening for him her richer hair, a bosom and a rose” (265). Considering that we see many male characters flirt with the barmaids, the fact that one admires Boylan shows his virility. While I can’t find one of the specific moments when the barmaids’ breasts are admired, when Douce offers them to Boylan again shows the ladies’ admiration of him. In this difference of reactions another contrast is set up between the two, blue and red. Boylan is connected with the red rose in Douce’s bosom, and in the previous episode he takes the red flower from the fruit and flower shop. Multiple times in this chapter, and maybe earlier in the book, there are references to Bloom like “Bloom sighed on the silent bluehued flowers” (268). While I’m not sure if the connotations between blue and sadness were developed yet, it seems that this is the best way to interpret this contrast. Where Blazes is passionate and loved, Bloom is passive and ignored.

One final moment that Bloom is contrasted with Boylan is when he tries to write poetry/music for Martha. He tries to think of music as purely mathematical, but realizes that a lady would not be wooed with “seven times nine minus x is thirty five thousand” (278). This implies that semantics or artistic intent is important for writing music, that it is not just organizing “the ineluctable modality of the audible” (37). By wanting to write music for Martha, Bloom hopes to capture her like Boylan did Molly.
And by making Bloom seem so inadequate in this chapter, we really see how depressed these thoughts have made him. I see this coming to a suicidal point for Bloom. For example he quotes “to be or not to be” (280). And when thinking of Rudy Bloom mentions how it is “too late now” and “soon I am old” (285).

Connections:
I see a huge connection to the Proteus chapter in this section. The way that Bloom describes how music is just mathematical organization reminds me of the “ineluctable modality of the audible” (37). Further the Croppy Boy looks just like Stephen, in how he “once by the churchyard he had passed and for his mother’s rest had not prayed” (284). And one other strange parallel between this and the Proteus chapter is they both have a line that deals with the sounds of pissing. Bloom thinks of the music of Molly pissing (282), and Stephen thought of pissing in Proteus (49).

Questions:

I really like the opening of this chapter. I almost thought of it like the “score of sounds” that happen in the chapter. Does anyone else have any interpretations?

In this chapter Bloom is called an “unconquered hero” (264). In what way do you think Bloom is still unconquered? He is often derided and his wife has been usurped, that seems pretty conquered to me.

Joyce’s writing impressed me the most in this chapter. I didn’t expect Joyce to ever pull the focus away from Stephen or Bloom, or even reveal minor characters’ thoughts. I love how Joyce was able to capture the busy atmosphere of midday by relaying what multiple characters are doing at the same moment. I think the repetition of certain lines or character allows Joyce to place significant focus on certain details. For example he does this to show how admirable and charming Blazes Boylan is. In his section of the chapter we see Blazes flirting with a clerk. Then later Master Dignam points out a person “with a swell pair of kicks with him” (251). And then in the regal procession section Blazes is shown giving his red flower to a group of young ladies.
One time that Joyce uses this method best is how so many people mock Bloom. The fact that everyone who notices Bloom mocks him shows the extent of his unsociability. In a way it almost seems unnatural. Of all the times this happens my favorite is between M’Coy and Lenehan. M’Coy talks about Blooms wife as a sexual object. In the description he “hands moulded ample curves of air” (234). For one thing I loved how this paralleled Bloom thinking about the curves of a goddess a few chapters back. I like how Molly is sexually objectified by many people, making her like Helen. But since Bloom already knew this woman, what can he fantasize about other than a god? One other aspect of M’Coy and Lenehan’s exchange is when they wonder whether Bloom is looking for “Leopoldo or Bloom is on the Rye.” The mockings seem unnatural in how they were right. Even though Bloom was not looking for something with his name in the title, he was looking at “Tales of the Ghetto” by Leopold von Sacher Masoch.

“Father Conmee thought of that tyrannous incontinence, needed however for men’s race on earth, and of the ways of God which were not our ways”

I feel that this thought of Father Conmee holds tremendous weight in this chapter. If he were considering the incontinence of men it would make sense that Joyce would include a survey of human actions. In this chapter there are instances of drunkenness, promiscuity, greed, and bigotry. Furthermore for almost every person there is a mention of how the sunlight hits his or her eyes. This is reminiscent to Deseay’s claim that the Jews “sinned against the light…and you can see the darkness in there eyes” (34). One example of this is when Dilly “saw sunshades spanned and wheelspokes spinning in the glare” (253). While I do not want to try to diagram and make conclusions about who is pious based on the light in their eyes, I think that this shows Joyce’s ability to flesh out a motif.

Questions:

Both Bloom and Master Dignam mourn the loss of their father. Also Dignam is one of the few characters whose inner-thoughts were revealed. Do you see another possible parallels between the two characters?

What's in a name?

I find Stephen’s sections to be a little more confusing than Bloom’s. In the Scylla and Charbydis chapter this complexity reaches a new height, largely because of its subject matter. This scene is in a library and is mainly literary discussion. In some ways this chapter feels like Joyce rethinking a lot of the imagery and illusions he has worked in earlier. He explicitly discusses Hamlet and The Odyssey. What I love about this is that Joyce is including commentary of his own work. Although unlike Dante, who included explanations of his work afterward, Joyce does it within the work. But in many ways this contorts the piece, instead of clarifying it. Since there are multiple characters discussing the works, we see multiple interpretations. And Stephen’s and the narrator’s back and forth form of story-telling can make one unsure of Stephen’s interpretations.
One thing we do know about Stephen’s interpretation of literature, is that it relates to many of his personal thoughts. I remember after reading the Proteus chapter feeling very uncomfortable because of the personal nature of the chapter. And in the discussion of whether Hamlet was inspired by Shakespeare’s dead son Hamnet related to the feelings I had. There are many questions concerning the role of the personal in art; whether knowledge of the author’s life is important to the art. Russell says their exploration is “prying into the family life of a great man”, and he goes on to say that despite what Shakespeare did “we still have King Lear: and it is immortal” (189). So here we see Russell wanting art to be art for its own sake. In response John Ellington says, concerning Ann Hathaway, “She died, for literature at least, before she was born” (190). Afterward Stephen says she died when sixty seven, and related to how she served as a mother and wife for Shakespeare. After this Stephen thinks of his mother’s deathbed and how he wept alone. It is here that one can fully appreciate what Joyce has done in these lines. First he set up a discussion of prying into the artists personal life. After some discussion Joyce flips the topic, showing how thinking of art has reminded Stephen of his personal life. And like I mentioned earlier, Stephen is in a way the author of this book, thereby showing how the personal is inseparable from art.



Questions

There is a moment on page 217 when Stephen mentions “a creamfruit melon he held to me.” I just couldn’t find where he brings this up earlier. Does anyone remember?

Rabbi Bloom

By symbolically linking Ulyssess with The Odyssey Joyce makes the idea of the journey, or returning home very important. While the book is full of allusions to Odysseus’s journey home, there are also a lot of references to the heroes of the bible. Already there have been moments when Bloom has thought about Israel and biblical topics. In the beginning of the chapter Bloom thinks of the size of the Dedalus family, with a “birth every year almost. That’s in their theology or the priest won’t give the poor woman the confession, the absolution. Increase and multiply” (151). Here we see Bloom attributing the size of the Dedalus family to its religiosity. It’s funny that Bloom says this practice is part of their theology when it is apart of his too, since this commandment comes from Genesis. Later Bloom challenges the Dedalus family when he thinks, “I’d like to see them do the black fast Yom Kippur. Crossbuns” (152). Again this is strange, because the ritual of the fast is another old-testament tradition. We see Bloom confuse details all the time, but here it seems that the religions are confused themselves. Obviously Joyce is placing these two forms of monotheism against each other to question why such terrible, seemingly competitive, feuds occur between these groups of people. I included the sentence “Crossbuns” in the quote to show another conflict found in religion, the personal one. Even though Bloom wonders if the Dedalus family can last a fast, the reader knows that Bloom couldn’t. So his mentioning of crossbuns could be his appetite chiming in.
This sense of personal control in regards to religion is found all over this chapter. When Bloom thinks of an ad with an attractive woman writing something, he’s sure that all will be intrigued, “women too. Curiosity. Pillar of salt” (154). This thought has to do with Lot’s wife from the story of Sodom, and how she was turned to a pillar of salt by looking back at the city. Here I see the idea of sexual temptation come into play. Because if a woman were drawn to an ad with a female model, would that not make her homosexual or a sodomite?
One final role that religion plays in this chapter deals with the woman. In the second chapter of the book Deseay blames the woman for sin. Ever since that moment there have been recurring images of Eve. One of the punishments Eve received from eating from the tree of knowledge was pain at childbirth. In this chapter Bloom thinks of a young woman in labor and suggests, “they ought to invent something to stop that. Life with hard labour” (161). While short, I find this thought to be very profound. In the western tradition a painless childbirth in a way means a return to paradise. At the same time I think this notion displays a conflict of modernism and religion. Because it implies medicine can outweigh God’s punishments. But again Bloom would like a “life without hard labour.” In Lotus-Eaters Bloom fantasized about the east being a luxurious place (71), or even an Eden. But Bloom also thinks of Zionist settlers in Palestine, making an Eden by doing hard labor. Although he doesn’t follow either of these lifestyles, thereby leaving him in a house of bondage.

Connections
Swans are accused of spreading foot and mouth disease pg. 153.

Bloom thinks of a woman getting her boots all mucky on 168. He also notices the muck on Stephen’s boots of 147.

On 173 Blazes is called a “hairy chap” and on 92 he was “airing his quiff.”

On 174 dog noses are discussed in a very sexual way, like on 59.

Questions:

Bloom grapples with acting on his thoughts. For example he thinks about surprising both Molly and Milly, and seems to want to contact Martha? Are there any course of actions that you envision Bloom making? Or do you think his inaction is a sort of tragic flaw?

In every chapter since by the soap Bloom mentions it. What significance do you think it holds?

AEOLUS CHAPTER! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

This chapter I had the most difficulty with. Surprisingly it was not the headlines that threw me off, but the conversation. Not only do the characters’ obscure references cause difficulty, but Joyce’s portrayal of the scenes are confusing. A lot of the time there are different conversations between multiple people happening at once. While confusing as hell, this does parallel the events of the scene. If many people are crammed in a busy office, it would be hard to follow the conversation going on.
One other stylistic element of this chapter that intrigued me was Stephen’s return. Since Bloom was gone at this moment Joyce shifted back to revealing Stephen’s thoughts. I am curious to see if this will be a consistent shift.
In this chapter Joyce explores his own trade, writing. Not only is the scene in a newspaper office, but our young poet Stephen and a professor are in the scene too. One obvious way language is explored in this chapter is as a tool, or commodity. All these people in the office are sellers of words. And this relates to Stephen particularly. In the earlier chapters Stephen often grapples with having to make money, and inevitably making his thoughts and writings his money. When Haines says that he wants to make a book of Stephen’s sayings, Stephen only wonders “will I make money on it?” (16). But there is an inclination that selling words is base. One of Bloom’s thoughts elaborates on this idea; “funny the way those newspaper men veer about when they get wind of a new opening. Weathercocks. Hot and cold in the same breath. Wouldn’t know which to believe” (125). Since newspapers seem to have strong political connotation, a change of employment could coincide with a change of ideals. And to be false to oneself, and your readers, for the sake of money seems corrupt. And Bloom even mentions how the public will easily digest someone’s words when he says, “all very fine to jeer at it now in cold print but it goes down like hot cake that stuff” (126). This relates back to Stephen in how his skill could be used by the paper. Myles Crawford at one point says to Stephen “I want you to write something for me….Something with a bite in it. You can do it. I see it in your face. In the lexicon of youth…” (135). In a way this is Crawford trying to convince Stephen to be convincing. Where his own rhetorical knowledge may be lacking, Crawford uses what he can to persuade Stephen to use his. Crawford is not curious to see Stephen’s creativity, just what “bite,” or rhetorical spin, he can add to something. This is displayed when he says, “no poetic license. We’re in the archdiocese here” (148). This further shows how Crawford chooses political loyalty, in this case to the church, over true authorship. I think a lot of this ties to Stephen’s mention to St. Augustine on page 142. He talks about corruption of things, and much of Confessions has to do with the corrupt use of language for pride and vanity.
Joyce also explores the rules and conventions of language in this chapter. We see many puns and plays on words. Also the older people in this chapter think over exemplary oratories. And the professor even criticizes Doughy Daw for not alluding to, or doing what Shakespeare does with the moon in Hamlet. I feel like this is Joyce grappling with literary history, because in this chapter we see the refrain of waking from the nightmare of history. But this time the phrase has changed to “nightmare from you will never wake (137).


Connections:

Pg. 123 Blooms soap still bothers him in his pocket. Also found in Pg. 87 and Pg. 100

In the last scene Bloom thought of people having their hearts on their sleeves. In this chapter people are mentioned having brains on their sleeves Pg. 125.

I see more of the damn letters. In Proteus Stephen thought of the books he was going to write with letters as titles. In this chapter Crawford remembers how Gallaher assigned letters to all parts of Dublin. Pg. 137

Questions

What do you make of Stephen’s digression about the strike of a match effecting the rest of his life? (pg. 140 before A POLISHED PERIOD)

Murders, Suicides, and Dead Babies

“Well it is a long rest. Feel no more. It’s the moment you feel. Must be damned unpleasant” (110).

Almost everything in this chapter deals with death, be it actions or thoughts. In the passage above Bloom thinks of death as both a loss and intense moment of pain. Being a man of the body, Bloom inevitably thinks of his death in relation to it. He realizes when he is dead he will not be able to eat the inner organs of beasts. This view is also found when he thinks it is “much better to close up all the orifices. Yes, also. With wax. The sphincter loose. Seal all up” (98). Since we’ve seen Bloom have and enjoy a bowel movement, the sealing of the sphincter means the end of this enjoyment of digestion. But in thinking of how to store and preserve dead bodies Bloom seems unafraid of death. But maybe Bloom is not afraid of death but dying, for this is what the body experiences. In two places Bloom mentions the unpleasantness of death. He does in the quote above, when he is at the cemetery during the burial. And also in the carriage before hand, he calls a sudden death “the best death…no suffering he said. And a moment and all is over. Like dying in sleep” (95). Again this shows how Bloom fears the pain or agony of death. And this can be related to how both his father and child died. His father poisoned himself, which meant “no more pain” (97). But the dying process was still painful, since it was his depressing life. Support for this is when Bloom thinks, “they used to drive a stake of wood through his heart in the grave. As if it wasn’t broken already,” showing the emotional pain of the suicidal (96). But Bloom continues, “sometimes they repent too late. Found in the riverbed clutching rushes” (96). This again emphasizes how the moment of death would be the worst, because you may change your mind but realize that your hopes are futile. So Bloom thinks how dying is terrible for the suicidal, and this also relates to Rudy. From the moment of his birth Rudy was in the process of dying. But in calling his son “a mistake of nature” (96) Bloom seems able to cope with the idea of a dead child. Almost like he’ll never miss life, for he hasn’t experienced it. But at the same time Bloom thinks about missing the opportunity when he thinks, “I could of helped him on in life. I could” (89).

Connections:

When the cows passed in front of the carriage it made me think of Deseay, fighting foot and mouth disease.

On page 99 Bloom mentions carrion dogs in the river, and we know that there are.

Page 106 Bloom sings the “tooraloom” he does on page 71.

Page 112 Bloom thinks of the cords of the coffins as navelcords.

Questions:

Does Bloom’s confusion between his wife and daughter bother anyone else? Around page 100 he thinks about surprising Milly with a visit, and says that she’ll be “with her pants down.”

How did you feel about seeing Dedalus again? He seemed like more of a jerk. And what do you think of the moment when he “hurled a mute curse at the sky” (90).

All the ladies love me!

In Calypso Joyce highlighted Bloom’s materialism, in how he loved food, women, and money. In Lotus Eaters, particularly the scene where Bloom notices a rich couple going into a hotel, Bloom’s hedonism is shown to a new extent. In his (or the narrator’s?) description the woman is doing very little but is the center of action. “She stood still, waiting, while the man, husband, brother, like her, searched his pockets for change” (73). Even though the husband, brother, is trying to pay the porter, the sentence opens with the woman standing. And even her motionlessness is elaborate on, because she is also “waiting.” This line is also the only time the husband, brother, is mentioned, again showing Bloom’s sexual curiosity. His materialism is shown in how he notices the flicker of her hat while she drives away. Like an animal Bloom’s eye will just follow a shiny object. But also in this scene Joyce displays Bloom’s arrogance, cynicism, an foremost his rudeness. The whole time he half-heartedly listens to M’Coy, and even moves “to the side of M’Coy’s talking head,” treating him like an interruption (74). Actually later on he still dwells with having to meet with M’Coy, when he says, “I wish I didn’t have to meet that M’Coy fellow” (76). But beyond this rudeness Bloom comes off as arrogant, especially as a sexual being. This is shown when he thinks, “[she] sees me looking. Eye out for another fellow always. Good fallback” (74). While thinking that the woman notices him, Bloom is also thinks she is checking him out. And also in Church he wonders, “were those two buttons of my waistcoat open all the time. Women enjoy it. Annoyed if you don’t” (83). So not only does Bloom think of himself as handsome, but he implies women crave sex. And this deals with Bloom’s cynicism, another one of his facets displayed in this chapter. When Bloom thinks that the rich looking at other men is a “good fallback,” it shows how he is accusing her of being a gold-digger. But in calling it a good fallback he is supporting this treachery. And of course adulterous thoughts are not a stranger to Bloom.
Another moment in the scene with the rich woman shows Blooms hypocricy. This is when Bloom wonders where this girl is going. His assumption is that she’s “off to the country: Broadstone probably” (74). Since Bloom is so fascinated with this girl it seems likely Bloom envies her life. This has to do with Homer’s Lotus Eaters that the chapter is named after. In The Odyssey the lotus eaters are those who left Odysseus’s crew to live on the isle of the lotus. At many spots we see Bloom thinking about the people of the east having a relaxing life. He thinks, “the far east. Lovely spot it must be, the garden of the world, big lazy leaves to float about on, cactuses, flowery meads….Wonder it is like” (71). While he calls these people lethargic later on he is still curious about what the life is like. The hypocrisy lies in how Bloom is critical of those who don’t do work, but wants their lifestyle.

Connections:

Pg. 75 M’Coy goes off to investigate the drowning at sandy cove.

Pg. 79 Bloom contemplates about how checks can be ripped apart, and also be worth a lot. This contrasts Stephen noticing the weight of the coins he carries.

Pg. 86 Bloom thinks about his navel while fantasizing about a bath. We’ve seen both umbilical chords and navels elsewhere.

Pg. 85 The chemist talks about horse racing

Questions:

We discussed a lot about Bloom’s suspicion concerning his wife. But now we see how Mr. Flower has an affair going of his own. Would you call this infidelity on Bloom’s part? Or does it not count unless he pursues the body pleasure associated?

Do you ever feel like Bloom sees himself as a performer? One moment in this chapter he walks by a group of cab drivers and consciously notes, “shout a few flying syllables as they pass” (77).

Come and taste my fatty meats...

In Calypso we leave the realm of Stephen’s thoughts for Bloom’s. The difficulty of seeing Stephen’s harsh self-criticism and loneliness is replaced by Bloom’s hunger. But the food Bloom eats is not just his nourishment, it is his passion. “Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of scented urine” (55). Bloom’s sense of taste is so keen that his favorite meal is a certain organ, of a certain animal, cooked a certain way. When this dish is prepared Bloom does not taste it, rather the kidney gives the flavor to his palate. This personification shows Bloom’s esteem for food, how its tastes are like heavenly gifts. But his pursuit of pleasure does not end at food; he also enjoys women and money. In fact when one of the three subjects are discussed, the other two are normally associated. While waiting for his meat at the butcher, Bloom reads through a pamphlet about a farm. He imagines a farmer “slapping a palm on a ripemeated hindquarter,” and thinking, “there’s a prime one” (59). When a farmer sees a healthy looking animal he thinks, “it’ll sell well.” When looking a nice cut of meat a customer thinks, “it’ll taste good.” Here Bloom is doing both. He is thinking about the business of meat-packing and also its product. And right after he sees more ripemeated hindquarter, “the crooked skirt swinging whack by whack by whack” (59). This just shows how quick his mind will switch from one pleasurable thought to another.
One other thing that stands out about Bloom is his confidence. We often see him surprised with how clever he is. One instance is when he blueprints the story is going to get published (69). He thinks of all the things he can write about, even though most are real events. Further, we get no sense of Bloom’s writing. Therefore Bloom may think he have the content of great story, but may have no skill to write it. And anyway these thoughts are in vain because “he tore away half the prize story sharply and wiped himself with it” (70).
The last thing I noticed is Bloom’s preoccupation with his daughter. He read the letter over twice, and recalls the gift he gave her when she was four. This shows how he misses her physically and also her as a child. While I’m not sure if I’m reading this correctly, but I think Bloom is coping with his daughter growing into a sexual woman. When thinking about her he mentions “girl’s sweet light lips” and “full gluey woman’s lips” (67). Either way I’d like to learn more about Bloom and his daughter before following this trajectory further.

Connections:
In the middle of page 66 midwives are brought up, like on page 37.

Questions: What do you think of the marriage between Marian and Leopold? I get the impression Bloom does not think highly of his wife’s intelligence.

"Heva, naked eve. She had no navel"...like WonderWoman



As a stream of conscious scene the Proteus chapter spends a lot of time in Stephen’s mind. While this chapter reveals so much about Stephen it made me a little uncomfortable. I say this because a lot of this chapter is an inner dialogue, where Stephen harshly criticizes himself. My discomfort only becomes worse when he describes his loneliness, guilt, and failure. On page 40 there is one moment where Stephen addresses all these things. He makes stabs at his own intellectual credibility when he says, “reading two pages apiece of seven books every night, eh? I was young. You bowed to yourself in the mirror, stepping forward to applause earnestly, striking face” (40). In these few sentences Stephen not only questions his academic life, but his social one two. He accuses himself of wasting time with both. If he would have stuck to study more he would have written books “with letters for titles,” thereby gaining fame (footnote 1). He even blames himself of self-exaltation. The letter books would have been “sent…to all the great libraries of the world, including Alexandria” (40). Even though no one has read these unwritten books, Stephen calls himself out for thinking they would be great. And at the same time by bringing up Alexandria we see Stephen gripping with his place in history. While making himself a part of Alexandria’s catalogue Stephen is doing two things. First he is thinking about fame, for all the fathers of Western Thought had their work in Alexandria. Simultaneously it could be read that Stephen wishes he were a contemporary of these thinkers. But what is the use? For your identity could be destroyed along with the library. And also in this chapter Stephen think about his family, i.e. his personal history.

Another thing that makes this chapter uncomfortably personal is how it reveals some of Stephen’s sexual attitudes, mostly his frustration. Throughout this chapter there are moments when Stephen will mention, or recall a woman, and bring up her undergarments or physical appearance. For example when he sees a “woman and a man,” he states, “I see her skirties. Pinned up, I bet” (46). Not only does he think about the woman, but elaborates on her specifics. It seems much more pathetic when he mentions, “I am lonely here. O, touch me soon, now….touch, touch me” (49). The interesting thing about this sexual frustration, remembering Stephen is an atheist, is how it is rooted in Christian guilt. Stephen criticizes himself for being religious when he asks, “you were awfully holy, weren’t you?” But again, out of contemplation comes more criticism. He says, “you prayed to the devil in Serpentine Avenue that the fubsy widow in front might lift her clothes still more from the wet street” (40). This remark is so purely Catholic, because he does not scold himself for sleeping with a widow, just for merely being attracted to her. And in a sense he makes this seem worse, for he is “defiling” her while in public.

Connections:
I think I’m going to start a section of my posts just highlighting references to other places in the book. I don’t even think I’ll look at the details very critically, I just think it may help to catalogue them.

Footnote 1- Ulysses is arguably Stephen’s “letter books”

Pg. 46 Stephen calls a dead dog a “poor dogsbody.” On page 6 he refers to himself a dogsbody, one who does odd jobs.

Pg. 46-47 The fox riddle returns. Even as the dog “scrapes the earth” like the fox did pgs. 26-28.

Pg. 38 Like Deseay did in the Nestor scene, Stephen contemplates about Eve, and sin.

Questions:
We see a lot of shells in this novel. It makes sense considering the continuing emphasis on the sea. But in the last chapter we saw shells stand for money (pg. 30). With this in mind, what do you make of the parts of Proteus where people walk along the beach and have shells crush under their feet?

Deseay hates Jews....

"History, Stephen said, is a nightmare in which I am trying to awake”

The annotations say that the first two scenes are apart of the “S” section, the portion focusing on Stephen. In the Nestor scene we learn a lot more about Stephen. One of the most pressing issues Stephen deals with is being a member of history. The scene opens with Stephen questioning his class about the history of Pyrrhus. The students disinterest in the subject displays one way in which Stephen is trapped in history. When Armstrong confuses “Pyrrhus” with “piers” it raises the question of knowledge versus action. The student thinks of a contemporary landmark, one he probably has been to. On the other hand Stephen is trying to teach history. Is knowledge of one more important than the other? Or has the confusion of language made one obsolete?
One aspect of this novel I see shining through is how Joyce will contemplate a subject endlessly without resolution. While early on Joyce creates one question concerning the role of history, he immediately moves towards another. “Had Pyrrhus not fallen by a beldam’s hand in Argos or Julius Caesar not been knifed to death?” (25). Stephen’s question makes one wonder how would the world be different in another course of history? But instead of contemplating a change in society, Stephen turns his inquiry metaphysical. He wonders, “but can those have been possible seeing that they never were?,” asking whether the “other possibilities” of time know of their inexistence. And there is a sense that Stephen is contemplating this question in regards to his own role in history. This is why I opened with the quote “history…is a nightmare in which I am trying to awake,” like Stephen is yearning to leave this world (34). The intensity of history is displayed on page 31 when Stephen lists occurrences of Irish plight. And I see Stephen’s disgust with money, “something soiled by greed and misery,” stem from his hate of history. For all these printed coins, he typically notes the monarch on the piece, are just emblems of the changing regimes of history.
One more important thing I see concerning Stephen is that the world of the novel is shown through the distortion of his eyes and thoughts. Like when reading through Deseay’s letter, we do not see the content, just what Stephen picks out. And like in the Telemachus section the narrative is often interrupted by the daydreams or contemplations of Stephen. But these sections are slowly turning into my favorite portions of this book. While each is obscure on its own, the complexity in which they are linked together with allusions or images helps form the outline of the puzzle. But beyond just the text slipping in and out of coherency, Stephen does too. Like on page 26 when he blurts out, “I don’t see anything,” to Sargent, but is not responding to anything Sargent said.

Questions:
I see similarities between Buck and Deseay’s repulsive character. But their ideals are quite different, religion versus science. Do you think that despite believing in different things Joyce is defining these characters similarly?

And we begin the odyssey...

Stately plump Buck Mulligan is a jackass. Early on in the novel Joyce repeatedly points out Buck’s selfishness, egoism, and demeaning attitude. One of Buck’s first faults is his stereotypical mindset. While this attribute borders with bigotry it has a different quality. He frequently calls Stephen a Jesuit, usually carrying negative connotation. Also he complains about “those bloody English. Bursting with money and indigestion” (4). This demeanor stems from his medical background. Buck says that if everyone had the wholesome food he has, the country would not be “full of rotten teeth and rotten guts” (15 line). His ability to pass off the blight of the poor, unlike Buck who claims to be both civilized and “salty,” shows the milkmaid that he is a medical student. This shows how Buck is able to substitute sympathy with rationale. And like the organisms he studies, he groups all types of people according to similarities, even stereotypes. This portrayal of a scientific thinker as arrogant and self-admiring contradicts some facets of modernism. But beyond having negative qualities related to his method of thought, Buck is sincerely terrible. Stephen Dedalus is too often the recipient of Buck’s demeaning. The obvious example of this idea in this scene is when Buck says, “it’s only Dedalus whose mother is beastly dead” (8). Over the next few lines we see Buck’s attitude toward the comment move from denial, “did I say that?,” to rationale, “what harm is that?,” to pride, “I suppose I did say it. I didn’t mean to offend the memory of your mother” (8). And when Buck learns Stephen is the one offended, he has no need for discussion. But Buck just looks silly when one remembers that he was the one asking what was bothering Stephen. Buck’s original concern is one-way Joyce sets up that Buck and Stephen’s companionship is good for both of them. Buck, when not tormenting Stephen, invites him to be his partner to “Hellenise” the city (7). Going the other way Buck is “Mercurial,” and in the Odyssey Mercury helps Odysseus leave Calypso’s Island. And also Buck rambles on about how he knows Dedalus so well, and thereby can call him “Kinch”. Although I’ll just have to wait to see what happens with these two.
On another note there has been one intricately developed metaphor with “the mother” and the sea. It is here that Joyce ties together Stephen’s emotion, connections to The Odyssey, the Irish identity, and wonderful imagery. Buck first calls the sea “a grey mother” (5). Not even a page later Stephen gets absorbed into one of his daydreams. In this dream Stephen sees the see as “a great sweet mother” (5). Something peculiar is happening here because Dedalus uses the image that Buck gave, yet changes it. Also in this dream he remembers “the green sluggish bile which she had torn up from her rotting liver” (5). This again draws from Buck, how he called the see “snotgreen.” The emotional connection to his mother in this image is found a little later on. He notices the “white breast of the sea,” another maternal image (9). This all ties to the Odyssey because the sea is Odysseus’s main rival. And all the while these young persons, trapped in this olphamos, are inevitably molded and termed “Irish” for being on this island.

Questions:
Some of the difficulties from reading this text lie in the seamless shift between other voices, times, and realities. I think this is Joyce trying to really place the novel in the minds of his characters. Out of curiosity, what do you find most difficult?
What do you make of Haines? Both characters initially seem frustrated with him, but he doesn’t come off as so wicked.

Static Yet Dynamic

“It was the dream itself enchanted me:
Character isolated by a deed
To engross the present and dominate memory.
Players and painted stage took all my love
And not these things that they were emblems of”

“The Circus Animals’ Desertion” (28-32).

Yeats has led a life of contemplation. We’ve seen him grapple with the importance of sexuality, the psyche of the Irish patriot, and the frailty of the human body. After having achieving a method— his gyres, towers, and moons— to help catalogue these thoughts, we cannot expect Yeats to stray away from these themes. In fact Yeats arguably tones down his obscurity, and in some ways resembles his old poetry with these final ones. For example in “Come Gather Round me Parenellites” we hear the lyrical quality of some of the older poems. In this poem he is addressing Irish revolutionaries, as with a drinking song. Like in “Red Hanrahan’s Song about Ireland” we see Yeats making the revolutionary seem idealistic. They drink to Parnell’s action, love, and pride, but seem to do nothing else. Yeats also confronts the stereotype of the drunken Irishman, who does not toast just the man, but each of his qualities. Unlike his older poetry, Yeats now makes his poems multifaceted. Earlier Yeats may have solely focused on the Irish identity, but this poem deals with love as well. Parnell slept with another politician’s wife and the scandal and shame eventually led to the division of his political party. Like with tales of Helen and Dido, personal love led to the collapse of political forces. And we see Yeats turning Parnell’s love story into a myth. For the Irish poor, the folk, have embedded this story into their spirits. And for Yeats this gives Parnell a sort of immortality, for

“Stories that live longest
Are sung above the glass,
And Parnell loved his country
And Parnell loved his lass” (29-32).

Yeats is almost suggesting that even though Parnell “saved the Irish poor,” he will be remembered for his scandalous story. So while Yeats has not left the themes he’d been exploring for years they are still there. He places the drinking patriots in a frame of mythology like he did in the past. Instead he shows how the present, contemporary reality, will be the myth of the future. One of the most fantastic things I saw Yeats do in these poems was to kill himself. In “Under Ben Bulben” the narrator walks us by Yeats’ tomb with “no marble, no conventional phrase” (89). In some ways I find this poem to act like a will, or even a placement of himself in history, or myth. Yeats discusses the “profane perfection of mankind” (52). This line is in reference to Adam, as if all of mankind is the sculpture of Adam’s doing. And in this line Calvert, Wilson, Blake, and Claude have maybe tried to embody or represent this perfection. The reason why I would call this poem a sort of will is that it gives direction to the Irish poet. In his call to writer’s I see Yeats valuing the voice and the eye. He says to “sing the peasantry, and then/ hard-riding country gentlemen,” and other types of people. Therefore the eye would be necessary to observe the image of these classes. But Yeats also wants you to use the mind as an eye, to look at the past for “the lords and ladies gay/ that were beaten into clay/ throughout seven heroic centuries” (78-80). Since one cannot “see” past generations, Yeats is probably supporting the use of myth or history as an image of the past. Further one needs to look to the future, to see how the Irish might fit into the scope of history, the gyres, and maintain “indomitable Irishry” (83).

Reality as Told By Yeats

“Such thought, that in it bound
I need no other thing,
Wound in minds wandering
As mummies in the mummy-cloth are wound”

We have seen Yeats battle with the notions of reality throughout the whole of his work so far. In the chapter Ellman declares that Yeats found a new confidence in his writing being in moon phase 17. In this phase literature, philosophy, and nationality were able to come together as one thing (13). While this epiphany and its fruits are rightly termed “esoteric,” I see how the three forms— literature, philosophy, and nationality— come together. I opened with the closing lines of “All Soul’s Night” to show that these forms are able to come together in Yeats’s thought or perhaps his imagination. But thought has become so important, to the point he would “need no other thing,” in understanding reality. In “All Soul’s Night” Yeats conjures spirits like he did in the “Memory of Robert Gregory.” But this time he does not remember young men as if they were champions of the ancient Olympic games, but as thinkers who both learned and taught. The first person, Horton (still unsure of the allusion), is called a master of platonic love. But we also see how the loss of his love made him beg for death. Both of these aside I see the most relation to Yeats himself in how Horton’s “mind’s eye…on one sole image fell” (33-34). This shows how despite Yeats’s new confidence and stylistic change he can still get hung up on an image, and think there be some Truth in it. Another part in the book where we see this is in “The Tower” where he calls upon literary characters, both his and others’, wanting to ask them more questions. The next ghost in “All Souls’ Night” is Florence Emery. From wikipedia (sorry Robin) I learned that she was a friend and collaborator of Yeats, and also a fellow member of the Golden Dawn Occult. We see her soul “whirled about/ wherever the orbit of the moon can reach” (54-55), as if Yeats is analyzing the phases of her soul. The last ghost is MacGregor Mathers, founder of the Golden Dawn Occult (wikipedia again), obviously a person who would be absorbed in the spiritual world.
So how does the mention of these people show Yeats’s changing perspective of reality? Much of it deals with the importance of Objectivity and Subjectivity that Ellman points out. I feel that Yeats has accepted reality but in doing so has not denied the presence of myth, legend, or dreams. Rather he objectively notices how images or fantasy have changed these peoples’ thoughts. But these identities Yeats remembers have become spiritual images in his own mind, by which he can subjectively pick out truths or “a certain marvelous thing” (16). The fact that a memory of someone is somewhat eternal is found in the line “friendship never ends” (65). Even though he admits to disagreeing with Mathers, Yeats remembers a time when the two were still friends.
While this stage of Yeats’s writing is somewhat uninviting due to its obscurity and inward complexity, I find it welcoming. Seeing that he places this new emphasis on his psyche and reality allows the reader to do what Yeats has been doing with the scope of image and art for his whole life.

A painting by Edmund Dulac,
I'm sure Yeats wished the world looked like this.
















A drawing and letter from Florence Emery. We see that Yeats may have a dark humor to him. In response to her cancer and mastectomy she writes "Last December I became an Amazon and my left breast and pectoral muscle were removed. Now my left side is a beautiful slab of flesh adorned with a handsome fern pattern made by a cut and 30 stitches."

The Mixed Influences

The inability of Yeats’s poems to resolve comes from their paradoxical nature, what I take to be negative capability. I feel that the examining this attribute is the same as answering questions concerning Yeats’s influence. Even in noticing the mythological and classical references he makes shows the different ideals he plays with. In “Solomon and Sheba” we see Yeats play with biblical characters, and then in “Lines Written in Dejection” mythological images of centaurs and heroes appear. This could easily boil down to the question of Irish identity again, paying homage to all the ancient cultures found in Ireland; he borrows Catholics and Protestants with biblical imagery, and Celtics, Romans and Greeks for mythological ones. But in this later group of poems there is a large emphasis on how these influences not only affect his identity, but his thought process. This notion is emphasized in “The Phases of the Moon,” with the man locked in his tower seeking “in a book or manuscript/ what he shall never find” (19-20). The Pre-Raphaelites influence is also found in this poem in how the reader has found “mere images.” This seems likes Yeats mocking himself, calling out his obsession with images for their own sake like many Pre-Raphaelites. Where Yeats really seems to confuse himself is that he hopes to find “an image of mysterious wisdom won by toil” (18), and unlike the pre-Raphaelites seeks Truth from these images, like those found in biblical and mythological text.
We see this image seeker in a much more depressed state in “Lines Written in Dejection.” The narrator calls witches noble and centaurs holy, which both are rather unfitting. But in his aging he has separated from the dreamlike world, created by the moon, he has to deal with sunlight. The sunlight illuminates reality for the speaker, which contrasts the candlelight that the man locked in the tower uses “The Phases of the Moon,” for he still plays in the world of image.
One last genre-bend Yeats does not only affects his psyche, but his style. While dense and eerie, “Upon a Dying Lady” has an amusing rhythm, switching between more dramatic and lyrical poetics. Not only is this poem filled with a rhythmic back and forth, but it also moves from death to dancing, and mass to dolls. The reader is even unsure of the relation to this dying Lady; she is called an enemy but is praised for her courage. In the end having courage like warring emperors. And all this confusion is only resolved with a scene of the dying woman receiving a Christmas tree and a reminder of death. I feel that this poem as a whole embodies the expanse of Yeats’s influence, but in turn leaves me the most perplexed. Is this lady meant to be favored, blamed, maybe pitied? I also wonder, since Yeats is so fascinated with cycles and death, does he pay attention to this lady only because she is dying?

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/13687-large.jpg

In the Seven Woods

In the In the Seven Woods I see Yeats exploring issues surrounding love, age, art, and Ireland. Yeats approaches these topics in the context of mythology, dream, and illusion. This sort of mystic style plays a big role in the opening poem “In the Seven Woods.” And at the end we see the speaker, maybe Yeats, contented by the idea of a great archer awaiting to fire his bow.
Yeats then brings this archer into “The Arrow.” This is where Yeats also starts to address a woman. This is the beginning of a theme is see in these poems concerning beauty and love. The woman addressed in “The Arrow” appears to posses a unique beauty, demonstrated in the line “this beauty’s kinder.” There’s something particular to this beauty, something more appealing to the speaker. Then in the next poem, “The Folly of Being Comforted,” there is an exploration of a person’s opinion of his lover. I find that a reading could go in two directions. One is that the speaker is right and time could renew his love. On the other is that the speaker is delusional, that his lover’s beauty will diminish and vanish with age. From looking at other poems in the book I feel like my second reading holds up better. Even though Yeats was still fairly young when writing these poems, he seems preoccupied with aging and death. We see Yeats discourage love by describing a man who “gave all his heart and lost” (14). Similar attitudes are found in “O do not Love Too Long,” saying that one may grow tired of a lover they thought to be unified with. Although one can also see a love and beauty that Yeats is attracted to.
The love that I see Yeats supporting is one for art. While in many poems Yeats has a preoccupation with death, he approves taking hours to read a line of poetry (in “Adam’s Curse”). And this is expressed in how all of the poems in this booked are filled with characters from Celtic Mythology, i.e. Danaan, Lancelot, and Aengus.
I feel that a lot of these themes stem from Yeats’s timidity as a young man. The chapter from Yeats’s biography explained how Yeats substituted his physical ailments with intellectual arrogance. By immersing himself in mythology and literature Yeats was probably able to escape some of the frustrating elements of his life. But since they were an escape for him, it seems logical that they would end up distorted and darkened like in many of the poems.

Yeats as an Irish Poet

Yeats explores one of the most unique issues concerning the Irish identity, the lack of one. In the readings we read how Ireland has always been a locus of invasion, colonization, and rebellion. Inevitably this blurred the sense of what a true Irishman is. From looking at the history we saw how an Irishman could be Celtic, Viking, British, Catholic, Protestant, or some combination of all of these. And further each heritage has had a period of triumph, oppression, or rebellion. In a way Yeats has combined aspects of this history with the political unrest he had experienced in his lifetime to help define himself as an Irish poet.
In the Yeats poems I see a recurring character type, a wanderer. A wanderer suggests that a person does not have a home, or is not welcomed. Since Yeats had ties to the Fenian movement, he may have felt alienated by British rule, despite being a native Irishman. Usually through the wanderings of Yeats’ characters they encounter many specifically Irish problems. For example in “The Madness of King Goll” the speaker travels through different terrains like wetlands and forests. This relationship with nature that the speaker has mirrors Celtic poetry. Many of the Celtic poems I read through often were blessings, hoping that nature would be a guide and protector. And we see something like this in “King Goll.” In stanza four the speaker moves in unison with the hares and deer. But Yeats does not praise nature as much as original Celtic poetry, for in “King Goll” the speaker seems burdened saying he “must wander…summer’s heat and winter’s cold” (70). Other wanderers are in “Moll Magee” and “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Moll represents Ireland by being impoverished, and Yeats may be suggesting that this pity she yearns for may be what Ireland deserves. Then in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” we see a man wanting to settle down and have peace. This reminded me of the Land War in the history reading. The desire for property was something Yeats probably saw in his early life. And in the poem I feel that Yeats connects this one political conflict to the history of Ireland, since the Fenians wanted the Irish to rule Ireland. I look forward to seeing how these themes of alienation change through Yeats’ poetry, since he eventually became separated from the political movement that help start his career.

Questions:

Would you consider the poems we’ve read so far to be Modern? Since they seem very structured and embedded in traditions of Celtic poetry and folklore it seems hard to relate it to many of the definitions of Modernism we gave on Wednesday.

Who is Fergus? I found this poem very compelling, but difficult to make sense of.