As they finally cross the threshold of the Cabman’s Shelter, the atmosphere shifts from the chilly, damp Dublin night to a space thick with the smell of stale tobacco, “simulated” coffee, and the weary presence of the city’s nocturnal outcasts.
1. The Setting: A “Safe” Harbor
The shelter is a small, wooden hut, a modest refuge intended to keep cabmen away from the temptations of the pub. Inside, the “tired” prose of the chapter becomes almost claustrophobic.
* The Keeper: The man running the shelter is rumored to be James “Skin-the-Goat” Fitzharris, a famous figure associated with the Invincibles (an Irish revolutionary group). This adds a layer of political “ghosts” to the room.
* The “Coffee”: Bloom, ever the analyst, notes the poor quality of the food. The “coffee” is more like a dark, suspicious decoction, reflecting the theme of “substitution”—nothing in this chapter is quite what it seems.
2. The Attempt at a Heart-to-Heart
Bloom is desperate to connect with Stephen, but their conversation remains a series of “near misses.”
* Intellectual Fatigue: Bloom tries to discuss topics he thinks will interest a poet—art, music, and the “phenomena” of the world. Stephen, however, responds in monosyllables. He is mentally “locked in,” still reeling from the day’s traumas and the loss of his home.
* The “Surrogate” Dynamic: Bloom sees in Stephen a version of his deceased son, Rudy, while Stephen sees in Bloom a physical reminder of the world he is trying to escape. They sit together, yet they are miles apart.
3. The Sailor’s Interference
Their conversation is constantly interrupted by the Red-Bearded Sailor (Murphy), who continues to spin yarns about the “Terrible Turks” and his travels.
* The Distraction: The sailor acts as a “false” Odysseus, a loud, colorful distraction from the quiet, genuine (if awkward) human connection Bloom is trying to forge.
* Bloom’s Internal Critique: Bloom listens to the sailor’s stories and mentally “corrects” them with facts he’s read in newspapers, showing his inability to just “let a story be a story.”
4. The Theme of “Imposture”
In this shelter, everything feels like a facade:
* The “Coffee” isn’t coffee.
* The “Keeper” might not be a famous rebel.
* The “Sailor” might never have left the Irish Sea.
* Even Bloom and Stephen are “imposters” in this working-class hut—one a middle-class ad-canvasser, the other an elite-educated intellectual.
Shelter Inventory
| Item | Appearance | Reality (Bloom’s Assessment) |
|—|—|—|
| Coffee | Dark and steaming. | “A choice concoction” of questionable origin. |
| The Keeper | A quiet old man. | A potential legendary revolutionary. |
| The Sailor | A worldly traveler. | A “shifty-eyed” teller of tall tales. |
| The Conversation | A meeting of minds. | Two tired men talking past each other. |
This conversation highlights the profound gap between Bloom’s pragmatic “common sense” and Stephen’s self-destructive idealism. As they linger in the early morning air, Bloom attempts to play the role of the stable father figure, unaware that Stephen is actively fleeing the very concept of “home.”
1. The Economy of Luck and Needs
Bloom is staggered by Stephen’s casual disposal of a half-crown.
* The Slogan: Bloom’s quip, “Everyone according to his needs or everyone according to his deeds,” is a play on Karl Marx’s famous socialist maxim. It shows Bloom’s mind constantly processing social theories, even in a doorway at 1:00 AM.
* The “Misfortune” Quest: When Bloom asks why Stephen left his father’s house, Stephen’s answer is characteristically terse and dramatic: “To seek misfortune.” He is rejecting the safety Bloom is trying to offer him, viewing comfort as a spiritual trap.
2. The Ghost of Simon Dedalus
Bloom tries to build a bridge by praising Stephen’s father, Simon, calling him a “born raconteur” (a great storyteller).
* Stephen’s Apathy: Stephen’s response—that his father is “in Dublin somewhere”—is chilling. It signals his total emotional severance from his family.
* The Westland Row Incident: Bloom recalls seeing Buck Mulligan and Haines (the “English tourist”) ditching Stephen at the train station earlier. He realizes Stephen has been “euchred” (cheated) out of his living situation at the Tower, leaving him truly homeless.
3. The “Family Hearth” vs. Reality
While Bloom speaks of family pride, Stephen’s “mind’s eye” provides a bleak, sensory flashback to the Dedalus household.
* The Poverty: He remembers his sister Dilly waiting for “shell cocoa” (a cheap, thin substitute for real chocolate) and “oatmealwater” instead of milk.
* The Herring and the Cat: The image of the sisters eating “two a penny” herrings while the cat eats fish heads under the mangle paints a picture of desperate, grinding urban poverty.
* Religious Irony: Stephen notes they were following the church precept to “fast and abstain,” but the irony is they aren’t fasting for God—they are fasting because they are broke.
4. The Warning Against Mulligan
Bloom warns Stephen against Buck Mulligan.
* “He knows which side his bread is buttered on”: Bloom correctly identifies Mulligan as a social climber who has never known real hunger.
* The “Narcotic” Theory: In a classic bit of Bloomian paranoia/over-analysis, he suggests Mulligan might have drugged Stephen’s drink (“a pinch of tobacco or some narcotic”) to get rid of him. While unlikely, it shows Bloom’s protective—if slightly misguided—instincts.
Comparison of Perspectives
| Topic | Bloom’s View | Stephen’s View |
|—|—|—|
| Money | A resource to be guarded and used for “needs.” | A burden to be shed in the pursuit of “misfortune.” |
| Simon Dedalus | A gifted, proud father. | A distant, irrelevant figure “in Dublin somewhere.” |
| Buck Mulligan | A dangerous, untrustworthy “boon companion.” | A “usurper” who has taken his home. |
In this encounter, the “Eumaeus” style perfectly captures the hazy, half-awake logic of the early morning. We see Stephen’s reckless generosity clashing with Bloom’s practical world, all while the narrator fumbles through clichés and Latin tags.
1. The “Latin Poet” and the Act of Giving
Stephen justifies giving money to the untrustworthy Corley by quoting the Aeneid: “Haud ignarus malorum miseris succurrere disco” (“No stranger to misfortune, I learn to succour the wretched”).
* The Irony: Stephen is currently “wretched” himself—homeless, exhausted, and nearly broke.
* The Date: Joyce reminds us again of the date—the sixteenth. Stephen has just been paid his “screw” (salary) for his teaching job at Mr. Deasy’s school, and he is already “demolishing” the wherewithal.
2. The Comedy of the Half-Crowns
Stephen is so “fagged out” and intoxicated that he can’t tell the difference between a penny and a half-crown in his pocket.
* The “Mistake”: He thinks he is handing over a few pennies, but it is actually a half-crown (two shillings and sixpence). To put this in perspective, ten shillings was a week’s rent for some; Stephen just gave away a significant portion of his remaining wealth to a man he doesn’t even like.
* Corley’s Correction: Even the beggar Corley is surprised enough to correct him: “Those are halfcrowns, man.” Once he has the money, Corley’s tone shifts from “doleful ditty” to the casual slang of the Dublin streets.
3. The Mention of Boylan
Corley drops a name that acts like a physical blow to Bloom: Blazes Boylan.
* The “Billsticker”: Corley has seen Bloom with Boylan at the Bleeding Horse pub.
* The Sting: For Bloom, hearing the name of his wife’s lover from a “desperado” under a bridge at 1:00 AM is a moment of quiet agony. It reminds him that his private shame is “bruited about” or at least visible to the low-life of Dublin.
4. The “Carl Rosa” and the Sandwichboard
Corley complains that even getting a job as a sandwichboard man (walking around wearing an advertisement) is as hard as booking a ticket for the Carl Rosa Opera Company.
* The Descent: This highlights the absolute economic desperation of the city. Even the most degrading jobs are “full up for the next three weeks.”
The Monetary Value of the Scene
| Item | Value in 1904 | Context |
|—|—|—|
| A Penny | 1d | A small tip; the price of a newspaper. |
| Half-Crown | 2s 6d | What Stephen gave Corley (30 pennies). |
| Bags Comisky’s Fine | 10s | The cost of a “drunk and disorderly” (120 pennies). |
| Stephen’s “Screw” | ~£3-£4 | His monthly salary, largely spent in one day. |
This passage captures a low-stakes, gritty “reunion” in the shadows of Dublin’s infrastructure. After the sensory overload of Nighttown, the narrative slows down to a crawl, focusing on two figures who embody the city’s economic decay: Gumley and Corley.
1. The Watchman and the “Barren Cobblestones”
As they pass under the Loop Line bridge, they encounter a corporation watchman warming himself by a coke brazier.
* Gumley: Stephen recognizes him as a former friend of his father, Simon Dedalus. Gumley is a “quondam” (former) gentleman now reduced to guarding stones at night.
* Stephen’s Reaction: His dizzy avoidance of Gumley highlights his “Atony”—a lack of spiritual or physical energy. He doesn’t want to engage with the ghosts of his father’s past.
* The Atmosphere: The light from the brazier creates a chiaroscuro effect, casting long shadows that mirror the murky, “failing” prose of the chapter.
2. Bloom’s “Inherent Delicacy” (and Anxiety)
When Corley approaches, Bloom steps back. Joyce describes Bloom’s state as “on the qui vive” (on the alert).
* The Fear of “Boodle”: Bloom’s mind immediately leaps to sensationalist fears—”desperadoes,” “marauders,” and being “gagged and garrotted.” This reflects the “Eumaeus” style: using overly dramatic, cliché language for a relatively minor encounter.
* The “Samaritan” Contrast: While Bloom is worried about a “pistol at their head,” Stephen is calmly (and drunkenly) recognizing an old acquaintance.
3. “Lord John” Corley and the Washkitchen
Corley is a character we first met in the short story “Two Gallants” from Dubliners.
* The Mock-Genealogy: Joyce spends a long paragraph tracing Corley’s lineage. It turns out the “Lord” title is a joke—his grandmother was likely just a servant in the “washkitchen” of the Talbot de Malahide mansion.
* The “Doleful Ditty”: Corley represents the “bottom of the barrel.” He is out of work, homeless, and has even fallen out with the professional leech, Lenehan. He is the ultimate “failed” man, a mirror of what Stephen might become if he continues on his current path.
4. The Fabricated Past
The confusion about whether the “relative” was a mother, aunt, or fostersister highlights the unreliability of memory and narrative in this chapter. Everything is “rumour,” “not proved,” or “complete fabrication.” This matches the “tired” narrator who can’t quite keep the facts straight.
Comparison of the “Shadow” Figures
| Figure | Connection to Stephen | Current State | Symbolic Meaning |
|—|—|—|—|
| Gumley | Friend of Stephen’s father. | Night watchman in a sentrybox. | The decline of the older generation. |
| Corley | Former acquaintance (“Two Gallants”). | Homeless, begging for “a farthing.” | The potential future of the “prodigal son.” |
As they enter the shelter, the atmosphere shifts from the open air of the Dublin docks to the cramped, smoky interior of the hut. Here, they encounter the “red-bearded sailor”, Murphy, a man who embodies the “returned traveler” archetype—but in the tired, suspicious style of this chapter, his stories are met with a heavy dose of skepticism.
1. The Red-Bearded Sailor (D.B. Murphy)
Murphy claims to have traveled the world on the ship The Rocks of Gibraltar. He represents the Odyssean wanderer, but a degraded, “Eumaean” version of one.
* The Tall Tales: He speaks of seeing maneating sharks, Italian murders, and wild adventures.
* The Tattoo: He shows a tattoo on his chest—the number 16—which he claims was done by a “Greek” in “Trieste.” This is a nod to James Joyce himself, who lived in Trieste and spent 16 years writing Ulysses.
2. Bloom’s “Scientific” Skepticism
While the other patrons in the shelter are captivated by the sailor’s bravado, Bloom remains “on his guard.”
* Fact-Checking: Bloom looks for inconsistencies in the sailor’s story. He notes the man’s “shifty eyes” and wonders if the “Italian” stories are just clichés from penny dreadfuls.
* Internal Monologue: Bloom thinks about the “romance of the sea” versus the “hard reality” of maritime life. He views the sailor not as a hero, but as a potential “fraud” or a “rolling stone that gathers no moss.”
3. Stephen’s Intellectual Boredom
Stephen, meanwhile, is barely present. He is suffering from what we might now call a “hangover” combined with spiritual exhaustion. He treats the sailor’s stories as mere “noise.” To Stephen, the sailor is not a source of truth, but another example of the “nightmare of history” from which he is trying to awake.
4. The “Pseudo-Father” and “Pseudo-Son”
In the Homeric parallel, the swineherd Eumaeus doesn’t realize he’s talking to the King. In the shelter, the various characters (the sailor, the keeper, the loafers) have no idea they are sitting with a brilliant (if troubled) poet and a highly observant (if eccentric) philosopher. The “nobility” of the characters is hidden under the grime of the early morning.
The Dynamics of the Shelter
| Character | Role/Perspective |
|—|—|
| The Sailor | The “False Odysseus” – full of lies and travelogues. |
| Leopold Bloom | The “Eumaeus” – cautious, protective, and skeptical. |
| Stephen Dedalus | The “Telemachus” – silent, cynical, and physically weak. |
| The Keeper | The “Host” – rumored to be Skin-the-Goat (a famous Irish rebel). |
In this passage, we see the “tired” prose of the Eumaeus episode continuing to stretch simple movements into long, winded descriptions. The atmosphere is quiet, damp, and lingering—a stark contrast to the explosive energy of the brothel they just left.
Here is an analysis of the key elements in their walk to the shelter:
1. The Heroism of the Mundane
Joyce mocks the “epic” nature of the story by focusing on Bloom’s minor physical discomforts.
* The Missing Button: Bloom’s trouser button has “gone the way of all buttons” (a play on the phrase “the way of all flesh”). His “heroic” effort to ignore this mischance is a classic example of Mock-Heroic style. In a traditional epic, a hero struggles with a broken shield; in Bloom’s epic, he struggles with a broken pair of pants.
* Jupiter Pluvius: This is a Latin epithet for “Jupiter the Rain-Giver.” It’s a cliché way of saying it recently stopped raining, fitting the chapter’s “tired” and pretentious vocabulary.
2. The Geography of Dublin
The route they take is precise and symbolic:
* The Morgue: Passing the “gruesome” backdoor of the morgue reminds the reader (and Bloom) of the theme of death that has permeated the day (starting with Paddy Dignam’s funeral).
* The Bakery: The “palatable odour” of James Rourke’s city bakery provides a sensory shift. Bloom, ever the materialist, focuses on bread as the “staff of life” and the “primary commodity.”
3. Fidus Achates and Intellectual Distance
Bloom is described as Stephen’s “fidus Achates” (faithful Achates), the loyal companion of Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid.
* The Contrast: While Bloom is satisfying his “internal satisfaction” with the smell of bread, Stephen is lost in high-brow literary associations, thinking of the playwright Henrik Ibsen.
* The Disconnect: This highlights the gap between the two men. Bloom is concerned with physical sustenance and “common sense,” while Stephen remains trapped in his own aesthetic and intellectual world.
4. “Our Daily Bread”
Bloom’s thoughts drift into a rhythmic, almost nursery-rhyme sequence: “O tell me where is fancy bread, at Rourke’s the baker’s it is said.” This is a parody of a line from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. It shows how Bloom’s mind constantly remixes high culture into functional, everyday observations.
Mapping the Walk
| Landmark | Bloom’s Association | Stephen’s Association |
|—|—|—|
| Amiens Street Station | Railway terminus / Travel. | (Silent/Exhausted) |
| The Morgue | “Enticing locality” (Sarcasm). | (Recent thoughts of death). |
| Talbot Place | (Passing by). | Henrik Ibsen / Stonecutters. |
| Rourke’s Bakery | “Staff of life” / Food. | (Passive participant). |
That is a sharp observation! You’ve caught on to the technical “day-creep” that occurs in the final hours of the novel. Let’s break down the etymology and the temporal “sleight of hand” Joyce is performing.
1. The Etymology of Eumaeus
The name Eumaeus comes from the Greek Εὔμαιος (Eumaios).
* It is derived from the Greek elements “eu” (εὖ), meaning “good” or “well,” and “maomai” (μάομαι), meaning “to strive for,” “seek,” or “be eager.”
* Taken together, it can be interpreted as “the well-disposed” or “the good seeker.”
The Homeric Parallel:
In The Odyssey, Eumaeus is Odysseus’s faithful swineherd. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca disguised as a beggar, Eumaeus is the first person he visits. Even though Eumaeus doesn’t recognize his master, he offers him food and shelter, proving his “good” and “well-disposed” nature.
In this chapter, Leopold Bloom plays the role of Eumaeus. He shelters the “beggar” (the disoriented, broke Stephen) and guides him toward a place of rest, even though the two are essentially strangers.
2. Is it technically the next day?
You are absolutely right. Since the novel begins at 8:00 AM on Thursday, June 16, 1904, once the clock strikes midnight in the “Circe” episode, it is technically Friday, June 17, 1904.
However, the “Single Day” concept remains the standard way we describe the novel for a few reasons:
* The “Bloomsday” Identity: The novel is culturally and structurally defined by the 24-hour cycle of June 16th. Even though the final three chapters (Eumaeus, Ithaca, and Penelope) take place in the early hours of the 17th, they are the resolution of the actions that began on the 16th.
* Sleep as the Boundary: For Joyce, a “day” is defined by the waking life of the consciousness. The “day” doesn’t truly end until Bloom and Molly finally fall asleep.
* The Liturgical Day: In certain traditions, the “day” ends at dawn. The book follows the characters until the sun begins to rise, completing a full cycle of light, dark, and the return of light.
Comparison of the “Two Days”
| Event | Clock Time | Technical Date | Narrative Context |
|—|—|—|—|
| Stephen’s Breakfast | 8:00 AM | June 16 | The Beginning |
| The Midnight Dance | 12:00 AM | June 17 | The Peak of the Nightmare |
| The Shelter | 1:00 AM | June 17 | The Recovery (Eumaeus) |
| Molly’s Soliloquy | 2:00 AM+ | June 17 | The Final Affirmation |
As you transition from the chaotic, expressionistic nightmare of Circe into Chapter 16, Eumaeus, you’ll notice an immediate and jarring shift in the writing style.
The “absurd delirium” of the brothel is replaced by a prose that is intentionally tired, wordy, and “cliché-ridden.” This reflects the physical and mental exhaustion of Bloom and Stephen, who are now wandering through the early morning hours (around 1:00 AM) in a state of “post-traumatic” fatigue.
1. The Style of “Exhaustion”
Joyce uses a style here called “Narrative Fatigue.” After the high-intensity hallucinations of the previous chapter, the language becomes limp. Notice the long, rambling sentences and the use of over-complicated phrases for simple actions:
* Instead of “Bloom helped Stephen up,” Joyce writes: “…handed Stephen the hat and ashplant and bucked him up generally in orthodox Samaritan fashion.”
* The phrase “e.d.ed” is a shorthand for “exhausted” or “extenuated,” signaling that the characters (and the narrative itself) can barely finish their words.
2. The Transition to Reality
This passage marks the return to the physical world of Dublin. We move from the subconscious “Nighttown” back to specific geography: Beaver Street, Amiens Street, and Butt Bridge.
* The Physicality of Care: Bloom is acting as the “Samaritan.” He is literally brushing shavings off Stephen (from his fall) and looking for a “conveyance” (a carriage).
* The Vartry Water: Bloom’s mention of the lack of Vartry water (Dublin’s main water supply) grounds us back in the mundane civic realities that Bloom loves to contemplate.
3. The “Jehu” and the Whistle
Bloom’s attempt to hail a carriage is a moment of quiet comedy.
* The “Jehu”: A slang term for a coachman or driver (derived from the biblical King Jehu, known for driving his chariot furiously).
* The Failure: Bloom is “anything but a professional whistler.” His awkward attempt to hail the cab by arching his arms and whistling twice shows his lack of “street-smart” bravado, contrasting with the aggressive soldiers or the suave Blazes Boylan.
4. The Goal: The Cabman’s Shelter
The “expedient” Bloom hits upon is the Cabman’s Shelter. These were small huts where drivers could get cheap food and non-alcoholic drinks. For Bloom, it represents a “safe harbor” where he can sober Stephen up and perhaps finally bridge the gap between them through conversation.
Comparison of Styles
| Episode | Literary Technique | Tone |
|—|—|—|
| 15: Circe | Hallucination / Expressionism | Violent, loud, surreal. |
| 16: Eumaeus | “Relaxed” Prose / Narrative Fatigue | Dull, tired, long-winded, polite. |
The dialogue between Leopold Bloom and the hallucination of his grandfather, Lipoti Virag, is one of the most intellectually dense and grotesque sequences in the “Circe” episode. It functions as a “scientific” autopsy of human desire, stripping away the romance of Dublin and replacing it with cold, biological, and often absurd “facts.”
Here is a breakdown of what the discussion is about and why it matters to the novel:
1. What the Discussion is About
The conversation is a high-speed collision of pseudo-science, evolutionary biology, and sexual pathology.
* The Biological Machine: Virag treats human sexuality as a purely mechanical transaction. He discusses aphrodisiacs like Redbank oysters and truffles (“tubers dislodged through mister omnivorous porker”) as medical cures for “viragitis” or nervous debility.
* The “Sucking” Myth: Both men fixate on the idea of inter-species nursing—snakes (saurians) and cows, or ants milking aphids. Bloom uses these bizarre anecdotes to justify his own “aberrant” thoughts as part of a universal “instinct” that “rules the world.”
* The “Cloven Sex”: Bloom meditates on the female body using clinical and architectural terms (“bivalve case,” “open sesame”). He is trying to rationalize his fear and fascination with women by turning them into a biological “historical fact” to be studied rather than a mystery to be felt.
2. The Purpose of Virag in the Novel
Virag serves several critical structural and thematic functions:
A. The Ancestral Voice
Virag represents Bloom’s Hungarian-Jewish heritage. His “outlandish monotone” and references to “the church of Rome” remind the reader of Bloom’s status as an outsider. Virag is the voice of the rationalist, anti-clerical tradition that Bloom inherited, which clashes with the heavy Catholic atmosphere of Dublin.
B. The Puncture of Sentimentality
Throughout Ulysses, Bloom is often sentimental or empathetic. Virag is the antidote to that. He is cruel, cynical, and clinical. By having Virag “autopsy” sexual desire, Joyce shows the darker, more analytical side of Bloom’s mind—the side that tries to cope with his wife Molly’s affair by reducing it to “instinct” and “biology.”
C. The “Circean” Metamorphosis
In this chapter, everyone is turning into animals. Virag literally embodies this:
* He has “turkey wattles” and gobbles like a “bubbly jock.”
* He is described as a “birdchief.”
This serves the “Circe” theme where the “beast” inside the man is revealed. Virag is the “intellectual beast”—the part of the human mind that uses logic to justify animalistic urges.
D. The Paradox of “Coactus Volui”
Virag’s use of the phrase “Coactus volui” (Having been forced, I was willing) is central to the novel’s exploration of free will. It suggests that while Bloom feels “forced” by his circumstances (his Jewishness, his cuckoldry, his fetishes), he also “wills” them or accepts them.
Key Themes Summary
| Theme | Manifestation in the Dialogue |
|—|—|
| Materialism | Reducing love to oysters, truffles, and “jungle meat.” |
| Paternity | The ghost of the grandfather haunting the grandson’s sexual anxieties. |
| Misogyny | The clinical, “ocular” dissection of the female body as a “bivalve case.” |
| Nature | The idea that “Instinct rules the world” in both “life” and “death.” |
In this fleeting internal monologue, Leopold Bloom reflects on female anatomy and mythology with his typical blend of scientific curiosity, pseudo-science, and literary association.
Here is an interpretation of the passage’s primary themes:
1. The “Bivalve” and the “Open Sesame”
Bloom uses biological and folkloric metaphors to describe female anatomy.
* Ocularly: Meaning “from a visual standpoint.”
* Bivalve: He compares the female sex to a mollusk (like a clam or oyster). This reinforces his earlier “scientific” observations about the body’s vulnerability.
* Open Sesame: A reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, suggesting a portal or secret entrance.
2. The Myth of Eve and the Serpent
Bloom dismisses the biblical story of the Fall of Man as “not a historical fact” but an “obvious analogy.” He is a rationalist who views religion through the lens of psychology. He wonders why women fear “creeping things” (vermin) when the foundational myth of womanhood involves a comfortable proximity to a serpent.
3. Folklore and “Elephantuliasis”
Bloom wanders into a bizarre piece of folk-wisdom: that snakes are attracted to breast milk.
* The “Sucking” Serpent: He imagines snakes traveling through “omnivorous forests” to find nursing women. This is a common myth in many cultures, which Joyce uses here to show Bloom’s mind absorbing and refuting various “facts” throughout the day.
* Elephantuliasis: This is a Joycean portmanteau. It combines Elephantiasis (a medical condition causing extreme swelling) with Elephantis, an ancient Greek writer known for her “erotic manuals” (the libri Elephantidis). Bloom is likely recalling scandalous Roman history or art he has seen or read about.
4. Bubblyjocular
This is one of Joyce’s playful inventions, likely combining “bubbly” (referring to breasts) and “jocular” (cheerful or playful). It captures the ribald, slightly grotesque tone of the ancient Roman anecdotes Bloom is mentally browsing.
In this bizarre and jarring passage, we encounter Virag, the hallucinatory manifestation of Leopold Bloom’s grandfather. Virag serves as a cynical, hyper-intellectualized, and somewhat grotesque “scientist” of the libido, dissecting human behavior with a mixture of evolutionary biology and anti-religious fervor.
Here is an interpretation of the themes and imagery at play:
1. The Anti-Clerical Spite
Virag’s exclamation—”To hell with the pope!”—and his references to books like Sex Secrets of Monks and Maidens and The Priest, the Woman and the Confessional reflect the deep-seated tensions in Bloom’s heritage.
* The Conflict: These were real anti-Catholic “exposé” pamphlets of the Victorian era. Virag represents the side of Bloom’s psyche that views organized religion as a repressive sham designed to hide natural biological urges.
2. Evolutionary “Courtship”
Virag breaks down human romance into a primitive, animalistic transaction. He uses Sanskrit terms to “scientize” the act:
* Yoni and Lingam: These are traditional Hindu terms for the female and male genitalia. By using them, Virag strips away the romantic “veneer” of Dublin courtship and treats it as a primal, mechanical ritual.
* The Transaction: Woman offers herself; man provides “jungle meat”; woman expresses joy through “featherskins” (clothing/luxury). It is a bleak, transactional view of love that mirrors Bloom’s own fears that his relationship with Molly is purely physical or economic.
3. “Coactus Volui” (Having been forced, I was willing)
This Latin phrase is a recurring motif in Ulysses. It suggests a paradox of the will—being forced into a situation but eventually consenting to it. In this context, Virag is mocking the “logic” of sexual pursuit, where resistance (“Woman squeals, bites”) is portrayed as part of a pre-determined biological script.
4. The Degradation of the Body
As the passage ends, Virag’s behavior becomes increasingly animalistic. He “chases his tail,” “sneezes,” and “worries his butt.”
* The Meaning: This reflects the “Circe” episode’s theme of Metamorphosis. Just as Circe turned men into swine in The Odyssey, Bloom’s ancestors and memories are decomposing into animal forms before his eyes. Virag, the “rationalist,” ends up acting like a mangy dog.
Key Symbolic Terms
| Term | Meaning/Context |
|—|—|
| Pudor | Latin for “shame” or “modesty.” |
| Yadgana | A mock-orientalized or idiosyncratic term for the buttocks/haunches. |
| Penrose | A reference to a man Bloom suspects of having had an affair with Molly in the past. |
This is a raw, expressionistic scene of sadomasochistic humiliation. Bloom’s deepest anxieties about his masculinity, his sexuality, and his failing marriage are externalized and tortured by Bello Cohen, the hallucinatory, male version of the brothel’s madam.
Here is a breakdown of the dynamic in this passage:
1. Bloom as “Miss Ruby,” the Maid
Bello forces Bloom into a submissive, feminine role. Bloom is rechristened “Miss Ruby” and told he will perform menial, degrading household tasks (rinsing pisspots, scrubbing underwear).
* The “Ownership” Ring: By placing a ring on Bloom’s finger, Bello claims total possession, turning the “sacred” bond of marriage into a tool of enslavement.
* The Fetish Objects: Bloom is forced to wear symbolic “favor” items, like the forty-three-button gloves, transforming him into a sexual object for the amusement of Bello’s “boys.”
2. Bloom as “Livestock”
The humiliation escalates from domestication to commodification. Bello transforms Bloom into an animal (a Manx cat, a cow) and auctions him off.
* The Physical Violation: The most visceral image is when Bello plunges his arm “elbowdeep” into Bloom. In the surreal logic of “Circe,” this symbolizes Bloom’s total receptivity and lack of penetrative, masculine power.
* The Branding: Bello brands his initial ‘C’ on Bloom’s croup (buttocks), a clear sign of livestock ownership (“Warranted Cohen!”). Bloom is literally reduced to property.
3. The Taunt of “Eccles Street” and the “Man of Brawn”
Bello hits Bloom where it hurts most: his home on Eccles Street. He reminds Bloom that “a man of brawn” (Blazes Boylan) is in possession there.
* The “Fullgrown” Man: Bello contrasts Bloom (an “eunuch,” a “muff”) with Boylan, the potent, “outdoor man” who has “shot his bolt.”
* The Furzebush: Bello mocks Bloom’s anxiety about Boylan’s body, specifically the “shock of red hair” that Bloom earlier found repulsive/intimidating.
* The Result: The most brutal taunt is the news of Molly’s pregnancy: “It’s kicking and coughing up and down in her guts already!” This confirmed cuckoldry breaks Bloom’s remaining spirit.
4. Rip Van Winkle and the Fading Past
Bloom cries out to “Moll” (Molly), trying to reclaim their past. Bello ruthlessly counters this with a Rip Van Winkle hallucination.
* The Changed World: Like Rip Van Winkle, Bloom has slept through a “night of twenty years,” and the world he returns to (Eccles Street) is unrecognizable. The domestic secrets and treasures (his astronomy books, the little statue) will be “violated” by Boylan and his friends.
* The Cuckoos’ Rest: This is the ultimate insult—Bloom’s home has been renamed to reflect his status as a cuckold.
Comparison of Masculinity
| Aspect | Leopold Bloom (as seen by Bello) | Blazes Boylan (as seen by Bello) |
|—|—|—|
| Role | Maid, livestock, “female prostitute.” | “Fullgrown outdoor man,” possessor. |
| Potency | “Impotent thing,” “limp as a boy of six.” | “Shot his bolt,” “weapon with knobs and lumps.” |
| Status | Cuckold (Rip Van Winkle). | The “Cuckoo” in the nest. |
In this surreal passage, Leopold Bloom is confronted by The Nymph—a personification of a framed picture that hangs over his bed in real life. The scene is a “trial of the soul” where Bloom’s private fetishes, memories, and shames are paraded before him in the hallucinatory forest of “Nighttown.”
Here is an interpretation of the key movements in this passage:
1. The Confession of the “Peeping Tom”
Bloom admits to youthful indiscretions, specifically voyeurism. He mentions watching “Lotty Clarke” through his father’s opera glasses. His defense—”Besides, who saw?”—is immediately undercut by Staggering Bob, a calf being led to slaughter (representing innocence), who snivels, “Me. Me see.” This highlights Bloom’s constant feeling of being watched and judged by nature and society.
2. The Physics of the Fall
When Bloom contemplates his own “sad end,” he thinks in terms of science: “Thirtytwo head over heels per second.” * The Science: This refers to the acceleration due to gravity (g \approx 32.2 ft/s²).
* The Imagery: The “dummymummy” of Bloom falling into the water represents his fear of a meaningless death and his tendency to intellectualize his emotions to avoid feeling them.
3. The Nymph’s “Purity” vs. Bloom’s “Pig”
The Nymph claims to be “stonecold and pure,” stating that immortals “have no hair there either” (referring to the lack of pubic hair on classical statues).
* Bloom’s Response: He grovels, calling himself a “perfect pig.” He confesses to administering enemas with “Hamilton Long’s syringe.” This is Bloom at his most vulnerable, admitting to his fixation on the “fundament” (the buttocks) and the “living altar where the back changes name.”
4. The Violation of the Sacred
The Nymph is offended by Bloom’s bodily functions. In a famous Joycean irony, the Nymph (an image of high art) is forced to listen to Bloom’s medical and digestive preoccupations. Bloom’s obsession with the “warm impress of her warm form” (sitting where a woman has sat) illustrates his deep, tactile connection to the physical world, which contrasts with the cold, sterile “perfection” of the Nymph.
5. Historical and Cultural Parody
* Councillor Nannetti: A real-life Dublin politician, he appears on a ship declaiming Robert Emmet’s famous speech from the dock.
* Virag (Bloom’s Grandfather): He appears as a “birdchief” with an “assegai” (a spear), shouting about Sitting Bull. This reflects Bloom’s confused ancestral heritage and the “exotic” roots of his family tree.
Summary of Symbolic Figures
| Figure | Representation |
|—|—|
| The Nymph | Cold, classical “Art” and the judging gaze of Victorian morality. |
| Hamilton Long’s Syringe | Bloom’s preoccupation with medical hygiene and the lower body. |
| Poulaphouca | A real Irish waterfall, here its name sounds like a rhythmic, sexual chant. |
This passage is a hallucinatory fusion of heraldry, hunting, and horse racing. As Stephen dances, his internal world blends with the external sounds of the pianola and his own deep-seated resentment toward his father and his education.
Here is an interpretation of the chaotic imagery:
1. The Paternal Buzzard
Stephen’s father, Simon Dedalus, appears in a bird-like form with “ponderous buzzard wings.”
* The Symbolism: This is a mocking inversion of the “Daedalus” myth. While the mythical Daedalus was a “fabulous artificer” who flew to freedom, Simon is a scavenger (a buzzard) circling his son.
* Heraldry: Simon shouts about an “eagle gules volant” (a red flying eagle) and “Ulster king at arms.” He is obsessed with the faded “aristocracy” of the Dedalus name, even as the family lives in poverty.
2. The Fox and the “Grandmother”
The wallpaper comes to life as a fox hunt. The fox is described as “having buried his grandmother.” * The Inside Joke: In the first chapter of the book, Stephen tells a riddle about a fox burying his grandmother under a hollybush.
* The Meaning: The fox is Stephen himself—the “cunning” artist trying to escape the hounds of Irish society, the Church, and his family’s expectations.
3. The Nightmare of the Races
The scene shifts to the Ascot Gold Cup, the horse race that has haunted Bloom all day.
* The Ghost Horses: Joyce lists real famous racehorses of the era (Sceptre, Shotover, Zinfandel). They are ridden by “rustyaromoured” dwarfs, turning a sporting event into a medieval nightmare.
* Garrett Deasy: Stephen’s employer from the morning appears as a jockey on a “brokenwinded” nag. He carries a hockeystick, mocking his role as a schoolmaster and his earlier lecture to Stephen about “the ways of the world.”
4. The Dark Horse
The “dark horse, riderless… mane moonfoaming” represents Throwaway, the underdog that actually won the Gold Cup. In the surreal logic of “Circe,” the horse is a phantom, a symbol of the unpredictable nature of fate that has buffeted Bloom and Stephen throughout the day.
Key Visual Symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|—|—|
| Buzzard Wings | Simon Dedalus’s predatory, failing fatherhood. |
| The Fox | Stephen’s isolated, “hunted” soul. |
| Spinning Jenny | A gambling game, symbolizing the “wheel of fortune” of the characters’ lives. |
This passage is a brilliant example of Joyce’s synesthesia—the blending of sight, sound, and movement. As the “Circe” episode approaches its peak, the atmosphere in Bella Cohen’s brothel transforms into a surreal, technicolor ballroom.
Here is a breakdown of the key elements:
1. The Magic of the Pianola
The scene is driven by a “slot” machine (a player piano). Joyce uses the changing colors—gold, pink, and violet—to signal that we are leaving the “real” world and entering a dream-like state. The music, My Girl’s a Yorkshire Girl, was a popular music-hall song of the time, grounding the high-concept hallucination in the low-brow pop culture of 1904.
2. The Ghostly Professor Goodwin
Professor Goodwin was a real-life, impoverished Dublin musician Joyce knew. In this hallucination, he is a “tottering” ghost, “bent in two from incredible age.” His “handless sticks of arms” hitting the keys emphasize the mechanical, puppet-like nature of the characters in this chapter.
3. Professor Maginni: The Master of Ceremonies
Maginni enters like a figure from a deck of cards. He represents Deportment and Grace—concepts that are ironically out of place in a brothel.
* The “Poetry of Motion”: Maginni’s dialogue is full of “terpsichorean” (dance-related) jargon.
* The Look: His outfit is a riot of color—lavender trousers, canary gloves, and a claret silk lapel. He is the “director” of the chaos that follows.
4. The Vaccination Mark
A small but famous detail: as Stephen dances with Zoe, her sleeve falls to reveal a “white fleshflower of vaccination.” This is a classic Joycean “epiphany.” Amidst the ghosts, the music, and the shifting lights, this tiny physical detail reminds the reader (and Bloom) of the character’s fragile, biological reality.
The Symbolism of the Waltz
In Ulysses, the waltz represents the circularity of history. The characters spin around and around, much like the “drum” of the pianola, unable to break out of their patterns of guilt and memory.
While there isn’t a single recorded “arrest record” for James Joyce that mirrors Stephen’s ordeal exactly, it is widely accepted by biographers like Richard Ellmann that Joyce’s portrayal of physical confrontations and the “Nighttown” police was rooted in first-hand experience and the lived reality of 1904 Dublin.
Here is why Joyce’s depiction feels so authentic:
1. The “St. Stephen’s Green” Incident (1904)
The most direct inspiration for Stephen being knocked out happened in real life. In June 1904, Joyce was allegedly involved in a drunken altercation in St. Stephen’s Green. He was reportedly punched in the face by a man after a misunderstanding (possibly involving a woman). A man named Alfred Hunter—who was Jewish and rumored to have an unfaithful wife—picked Joyce up, brushed him off, and took him home. This real-life “Good Samaritan” moment became the literal foundation for the relationship between Bloom and Stephen.
2. Living in “Monto”
Joyce knew the “Kitchin” (the red-light district where the scene is set) very well. As a young man, he frequented the brothels of Montgomery Street (“Monto”). He would have seen the “Night Watch” (the police) and British soldiers patrolling the area constantly. The way Corny Kelleher interacts with the police in the text—using race-track tips and “insider” talk to bypass the law—reflects the actual corrupt, informal power structures Joyce observed in Dublin’s underbelly.
3. The “Two Masters” Conflict
Joyce’s own life was defined by the same “Non Serviam” attitude Stephen displays. He was frequently in trouble with authorities—not just the police, but the “moral police” of the Church and the British state. His letters from his early twenties describe a young man constantly dodging creditors and clashing with the “respectable” citizens of Dublin.
4. Authenticity of the “Hue and Cry”
The massive list of names in the “Grand Pursuit” passage includes real Dubliners Joyce knew. By including them in a fictional lynch mob, Joyce was effectively “getting back” at the people who had judged or confronted him in real life.
Comparison: Fiction vs. Reality
| The Novel (Ulysses) | Joyce’s Real Life |
|—|—|
| Stephen is knocked out by a soldier. | Joyce was knocked out in St. Stephen’s Green. |
| Leopold Bloom rescues him. | Alfred Hunter rescued Joyce. |
| The police are paid off with “tips.” | Joyce observed the endemic bribery in Monto. |
| Stephen shouts “Non Serviam!” | Joyce lived by this motto, eventually choosing exile. |
I see where the confusion is! To a modern reader, it sounds strange that a philosophical conversation could turn into a physical brawl over a King.
However, in the context of 1904 Dublin, this was a highly combustible situation. Here is why that sentence is central to the fight:
1. The “King” as a Trigger
The two soldiers, Private Carr and Private Compton, are members of the British Army occupying Ireland. To them, King Edward VII isn’t just a figurehead; he is their commander-in-chief. Any slight against him is seen as a personal attack on their honor and their uniform.
2. Stephen’s “Rebel” Language
Stephen is drunk and feeling intellectually defiant. He begins rambling about how he is a “server” of two masters (the British Empire and the Holy Roman Catholic Church). He says:
> “But in here… it is I must kill the priest and the king.”
>
He is speaking metaphorically—he wants to kill the influence of the state and religion over his own mind. However, Private Carr doesn’t understand metaphors. He hears “kill the king” and thinks Stephen is a literal assassin or a violent Irish nationalist (a Fenian).
3. The Clashing “Worldviews”
The conflict makes sense when you look at the two different “languages” being spoken:
| Stephen’s Perspective (The Poet) | Private Carr’s Perspective (The Soldier) |
|—|—|
| “The King” is a symbol of mental slavery that he must overcome through art. | “The King” is a real man to whom he has sworn an oath of loyalty. |
| He is looking for a “verbal” victory. | He is looking for a “physical” victory. |
| He thinks he is having a deep discussion about authority. | He thinks an Irishman is insulting his country and his girl. |
4. The Final Insult
The situation turns “senseless” and violent when Private Carr shouts:
> “I’ll wring the neck of any fucking buegger says a word against my king!” Stephen tries to joke his way out of it by saying he doesn’t care about the King, which only makes Carr angrier. He views Stephen’s lack of respect as the ultimate provocation.
>
In short: The fight happens because Stephen is speaking philosophy while Carr is speaking patriotism, and neither one is “hearing” the other.
To understand how the quarrel with the policeman begins, we have to look at the transition from the surreal dance you just shared to the harsh reality of the street.
The quarrel doesn’t start within the hallucinatory “Dance of Death” itself, but rather as a direct consequence of Stephen’s mental state when he bursts out of the brothel. Here is the sequence of events that leads to the physical confrontation:
1. The Breaking Point
In the passage you provided, Stephen is performing a frantic “Pas seul” (solo dance). He is overwhelmed by the vision of his dead mother—the “leper grey” figure with “gravemould” on her face. To escape this psychological horror, he smashes the chandelier with his ashplant (shouting “Nothung!”) and flees into the night air of Tyrone Street.
2. The Encounter in the Street
Stephen, still dazed and likely shouting incoherently about “The intellectual imagination” or “Non serviam,” encounters two British soldiers, Private Carr and Private Compton, who are walking with a woman named Cissy Caffrey.
3. The Misunderstanding
The quarrel starts over a perceived insult to Cissy Caffrey.
* The “Offense”: Stephen, in his drunken, philosophical delirium, makes a comment that Private Carr interprets as a personal insult to his “lady friend.”
* The Escalation: Stephen tries to explain himself using complex, abstract language (discussing the “metaphysics” of the situation), which only infuriates the soldiers further. To them, he sounds like a “parson” or a “professor” mocking them.
4. The Political Spark
The tension turns violent when the conversation shifts to the King. Stephen, ever the rebel, makes a remark that Private Carr perceives as disloyal to King Edward VII. This triggers Carr’s aggressive patriotism.
5. The Blow
Despite Bloom’s frantic attempts to intervene and pacify the soldiers (as seen in the earlier passages you provided), Private Carr loses his temper. He shouts, “I’ll wring the neck of any fucking buegger says a word against my king!” and strikes Stephen in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Key Factors in the Conflict
| Element | Why it caused the fight |
|—|—|
| Class Clash | The soldiers see Stephen as an arrogant, over-educated “gentleman” mocking the working class. |
| Colonial Tension | British soldiers vs. an Irish “rebel” spirit; the King is the symbol of the conflict. |
| Drunkenness | Both parties are intoxicated, making logic impossible. |
| Bloom’s Failure | Bloom tries to use reason (“He’s a poet… he’s not right in the head”), but the soldiers only want a physical outlet for their anger. |
This is the climactic psychological peak of the entire novel. In this passage, Stephen Dedalus finally confronts the source of his profound guilt: the ghost of his dead mother.
Here is an interpretation of the dramatic and symbolic events:
1. The Confrontation with the “Ghoul”
Stephen’s mother appears not as a saintly figure, but as a terrifying, decaying corpse (“breath of wetted ashes,” “green rill of bile”).
* The Conflict: The mother represents the suffocating weight of the Catholic Church and Irish family obligation. She demands “Repentance,” while Stephen views her memory as a “ghoul” or a “hyena” that is trying to consume his soul and his artistic freedom.
* The Green Crab: This is a visceral metaphor for cancer (which killed her) and the “claws” of guilt that Stephen feels in his own heart.
2. “Non Serviam” (I Will Not Serve)
When the ghost threatens him with the “fire of hell” and the “hand of God,” Stephen screams “Non serviam!” * This is the same phrase attributed to Lucifer in Milton’s Paradise Lost.
* It marks Stephen’s ultimate rebellion. He refuses to submit to the “intellectual imagination” of the Church or the emotional blackmail of his family. He chooses his own path, even if it leads to damnation or isolation.
3. “Nothung!” and the Breaking of the Chandelier
Stephen shouts “Nothung!”—the name of the magical sword used by Siegfried in Wagner’s Ring Cycle to shatter the spear of authority.
* The Action: He uses his ashplant (his walking stick) to smash the brothel’s chandelier.
* The Symbolism: This is the “ruin of all space.” By breaking the light, he symbolically destroys the world of the “Circe” hallucination. He isn’t just breaking a lamp; he is attempting to shatter Time and History themselves, which he famously called a “nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
4. The Aftermath: Bloom the Protector
As Stephen flees in a panic, the surreal nightmare vanishes, replaced by the mundane, ugly reality of the brothel.
* Bella Cohen (the madam) immediately demands payment for the broken lamp.
* Leopold Bloom is left behind to clean up the mess, both literally and figuratively. He becomes the mediator between the volatile young artist and the angry world.
Key Phrases Defined
| Phrase | Meaning |
|—|—|
| “Epi oinopa ponton” | Greek for “Upon the wine-dark sea” (from Homer). |
| “Love’s bitter mystery” | A line from the Yeats poem Stephen sang to his mother on her deathbed. |
| “The word known to all men” | Stephen’s desperate search for the meaning of “Love,” which he cannot find. |
This passage is the “The Grand Pursuit” or the “Hue and Cry” of Leopold Bloom. It represents a psychological breaking point where all the people Bloom has encountered, thought about, or felt guilty toward during the day suddenly materialize in a hallucinatory lynch mob.
Here is a breakdown of why there are so many names and what is actually happening:
1. The “Scapegoat” Archetype
Bloom is fleeing “Nighttown” (the brothel district). In his mind, he has become a criminal or a pariah. Joyce draws on the theme of the “Scapegoat”—a figure who carries the sins of the community and is hunted out of town. Bloom is described as “Incog Haroun al Raschid” (a legendary caliph who wandered in disguise) and a “pard” (leopard), showing his desire to remain invisible even as the world chases him.
2. The Catalogue of the Day
The massive list of names is a recapitulation of the entire novel. If you look closely, these aren’t random names; they are every person mentioned in the previous 14 chapters:
* The Citizen & Garryowen: The anti-Semitic nationalist and his dog who attacked Bloom in the pub earlier.
* Mina Purefoy: The woman Bloom visited in the hospital.
* The “maninthestreet”: The anonymous people Bloom observed.
* Mrs. Breen: An old flame he ran into.
* The “Mystery man on the beach”: The man in the brown macintosh from the funeral.
3. Guilt and Social Anxiety
The “pelting” with objects like “dead codfish” and “woman’s slipperslappers” represents Bloom’s internalized shame. He feels judged by Dublin society for his Jewish heritage, his unusual sexual fantasies, and even his kindness. The fact that “65 C” and “66 C” (police numbers) lead the pack shows his fear of the law, while the inclusion of “Mrs. Miriam Dandrade and all her lovers” points to his sexual anxieties.
4. The “Strewing the Drag”
Bloom is described as “strewing the drag behind him, torn envelopes drenched in aniseed.” This is a metaphor for a drag hunt, where a scent is laid down for hounds to follow. The “torn envelopes” likely refer to the secret letter Bloom received from his pen-pal Martha Clifford—a source of great guilt for him.
Summary Table: The Mob’s Composition
| Category | Examples from the Text |
|—|—|
| Authority Figures | Superintendent Laracy, Inspector Troy, Father Cowley |
| Personal Enemies | The Citizen, John Henry Menton, Menton |
| Acquaintances | Nosey Flynn, Lenehan, Ben Dollard |
| Random Memories | “handsomemarriedwomanrubbedagainst…” |
This passage is the apocalyptic climax of the “Circe” episode. It is a hallucinatory, expressionistic explosion where the internal anxieties of the characters and the historical tensions of Ireland manifest as a literal “End of the World” in the middle of Dublin’s red-light district.
Here is a breakdown of the chaotic imagery:
1. The Historical “Civil War”
Joyce presents a surreal battlefield where various leaders of Irish history—who often had conflicting ideologies—are resurrected to fight duels.
* The Matchups: Figures like Daniel O’Connell (the Liberator) and Charles Stewart Parnell (the “Uncrowned King of Ireland”) are pitted against their rivals or even palindromic versions of themselves (e.g., John O’Leary vs. “Lear O’Johnny”).
* The Meaning: This symbolizes the fragmented, self-destructive nature of Irish politics and the weight of the “dead” generations pressing down on the living.
2. The Black Mass
The passage concludes with a profane inversion of the Catholic Mass:
* “Introibo ad altare diaboli”: This is a parody of the traditional Latin opening of the Mass (Introibo ad altare Dei—”I will go up to the altar of God”). Here, it is changed to “the altar of the Devil.”
* The Visuals: Father Malachi O’Flynn wears his vestments backward and has “two left feet.” Mrs. Mina Purefoy (a character who spent the entire book in labor) is depicted as a “goddess of unreason” on the altar. This represents the total breakdown of order, religion, and logic.
3. The Natural and Supernatural Chaos
The scene uses Gothic and Biblical tropes to heighten the sense of “Nighttown” as a purgatory:
* The Birds: A massive list of predators and scavengers (vultures, hawks, eagles) circles the city, suggesting death and the picking apart of the “corpse” of Ireland.
* The Dead Arising: The dead from Dublin’s major cemeteries (Prospect and Mount Jerome) rise in sheepskins, mirroring the biblical Day of Judgment.
4. Tom Rochford and the Void
Tom Rochford, a minor character seen earlier in the day, appears in an athletic singlet and leaps into a “chasm.” This reflects the “leap of faith” or the sense of nihilism pervading the episode—everything is falling into the void of the unconscious.
Summary of Symbols
| Element | Interpretation |
|—|—|
| “Dublin’s Burning” | The psychological “burnout” of Bloom and Stephen’s long day. |
| Gatling Guns/Artillery | The encroaching reality of British military occupation. |
| Dragon’s Teeth | A Greek myth reference; when sown, they sprout into armed warriors. |
In this chaotic scene from the “Circe” episode of Ulysses, we witness the immediate aftermath of Stephen Dedalus being knocked unconscious by a British soldier (Private Carr).
The passage is a masterclass in Joyce’s exploration of Dublin’s social hierarchy, colonial tension, and the power of “who you know.” Here is a breakdown of the key events:
1. The Conflict and the “Redcoats”
Stephen lies prone on the ground after being struck. The crowd’s reaction reflects the political climate of 1904 Dublin:
* The Hag shouts that the soldier should be “fighting the Boers” (referencing the Second Boer War) instead of striking a local gentleman.
* Bloom attempts to take charge, showing his protective nature over Stephen, but he is dismissed by the police (The Watch) when he tries to report the soldier’s regimental number.
2. The Arrival of Corny Kelleher
The tension shifts entirely when Corny Kelleher appears. Kelleher is an undertaker’s assistant but, more importantly, a man with significant “street cred” and connections to the police.
* The Power of the “Fixer”: While the police ignore Bloom’s logical arguments, they immediately defer to Kelleher.
* The “Gold Cup” Reference: Kelleher uses “insider” talk about horse racing (the horse Throwaway won the Gold Cup that day at 20-to-1 odds) to create a sense of camaraderie with the Watch. This is a recurring motif in the book; Bloom was accidentally blamed for “tipping” this winner earlier in the day.
3. De-escalation through “Boys will be Boys”
Kelleher successfully “winks” the incident away. He treats Stephen’s public intoxication and the ensuing brawl as a minor indiscretion among men.
* The Bribe/Favor: When Kelleher tells the watch to “come and wipe your name off the slate,” he is essentially inviting them for a drink or promising a favor to make the official report disappear.
* Bloom’s Diplomacy: Once Kelleher softens the police, Bloom steps back in to reinforce the “respectability” of the situation, lying slightly by emphasizing that Stephen’s father is a “wellknown highly respected citizen” to ensure no arrest is made.
4. Hallucinatory Elements
Because this takes place in the surreal “Nighttown” section, Joyce includes bizarre, expressionistic details:
* Major Tweedy: Bloom’s father-in-law appears as a disembodied military voice giving commands.
* The Retriever: The dog’s barking is transcribed phonetically (“Ute ute ute”), adding to the sensory overload of the scene.
Dancing light of grace 