We proceeded with Molly's Musings till "... ought to satisfy him..." (Gabler 18.1513), Penguin (929.19)
Thus we are in the eighth and last section of her interior monologue. Much of her thoughts here alternate between Stephen and Bloom. We had left Molly last week wondering, "what am I going to do about him though..." This 'him' (Boylan) does not come out flatteringly in this section. According to Molly he has no manners not no refinement not no nothing in his nature. It had disturbed her that he had slapped her on her behind, had pulled off his shoes and trousers ... without even asking permission, and had stood in that vulgar way ... to be admired like a priest or a butcher. (It would be almost impossible for me not to think of this sentence when I see next a priest. I don't see so many butchers ;-))
She once again thinks of all the amount of pleasure a woman's body gives men, and wishes, almost envying them that she were one herself for a change just to try with that thing... Molly is reminded of a vulgar song she had once heard, ".. my uncle John has a thing long..." but proves that she is quite a liberated woman with her thought, "... it (listening to cornerboys singing this song as she passed them) didnt make me blush why should it either its only nature..." Because its only nature, it would be much better if all remain friends, instead of being jealous of one another for doing whatever!
The sentences that follow reveal a picture of the Blooms that shows the lack of intimacy in their daily life. Bloom is so cold, never embracing her except sometimes, whereas a woman (like her) wants to be embraced 20 times a day almost to make her look young. Molly seems to be so starved for love and so yearns to be in love or loved that she is ready to snatch some with a sailor or a wildlooking gipsy in Rathfarnham, the only problem being that half of them (sailors) are rotten again with disease.
Still not pleased at having been asked to get his lordship his breakfast in the morning (again, it is never clear whether and when Bloom asked her to do that), Molly is all for the world to be governed by women, because a woman whatever she does she knows where to stop, and as they (men) dont know what it is to be a woman and a mother. Her thoughts shift to Stephen who is running wild now out at night, and then to her own dead son, and to wondering whose fault it was that Rudy was born sick, dying soon after birth. She thinks of the moments of conception - we came together when I was watching the two dogs up in her behind. Bloom had thought of the same event on his way to the funeral of Paddy Dignam the previous morning. How life begins. (Ch. 6, Hades, Penguin, 110.31)
Soon Molly is out of this gloomy remembrance, returning to thoughts of women - we are a dreadful lot of bitches - a turn around from the earlier thought of the world should be governed by women!
It is Stephen again. Rather it is his last name that Molly thinks of next - Dedalus I wonder its like those names in Gibraltar - and is reminded of many funny names, such as Pisimbo, Mrs Opisso, she knew there. She tries some Spanish sentences to see if she has forgotten the language, and is satisfied that she hasn't forgotten it all. These thoughts are just interludes before returning to Stephan. The poor fellow was dead tired and wanted a good night sleep. She would have brought him his breakfast in bed, in a nice pair of red slippers and a nice semitransparent morning gown, and would have introduced herself to him, either with Im his wife or would have tried some Spanish, pretending that they were in Spain. In any case, just like Bloom, she too would love to have a long talk with an intelligent welleducated person.
Molly is ready to give him (Bloom) one more chance. She will get up early in the morning and might go over to the markets to see all the vegetables and cabbages and tomatoes and carrots and all kinds of splendid fruits. She will throw up his eggs and tea in the moustachecup, go about rather gay not too much, will let him know how it is with his wife. She seems to be suddenly in a rage, in a I-dont-care mood because she knows that theres the mark of his (Boylan's) spunk on the clean sheet that she wouldn't bother to even iron it out that ought to satisfy him...
Just four more pages to go!
Thus we are in the eighth and last section of her interior monologue. Much of her thoughts here alternate between Stephen and Bloom. We had left Molly last week wondering, "what am I going to do about him though..." This 'him' (Boylan) does not come out flatteringly in this section. According to Molly he has no manners not no refinement not no nothing in his nature. It had disturbed her that he had slapped her on her behind, had pulled off his shoes and trousers ... without even asking permission, and had stood in that vulgar way ... to be admired like a priest or a butcher. (It would be almost impossible for me not to think of this sentence when I see next a priest. I don't see so many butchers ;-))
(Image source: http://www.joyceimages.com/chapter/18/?page=25)
She once again thinks of all the amount of pleasure a woman's body gives men, and wishes, almost envying them that she were one herself for a change just to try with that thing... Molly is reminded of a vulgar song she had once heard, ".. my uncle John has a thing long..." but proves that she is quite a liberated woman with her thought, "... it (listening to cornerboys singing this song as she passed them) didnt make me blush why should it either its only nature..." Because its only nature, it would be much better if all remain friends, instead of being jealous of one another for doing whatever!
The sentences that follow reveal a picture of the Blooms that shows the lack of intimacy in their daily life. Bloom is so cold, never embracing her except sometimes, whereas a woman (like her) wants to be embraced 20 times a day almost to make her look young. Molly seems to be so starved for love and so yearns to be in love or loved that she is ready to snatch some with a sailor or a wildlooking gipsy in Rathfarnham, the only problem being that half of them (sailors) are rotten again with disease.
Still not pleased at having been asked to get his lordship his breakfast in the morning (again, it is never clear whether and when Bloom asked her to do that), Molly is all for the world to be governed by women, because a woman whatever she does she knows where to stop, and as they (men) dont know what it is to be a woman and a mother. Her thoughts shift to Stephen who is running wild now out at night, and then to her own dead son, and to wondering whose fault it was that Rudy was born sick, dying soon after birth. She thinks of the moments of conception - we came together when I was watching the two dogs up in her behind. Bloom had thought of the same event on his way to the funeral of Paddy Dignam the previous morning. How life begins. (Ch. 6, Hades, Penguin, 110.31)
Soon Molly is out of this gloomy remembrance, returning to thoughts of women - we are a dreadful lot of bitches - a turn around from the earlier thought of the world should be governed by women!
It is Stephen again. Rather it is his last name that Molly thinks of next - Dedalus I wonder its like those names in Gibraltar - and is reminded of many funny names, such as Pisimbo, Mrs Opisso, she knew there. She tries some Spanish sentences to see if she has forgotten the language, and is satisfied that she hasn't forgotten it all. These thoughts are just interludes before returning to Stephan. The poor fellow was dead tired and wanted a good night sleep. She would have brought him his breakfast in bed, in a nice pair of red slippers and a nice semitransparent morning gown, and would have introduced herself to him, either with Im his wife or would have tried some Spanish, pretending that they were in Spain. In any case, just like Bloom, she too would love to have a long talk with an intelligent welleducated person.
Molly is ready to give him (Bloom) one more chance. She will get up early in the morning and might go over to the markets to see all the vegetables and cabbages and tomatoes and carrots and all kinds of splendid fruits. She will throw up his eggs and tea in the moustachecup, go about rather gay not too much, will let him know how it is with his wife. She seems to be suddenly in a rage, in a I-dont-care mood because she knows that theres the mark of his (Boylan's) spunk on the clean sheet that she wouldn't bother to even iron it out that ought to satisfy him...
Just four more pages to go!
