We stopped with Nannetti hailing "Alderman Cowley and Councillor Abraham Lyon ascending." (Penguin 316.27) (Gabler 10.971)
The main wanderers we meet on these pages are Tom Kernan, Stephen Dedalus, Simon Dedalus, Father Cowley and Martin Cunningham.
Tom Kernan is a familiar figure to us, readers of Joyce. We first got to know him in the story Grace in Dubliners. In Ulysses we also met him earlier (episode 5), when Bloom after relishing the breakfast of the inner organs of beasts and fowls had left home, and walking soberly halted before the window of the Belfast and Oriental Tea Company in Westland Row, thinking that he must get some (Tea) from Tom Kernan (a tea salesman). He was also present at the funeral of Patrick Dignam that morning. We had also read about of him just minutes ago while Dilly was trying to extract money from her unwilling father.
Now Tom Kernan is on his rounds to get orders for Tea. He has already secured an order from Pulbrook Robertson, and now he is talking to Mr Crimmins (a tea, wine and spirits merchant). After exchanging comments on the disaster of the ship, General Slocum, on the East River, New York the day before, and enjoying just a thimbleful of Crimmins's best gin, and securing the order for Tea, Kernan continues on his way. Immersed in thoughts about the dashing way he himself was dressed (silk hat and gaiters), about the times of the troubles, about Emmet, the Irish rebel, who was hanged, about how Lord Edward Fitzgerald escaped from major Sirr, Kernan misses by a hair the cavalcade that passes him in easy trot. As we follow Kernan on his walk, we hear Simon Dedalus greeting Father Cowley, and glimpse once more how the flyer announcing 'Elijah is coming' rocks on the ferrywash on John Rogerson's quay.
The next wanderer we meet is Stephen. Where Stephen is, there literature and philosophy are. Classical literature, Greek philosophy. And it has many echoes from earlier episodes. Watching through a webbed window old (Thomas) Russell working with gems, Stephen's thoughts - born all in the dark wormy earth, ..... where fallen archangels flung the stars from their brows.... - echo sayings in the Bible, Milton's words about fallen angels in Paradise Lost. Some of these thoughts - Antisthenes, orient and immortal wheat... (episode 3) - had occurred to him earlier. Passing on along the powerhouse and Clohissey's book shop, he stops at a bookcart. As he is looking at the books displayed there, Dilly comes along. She has just spent a penny she got from her father to buy a coverless book, Chardenal's French primer. Stephen looking at her high shoulders (her father had admonished her earlier to stand up straight) and shabby dress, thinks how she resembles him (My eyes they say she has). He feels remorse (agenbite of inwit; episode 1) but does not do anything to help his little sister.
Next we meet Simon Dedalus and Father Cowley. (This 'Father' is obviously different from the Father Conmee, whom we had met at the beginning of this episode.) Father Cowley is another portrait of the poverty prevalent at the time in Dublin. He owes money to his landlord and others. So two men are at his back to make him pay. As Father Cowley has no way of paying off his debts, he is waiting for Ben Dollard, who, he hopes, will talk to long John, the subsheriff and get these bailiffs off his back for a while. Ben Dollard gives him hope saying that the bailiffs cannot do anything until the landlord has been paid off!
Many people, whom we had met earlier, appear next: Martin Cunningham, Mr Power, John Wyse Nolan and Councillor Nannetti. We also become aware of new faces. Among these we shall be meeting Miss Kennedy and Miss Douce again in episode 11 in the Ormond hotel.
The main wanderers we meet on these pages are Tom Kernan, Stephen Dedalus, Simon Dedalus, Father Cowley and Martin Cunningham.
Tom Kernan is a familiar figure to us, readers of Joyce. We first got to know him in the story Grace in Dubliners. In Ulysses we also met him earlier (episode 5), when Bloom after relishing the breakfast of the inner organs of beasts and fowls had left home, and walking soberly halted before the window of the Belfast and Oriental Tea Company in Westland Row, thinking that he must get some (Tea) from Tom Kernan (a tea salesman). He was also present at the funeral of Patrick Dignam that morning. We had also read about of him just minutes ago while Dilly was trying to extract money from her unwilling father.
Now Tom Kernan is on his rounds to get orders for Tea. He has already secured an order from Pulbrook Robertson, and now he is talking to Mr Crimmins (a tea, wine and spirits merchant). After exchanging comments on the disaster of the ship, General Slocum, on the East River, New York the day before, and enjoying just a thimbleful of Crimmins's best gin, and securing the order for Tea, Kernan continues on his way. Immersed in thoughts about the dashing way he himself was dressed (silk hat and gaiters), about the times of the troubles, about Emmet, the Irish rebel, who was hanged, about how Lord Edward Fitzgerald escaped from major Sirr, Kernan misses by a hair the cavalcade that passes him in easy trot. As we follow Kernan on his walk, we hear Simon Dedalus greeting Father Cowley, and glimpse once more how the flyer announcing 'Elijah is coming' rocks on the ferrywash on John Rogerson's quay.
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| Source: amazon.com (here with cover!) |
Next we meet Simon Dedalus and Father Cowley. (This 'Father' is obviously different from the Father Conmee, whom we had met at the beginning of this episode.) Father Cowley is another portrait of the poverty prevalent at the time in Dublin. He owes money to his landlord and others. So two men are at his back to make him pay. As Father Cowley has no way of paying off his debts, he is waiting for Ben Dollard, who, he hopes, will talk to long John, the subsheriff and get these bailiffs off his back for a while. Ben Dollard gives him hope saying that the bailiffs cannot do anything until the landlord has been paid off!
Many people, whom we had met earlier, appear next: Martin Cunningham, Mr Power, John Wyse Nolan and Councillor Nannetti. We also become aware of new faces. Among these we shall be meeting Miss Kennedy and Miss Douce again in episode 11 in the Ormond hotel.
