We stopped at "Murderer's ground." (Penguin 540.9), (Gabler 14.1037)
In the preceding week, we had left Bloom thinking about the brash behavior of the youth around him. Though the style of that paragraph was not something we usually associate with Bloom, what we encountered there was typical indeed of our Bloom. As ever, he was ready to find excuses for his fellow human beings, attributing such boisterous behavior as he was witnessing to their age. He was also thankful that the ordeal Mrs. Purefoy, whom he had come to enquire after, was facing, was finally over, testifying to the mercy as well as to the bounty of the Supreme being.
First of all about the literary styles Joyce uses on the pages we read today. The most prominent style is that of political satire and rhetoric, first in the style of the Irish playwright, parliamentarian, Brinkley Sheridan (starting with the sentence, 'Accordingly he broke his mind...' Penguin 534.3), and then in the style of a political satirist with the penance, Junius (starting with the sentence, 'But with what fitness...', Penguin 535.3). We also have a paragraph written in the style of gothic romances (starting with 'But Malachias' tale began to freeze them with horror.' Penguin 539.6). But these are not pure styles. The paragraph in the gothic style gets mixed up with that of Shakespearean language.
When Bloom expresses his feelings to the one sitting next to him (we do not know who this dressy young blade, Bloom's neighbor at the table, was), the reaction he gets is that it was her husband that put her in that expectation... unless she were another Ephesian matron. (Read here the story of The Ephesian Matron as told in the Tales of Jean de La Fontaine)
In the preceding week, we had left Bloom thinking about the brash behavior of the youth around him. Though the style of that paragraph was not something we usually associate with Bloom, what we encountered there was typical indeed of our Bloom. As ever, he was ready to find excuses for his fellow human beings, attributing such boisterous behavior as he was witnessing to their age. He was also thankful that the ordeal Mrs. Purefoy, whom he had come to enquire after, was facing, was finally over, testifying to the mercy as well as to the bounty of the Supreme being.
First of all about the literary styles Joyce uses on the pages we read today. The most prominent style is that of political satire and rhetoric, first in the style of the Irish playwright, parliamentarian, Brinkley Sheridan (starting with the sentence, 'Accordingly he broke his mind...' Penguin 534.3), and then in the style of a political satirist with the penance, Junius (starting with the sentence, 'But with what fitness...', Penguin 535.3). We also have a paragraph written in the style of gothic romances (starting with 'But Malachias' tale began to freeze them with horror.' Penguin 539.6). But these are not pure styles. The paragraph in the gothic style gets mixed up with that of Shakespearean language.
When Bloom expresses his feelings to the one sitting next to him (we do not know who this dressy young blade, Bloom's neighbor at the table, was), the reaction he gets is that it was her husband that put her in that expectation... unless she were another Ephesian matron. (Read here the story of The Ephesian Matron as told in the Tales of Jean de La Fontaine)
 |
| (The Ephesian Matron/ Source: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/la_fontaine/jean_de/tales/complete.html#chapter19) |
As the assembled young blades continue to make jokes about the whole affair, dragging in Mr Purefoy (old Glory Allelujurum, old bucko,...), Bloom wonders how the mere acquisition of academic titles turns such frivolous people into respectable doctors (... exemplary practitioners of an art which most men anywise eminent have esteemed the noblest...). He further excuses their jokes telling himself that they do so to relieve pentup feelings, as after all birds of a feather laugh together. This is another typical Bloomian confusion, the words of this famous nursery rhyme being, "Birds of a feather flock together..."
At this point, the novel questions - in the style of the political satirist, Junius - what right Bloom, an outsider (this alien) has to raise such questions, to have such thoughts. (Where is now that gratitude which loyalty should have counseled? Penguin 535.3) He should not be preaching any gospel, as obviously not everything is ok at home (... a seedfield that lies fallow... Penguin 536.2), as he obviously has a habit that is reprehensible at puberty..., perhaps a reference to his masturbating on the Sandycove beach. (See Nausicca).
Let us step out of Bloom's mind, and look at what is happening around him. Here Joyce offers us the style of the 18th century English historian, Edward Gibbon, the author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. After the news of the birth which the nurse had brought, Dixon, the junior medical officer in residence, had left the assembly and gone to help the mother. Once he left, the company breaks out into a strife of tongues. Mr Bloom's attempts to urge, to mollify, to refrain have no effect whatsoever. Each one of the others comes out with what all can go wrong in childbirth. We are treated to a cascade of medical terms, intelligible only to the initiated. When Madden and Lynch start discussing about the juridical and theological dilemma created in the event of one Siamese twin predeceasing the other (Penguin 538.30), the matter is referred to Bloom, who passes it on to Stephen (Coadjutor Deacon Daedalus). Stephen, who has remained silent so far on these pages, quotes in answer from the gospels: 'What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.'
Now we are in the world of gothic literature (But Malachias' tale began to freeze them with horror. Penguin 539.6) Haines appears on the scene. We are taken back to earlier episodes, to the case of Samuel Childs murder (episode 6, Hades), to the episode of black panther (episode 1, Telemachus). Words from Hamlet make yet another appearance as do sentences that were spoken on earlier pages. For example, we had read the last sentence we read today, 'Murderer's ground' earlier on page 125 (Penguin). It is as if the novel is repeating itself. It is as if the novel is building a bridge between morning and night.
