We stopped at "... bottom of the ashpit." (Penguin 900.6), (Gabler 18.747)
(Notice the full stop after ashpit? It is the very first full stop in this episode. There is one more. At the very end!)
On these pages, we are - rather Molly is - mainly concerned about three things: love making (... I feel all fire inside me...), her earlier life in Gibraltar (... its like all through a mist...), and her loneliness in Dublin (... I posted to myself with bits of paper in them so bored sometimes...).
At the start of our reading today, there was a remarkable stream of thoughts: ... this one not so much theres the mark of his teeth still where he tried to bite the nipple I had to scream out arent they fearful trying to hurt you.... Whose teeth? Who tried to bite...? Bloom or Boylan? Most probably it was Boylan and Molly must be thinking of her escapade with him that afternoon. But it could equally well be Bloom. Because she had just thought of how he burnt the kidney that morning, and the reference to 'bottom' (bottom out of the pan, Penguin 893. 10) could have made her remember how he had kissed her 'bottoms' just before falling asleep! In any case, through out this episode, we had to be extra careful in interpreting Molly's 'he's.
Molly thinks how much milk she had while she was breast feeding Milly, how Penrose, a delicate looking student staying with Citrons in no 28 had caught her washing through the window, how, when weening Milly, she had made Bloom suck the milk because otherwise her breasts were too painful. Bloom who had found that Molly's milk was sweeter and thicker than that of a cow, wanted to use it in his tea. These comments of Bloom are recalled with fondness, as Molly thinks that if she could only remember half of the things, she would write a book out of it the works of Master Poldy
All these thoughts make her feel aroused (... I wished he was here or somebody to let myself go with and come again like that I feel all fire inside me...), and she thinks again of her love making in the afternoon, and count the days till Monday when Boylan is supposed to visit again (O Lord I cant wait till Monday).
frseeeeeeeefronnng, the whistling sound of train makes Molly think of the poor men that have to be out all the night from their wives and families in those roasting engines. In this she comes across as quite a sympathetic person, caring, like Bloom, for people in unenviable situations. Her thoughts move on. To how hot the day was, how lovely and refreshing the rain that came was, just as she was thinking it could get as hot as in Gibraltar, where the Sun was so hot and one got so soaked (in sweat) that it faded all that lovely frock(s). Her father's friend, Mrs. Stanhope had sent her one such frock from B Morche paris, and had written a p c (a post card) too. Mr. Stanhope, whom she called wogger, was awfully fond of Molly and used to break his heart at her. He was attractive to a girl in spite of his being a little bald. Mrs. Stanhope had given her books - all Victorian novels - to read: Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, Shadow of Ashlydyat and East Lynne by Mrs Henry Wood, Henry Dunbar by that other woman (Molly forgets the author's - Mary Elizabeth Braddon's - name), Lord Lytton Eugene Aram (rather, Eugene Aram by Edward Bulwer-Lytton) and Molly Bawn by Mrs Hungerford. Molly had given Henry Dunbar to him (Mr. Stanhope?) with a photo of Mulvey, her first boy friend, to show that she indeed had someone. Anyway, she does not like books with a Molly in them like that one (Molly Flanders) Bloom brought her. Molly still remembers the day when Stanhopes left Gibraltar. Whatever had happened to them in the mean time? Were they no more?
(Notice the full stop after ashpit? It is the very first full stop in this episode. There is one more. At the very end!)
On these pages, we are - rather Molly is - mainly concerned about three things: love making (... I feel all fire inside me...), her earlier life in Gibraltar (... its like all through a mist...), and her loneliness in Dublin (... I posted to myself with bits of paper in them so bored sometimes...).
At the start of our reading today, there was a remarkable stream of thoughts: ... this one not so much theres the mark of his teeth still where he tried to bite the nipple I had to scream out arent they fearful trying to hurt you.... Whose teeth? Who tried to bite...? Bloom or Boylan? Most probably it was Boylan and Molly must be thinking of her escapade with him that afternoon. But it could equally well be Bloom. Because she had just thought of how he burnt the kidney that morning, and the reference to 'bottom' (bottom out of the pan, Penguin 893. 10) could have made her remember how he had kissed her 'bottoms' just before falling asleep! In any case, through out this episode, we had to be extra careful in interpreting Molly's 'he's.
Molly thinks how much milk she had while she was breast feeding Milly, how Penrose, a delicate looking student staying with Citrons in no 28 had caught her washing through the window, how, when weening Milly, she had made Bloom suck the milk because otherwise her breasts were too painful. Bloom who had found that Molly's milk was sweeter and thicker than that of a cow, wanted to use it in his tea. These comments of Bloom are recalled with fondness, as Molly thinks that if she could only remember half of the things, she would write a book out of it the works of Master Poldy
All these thoughts make her feel aroused (... I wished he was here or somebody to let myself go with and come again like that I feel all fire inside me...), and she thinks again of her love making in the afternoon, and count the days till Monday when Boylan is supposed to visit again (O Lord I cant wait till Monday).
frseeeeeeeefronnng, the whistling sound of train makes Molly think of the poor men that have to be out all the night from their wives and families in those roasting engines. In this she comes across as quite a sympathetic person, caring, like Bloom, for people in unenviable situations. Her thoughts move on. To how hot the day was, how lovely and refreshing the rain that came was, just as she was thinking it could get as hot as in Gibraltar, where the Sun was so hot and one got so soaked (in sweat) that it faded all that lovely frock(s). Her father's friend, Mrs. Stanhope had sent her one such frock from B Morche paris, and had written a p c (a post card) too. Mr. Stanhope, whom she called wogger, was awfully fond of Molly and used to break his heart at her. He was attractive to a girl in spite of his being a little bald. Mrs. Stanhope had given her books - all Victorian novels - to read: Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, Shadow of Ashlydyat and East Lynne by Mrs Henry Wood, Henry Dunbar by that other woman (Molly forgets the author's - Mary Elizabeth Braddon's - name), Lord Lytton Eugene Aram (rather, Eugene Aram by Edward Bulwer-Lytton) and Molly Bawn by Mrs Hungerford. Molly had given Henry Dunbar to him (Mr. Stanhope?) with a photo of Mulvey, her first boy friend, to show that she indeed had someone. Anyway, she does not like books with a Molly in them like that one (Molly Flanders) Bloom brought her. Molly still remembers the day when Stanhopes left Gibraltar. Whatever had happened to them in the mean time? Were they no more?
 |
| A crossed letter |
It was very dull in Gibraltar for Molly after the Stanhopes left. The days passed like years. She received not a letter from a living soul. It is not any better now. Molly is obviously quite lonely. How she wishes for some interesting encounters! She has no visitors or post ever except for cheques or some advertisements like that wonderworker that Bloom had received. Even Milly sent her just a card. The last letter she herself had received (but for the one from Boylan received previous morning) was from Mrs Dwenn, who had written from Canada to ask for the recipe of pisto madrileno and from Floey Dillon, who wrote to say she was married to a very rich architect. Thinking of Floey makes Molly recall the death of Nancy Blake, a friend of Floey, and the problems related to writing letters. Apparently spelling is not a strong point of Molly. Bloom keeps on pointing to her the mistakes in her writing; for example, no stops. Though Boylan had in fact sent her a letter, it wasnt much. She thinks, perhaps I could write the answer in bed to let him imagine me (in bed?). She would not write those long crossed letters. Instead she would use just a few simple words that one could twist how one liked. She would not even take the advice from manuals like ladies letterwriter. Because its all very fine for them as for being a woman as soon as you'e old they might as well throw you out in the bottom of the ashpit.
