Wednesday 30 June 2021

Online reading, Thursday, 24 June 2021 (12.1620)

The reading stopped at "Tis a merry rogue."(12.1620) but we shall continue the next session with the parody that starts with "Our travellers reached ..." (12.1593)

Summary:

In Barney Kiernan's pub, the citizen’s behaviour becomes increasingly aggressive towards Bloom, whom he ridicules and insults. The situation reaches the first climax of the episode when the citizen asks Bloom, “What is your nation if I may ask (12.1430),” spitting and wiping his mouth with a handkerchief when Bloom replies, "Ireland, . . . I was born here. Ireland (12.1431).” The handkerchief is a cue to start another parody celebrating Irish handicraft. There are more exaggerations and parodies in the remaining part of the episode: for example, of foreign customs, of the Bible, and of different types of fiction.

Bloom continues his rather serious talk that seems more forceful and infused with more emotion than usual, getting increasingly cornered when he expresses his opinion. He finally chooses to find an excuse to leave the pub. 

The men continue with more talk of England's cruelty to Ireland, until Lenehan takes the floor and starts talking about Bloom and his actual reason for leaving. He claims that Bloom has gone to collect his wins from the horse race of the day. As proof he tells the story of his meeting Bantom Lyons, who had said that he had borrowed a newspaper from Bloom earlier in the day (See episode 5, Lotus Eaters). We finally understand, retrospectively, what had not made any sense before in that episode.

Cyclops, an episode of misunderstandings, presents facts that are not straight forward, and connects thus to the episode in Odyssey where Odysseus saves himself through a play on words, calling himself "Οτις", which means 'nobody'. This works ironically precisely because Bloom cannot play on words.

At this point, the narrator takes off to the gents' room. He urinates, thinking or talking to himself. His thoughts come out in spurts, which seems somewhat appropriate to his relieving himself.

(Excerpted from Ulysses for the Uninitiated)

Tuesday 22 June 2021

Online reading, Thursday, 17 June 2021 (12.1359)

(In case you missed last week participating in the virtual events celebrating Bloomsday, below are two links that could be of interesting: 

Bloomsday Readings and Songs from the James Joyce Center, Dublin

I Said Yes: A Celebration of Bloomsday at The Rosenbach from The Rosenbach Museum, Philadelphia)

The reading stopped at ". . . be paid." (12.1359)

Summary:

The citizen's next remarks about strangers coming over here to Ireland filling the country with bugs (12.1141) aimed obviously at Bloom, a foreigner amidst the Dubliners, are ignored by Bloom. He looks to be awfully deeply interested in nothing, a spider's web in the corner (12.1160), . . . the citizen scowling after him, and the old dog at his feet looking up to know who to bite and when (12.1161). It is a very picturesque sentence. One can almost breathe the anti-semitic, anti-foreigner air in the room.

As the citizen's next remark about a dishonoured wife (12.1163) induces Alf Bergan to produce, gigglingly, a copy of the Police Gazette, a forerunner of today's tabloids,  John Wyse Nolan and Lenehan enter, having come from a meeting in the city hall. It is time for another interpolation with a reference to the most obedient city (12.1185). 

There is more nationalistic talk amongst the pub-goers, who praise the Irish language contrasting it with English, triggering another interpolation, written about an ancient Irish hero in the old Irish pastBloom mingles in the talk a little awkwardly and uncharacteristically aggressively. The talk eventually moves on to how England exploited Ireland and left it virtually without trees. (The issue of deforestation was indeed a genuine concern at the time.) The ensuing interpolation, true to type, brings up the idea of breeding trees in a parody of a tree wedding.

The aggressive talk continues to how the English starved the Irish, how they were cruel in discipline and training . . ., then to the French and the Germans.  The talk about the British heralds another hilarious parody of the Catholic Credo!

(Excerpted from Ulysses for the Uninitiated)

Wednesday 16 June 2021

Bloomsday! 16 June 2021

 Today is Bloomsday!

Below are a couple of links on how the day is being celebrated at different places. Many of these events take place online.

1. Detailed information on Bloomsday Programme in Dublin is available here.

2. Information on the special programme offered by The Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia which owns the manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses is available here.

3. Over 30 of Ireland's Embassies and Consulates are marking the day with a variety of events including a Global Joycean Book Giveaway. Details are here.

4. Zurich James Joyce Foundation has arranged an open air event. The event is already sold out.

Tuesday 15 June 2021

Online reading, Thursday, 10 June 2021 (12.1093)

 The reading stopped at ". . . stuck for two quid." (12.1093)

Summary:

Soon the discussion moves on to a boxing match, the Keogh-Bennett match.  Gifford* mentions that "the match does have some basis, since one M. K. Keogh did box one Garry in late April 1904. Percy Bennett, a member of the Zurich consular staff when Joyce lived in the city, is a grudge substitute for the more Irish Garry."  During Alf Bergan's description of how Keogh boxed Bennett  the name of Boylan again comes up. Bloom cuts in again about lawn tennis and the circulation of blood (12.952)topics of least interest to the Dubliners gathered there. In fact, this boxing match is described by yet another interpolation, written as a parody of sports journalism style.

If there was one name Bloom does not want to hear mentioned, that is of Boylan. But the name is mentioned again, with Alf Bergan even bringing up the concert tour Boylan is organizing

At this stage there are two short interpolations. One is about Bloom's wife written as a parody of medieval romance, and the other is about the entrance of Ned Lambert and J. J. O'Molloy, two characters we had met earlier. Bergan mentions again Breen and Breen's violent reaction to the postcard saying U. p.: up. As they all finally agree to enjoy their pints in peace (12.1075)they see Breens and Kelleher passing the door.

* Ulysses AnnotatedDon Gifford, Robert j. Seidman, 1988; (10.1133-34)

Tuesday 8 June 2021

Online reading, Thursday, 3 June 2021 (12.849)

The reading stopped at "Klook Klook Klook." (12.849)

Summary:

By now we have got used to - and actually have learned to enjoy - the interpolations that Joyce has inserted into this episode. My favourite is the one starting with "In the darkness spirit hands were felt to flutter ... (12.338)." (We had read it in the previous session.) Joyce takes this opportunity in creating a parody of the beliefs of the Theosophical Society, of which prominent Dubliners such as W. B. Yeats were members. He embellishes his description of how a seance could look like by using a lot of modified Sanskrit words such as prālāyā (the original Sanskrit word has no elongated 'a's and means the deluge that ends the world), jivic (jiva - with an elongated 'i' - in Sanskrit means breath, life), atmic (the Sanskrit word atma, in which the first 'a' is elongated, means soul), etc.

Apart from the three parodies on the pages read in this session, what is of interest here is how Bloom has been portrayed as an outsider in the Dublin society. Bloom comes to Barney Kiernan's pub but does not want to have a drink. When Alf Bergan, who has also come in, starts sharing with his friends some letters from is office, and their conversation moves on to the topic of hanging, Bloom starts explaining what happens scientifically when a person is hanged, an explanation that interests none there. Anti-semitic sentiments are expressed freely when the citizen's dog starts smelling Bloom and the citizen says, ". . . I'm told those jewies does have a sort of a queer door coming off them for dogs (12.452)."

It is also obvious that, amidst all this, Bloom's mind is occupied with thoughts of what could be happening at that time at his home, when, talking about Dignam's wife, he says 'Wife's admirers (12.767)" when he really meant to say, "Wife's advisers (12.769)."

Tuesday 1 June 2021

Online reading, Thursday, 25 May 2021 (12.569)

 The reading stopped at ". . . Kriegfried Ueberallgemein." (12.569)

Apologies for not posting any summery of the reading. It is planned to resume the posting of summaries next week. Appreciate your understanding.