Mark’s
Comments
(group member since Feb 20, 2018)
Mark’s
comments
from the James Joyce Symposium group.
Showing 1-20 of 163
10 month schedule!DAY
(introduction: 1-8)
1) Telemachus pgs. 1-23. (23) Stephen
2) Nestor, Proteus pgs. 24-51. (27) Stephen
3) Calypso, Lotus Eaters, Hades, Aeolus, Lestrygonians pgs. 54-183. (129) Bloom
(development: 9-13)
4) Scylla+Charybdis, Wandering Rocks pgs. 184-255. (71) Stephen
5) Sirens, Cyclops, Nausicaa pgs. 256-382. (126) Bloom
NIGHT
(climax: 14-16)
6) Oxen of the Sun pgs. 383-428. (45) Stephen+Bloom
7) Circe pgs. 429-609. (180) Stephen+Bloom
8) Eumaeus pgs. 612-665. (53) Bloom+Stephen
(resolution: 17+18)
9) Ithaca pgs. 666-737. (71) Bloom+Stephen
10) Penelope pgs. 738-783. (45) Molly+(Bloom)
Somewhere in Chapter 9 Joyce mentions four words in Latin that roughly translated come out to introduction, development, climax and resolution.Applying these four literary categories to Ulysses’ eighteen chapters is for me a fairly easy project: hence my designation 8, 5, 3, and 2.
Likewise the first eight chapters can be sub-divided so that the first three introduce Stephen and the next five introduce Bloom and his mate, Molly. Likewise again the next five development chapters can be designated 9+10 to Stephen and 11, 12 + 13 to Bloom. Then the three chapters allocated for the climax, we call the Party and based on the action we call them getting high, tripping, and crashing. Leaving 17+18 to respond to the caption resolution.
Both Bloom and Stephan are haunted throughout the day. Stephen by the mental re-enactment of his mother’s dying wish, and Bloom by the ghost of his elevendayold son.
I think Joyce modeled Ulysses after the Odyssey because the central female character is almost always off stage.I think Joyce highlights Hamlet because of the of the ghost. Both Stephen (his mother) and Bloom (Rudy) are haunted all day.
Mark's wife wrote: "Hurrah! 🎉"Thank you, M’s w! - )
Today is the 100th anniversary of the original publication of Ulysses in completed book form.
That’s so cool! - )Thank you for sharing! You made my day! Red for me too. 🙃
Cool! Red or white? - )
Stephen’s dissertation in the library on Shakespeare and the ghost in Hamlet is for me one of the most opaque scenes in the book. I’m not sure I ever understood exactly what point he was trying to make. I need to go back and look. (Tons of great speeches in Hamlet!)I group the three chapters, Oxen, Circe and Cabman together and call them the Party! Then, in old sixties slang, I label them, getting high, tripping and crashing.
Circe is presented as a play. A lot of commentary has been written about how Joyce ‘borrowed’ his presentation style from Flaubert’s The Last Temptation of Christ. There are some interesting similarities with the use of the italicized stage directions. And the stage directions, in Circe, contribute a lot to the humor and bizarreness of the scene.
Circe is very hallucinatory. There are only seven real characters in the scene: Stephen and Lynch, with Bloom trailing behind; the three working girls: Zoe, Kitty and Florry; and the Madame, Bella Cohen. Everyone else is a figment of someone’s imagination/intoxication. A lot happens, as Bloom suffers through a number of humiliating, though not real, circumstances.
Be brave. Keep reading. Have fun. More soon!
No off topic here! 🙃The only “help” book I ever found worth consulting is Stanley Sultan’s The Argument of Ulysses. I’ve also used Don Gifford’s Ulysses Annotated, but it’s best to stay with the rivers and mountains, when he strays to speculation he’s on softer ground. Of course, I’m thrilled to offer any help that I can! - )
Your more than welcome, Dee! - )Circe is my favorite chapter. I think it is the best thing Joyce ever wrote.
“friendly podcasts and websites” I’m curious what you mean. 🙃
Thank you for your interest, Dee. And thank you for writing. - )Yes, the boys finally get together: (view spoiler)
Yes. 8.5.3.2 is how I arrange the chapters as to their particular functions. The idea comes from chapter 9: there are four italicized words in Latin which translate to: introduction, development, climax, and resolution.
I think it would be fair two say that the story has two halves: the events described as happening during the day and the events that happen at night. I think it’s noteworthy that the five night chapters take up as many pages as the thirteen day chapters. I also think it’s interesting that the last five chapters are stylistically the most difficult to read. - )
The first thirteen chapters make-up half the book, and the final five make-up the other half. The line between #13 and #14 is auspicious as the story moves from day to night and the heroes finally come together, share an adventure and become friends.
Hi Ashley! Nice to hear from you. So glad you’re having fun! 🙃Yes. It is a good chapter for Bloom. If we weren’t convinced of his latent leachery by his leering after the neighbor girl in the previous episode, we get reminded again here with him trying to catch a peek of high thigh from the woman getting into the cab.
I have no idea why Martha Clifford asked Bloom what kind of perfume his wife wore. Maybe she did it to mess with him. As maybe she realizes he’s messing with her.
As Bloom’s strained, yet obsessive, relationship with Molly is being developed, his attitude toward other women and his interaction with men he knows is presented as context.
(view spoiler)
The next three chapters are all lots of fun! 🙃☮️🍀
Ashley wrote: "I'm still reading! (at the rate of about a chapter a week with face-to-face group). In the Calypso chapter I finally get to meet Bloom! I really prefer him to Stephen, whose emo-musings were really..."Sorry I missed this. Yes. Everybody, readers, like Bloom better than Stephen.
(Face-to-face, very cool!)
Good summary. Boylan is Molly’s concert manager and her accompanist.(Good eye remembering Milly from chapter one.)
“Mouth to her mouth’s kiss.”
It is a chapter that reads much easier the second time you visit it. Yes, shaky is a good description of Stephen’s state of mind. He sees the midwives and the cockle pickers and the dog. He imagines the visit to Aunt Sara’s and he remembers the scenes with the Egans in Paris. A lot of thoughts all mixed together. He also seems to be still thinking about Mulligan and his performance earlier.
Yes, Stephen is a determined individualist. The replacement was inadvertent. (That’s why Stephen’s life affirming shout in the street is important.)
