Brain Pain discussion

Episode 5, Lotus Eaters – pp 85 – 107 new (page 63 old)


Scene: The Bath
Hour: 10 am
Organ: Genitals
Art: Botany, chemistry
Symbol: Eucharist
Technic: Narcissism


Mr. Bloom heads to the office. First, a quick stop at the post where he finds a letter from his pen pal mistress. He has an unwelcome encounter with an acquaintance on the downslide of life before stopping in a local church to ogle some catholic ladies on their knees. Quick stop at the chemist then off to the public bath for a scrub.

I would add the scene with Bantam Lyons. Small at the time, but it resonates through the book and eventually gets Bloom into trouble.

Ok--Stephen and Bloom are opposites here because Leopold loves his bath. Multiple references to drugs and flowers, sleeping, and bodies, even at Communion, of course. I like Leo in church discoursing on the idiosyncratic rituals of Mother Church. Shades of Marxist opiate of the people?

Bloom's girl strikes me as younger and less educated-- Leopold may not be as seriously educated at Stephen, but he he does love language in the same way(or is that Joyce peeping thru?) He's certainly not uneducated; he can speak Italian, for example (was going to be sure Molly knew how to pronounce Voglio (voh-lee-oh--i want--good word for this chapter),and seems he learned Shakespeare from his father, including Hamlet, plus some operas. Reference again (77) to Ophelia's suicide? His use of his learning seems to be more business and math oriented--he often calculates prices ahead of the cashier/beneficiary.

There's that weird reference to McCoy avoiding the funeral because there's a drowning case at Sandymount, so maybe it wasn't Stephen's imagination gone wild. I wonder why he tried to jerk McCoy's chain with the reference to their wives potential gigs in Belfast, in an Ulster Hall, no less--I'm guessing McCoy doesn't like the Orangemen much.

Why does he tear up his potential lover's notes? Fear of Molly finding out and bursting their unspoken bubble of conspiracy? Or is he motivated by some other more romantic notion of himself?

Bloom does love his bath.
Bloom's knowledge of Italian may be limited to the many words from songs Molly sings.
(Where exactly is (77)?
Yes, there is a drown man.
Bloom may just be showing off: my wife is better than your wife.
It's hard to say about McCoy.

Cphe wrote: "I felt that Bloom was educated but perhaps in a more worldly way.
Saw SD as "book" educated but Bloom as "life" educated."
Yes. Plus Bloom has the distinct advantage of being 16 years older than Stephen. He has a lot more life experience.

Tracy wrote: "Ok--Stephen and Bloom are opposites here because Leopold loves his bath. Multiple references to drugs and flowers, sleeping, and bodies, even at Communion, of course. I like Leo in church discoursi..."
I think he just tears up the envelope.

Mark wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Ok--Stephen and Bloom are opposites here because Leopold loves his bath. Multiple references to drugs and flowers, sleeping, and bodies, even at Communion, of course. I like Leo in ch..."

You might be right, I may have misread. In my book (Penguin Mod Classics) in the last paragraph on p. 77, I think Leo is reading ads for various plays in Dublin, LEAH ,and HAMLET, where a woman played Hamlet? (wow, modern!) Then it says,"Perhaps he was a woman. Why Ophelia committed suicide? Poor papa"..etc

I apologized you are quite right. I wonder if Bloom is trying to be ironic; or even darkly comical?

Mark wrote: "I apologized you are quite right. I wonder if Bloom is trying to be ironic; or even darkly comical?"

I was saying you were right about the envelope only being torn up.

Not sure, about the Hamlet/Ophelia connections: just see the echo with Stephen's narration, and still not entirely grasping why?

Tracy wrote: "Mark wrote: "I apologized you are quite right. I wonder if Bloom is trying to be ironic; or even darkly comical?"

I was saying you were right about the envelope only being torn up.

Not sure, abou..."
Cool. On the envelope.

On a personal note: the first time I read Ulysses, I was confused by the congregants standing for the gospel AFTER communion.

Since then, I've been to a Tridentine mass, and there is indeed a "Last Gospel" (or is it "First Gospel"?) at the end.. "In principe erat verbum."

Christopher wrote: "On a personal note: the first time I read Ulysses, I was confused by the congregants standing for the gospel AFTER communion.

Since then, I've been to a Tridentine mass, and there is indeed a "Las..."

Special Masses, perhaps?