Brain Pain discussion

Episode 15, Circe – pp 561 – 703 new (page 409 old)


Scene: The Brothel
Hour: 12 midnight
Organ: Locomotor Apparatus
Art: Magic
Symbol: Whore
Technic: Hallucination


“Men are pigs!” or so Circe would have us believe.

A late-night visit to the brothel filled with magic, whores and hallucinations.

Ever since I first read Circe it has been my favorite episode. It is the heart and soul of Ulysses and arguably the best thing Joyce ever wrote! - )

If Ulysses is the Irish Faust, Circe is the Walpurgis Night.

I am going to have to dodge that question. Joyce told Frank Budgen that he thought Odysseus was the most "complete man" in literature, and Faust was not a complete man.

He also said that Penelope was "Ich bin das Fleisch das stets verjaht." (correcting his ad hoc German), meaning the antithesis of Mephistophiles.

I think the notion of Ulysses as the Irish national epic (nonetheless in an antagonistic relationship to the general culture) means that Joyce, perhaps, thought he was doing for Ireland or Irish literature, what Goethe was doing for Germany or German literature.

Incidentally, Walter Kaufmann, when he passed on translating ALL of Faust part two, said translating part one was like translating Hamlet, but that translating part two would be like translating Ulysses.

I apologize for my inappropriate question. I realized that I don't know anything about Goethe, or Faust, or Walpurgis Night at all.

Mark wrote: "I apologize for my inappropriate question. I realized that I don't know anything about Goethe, or Faust, or Walpurgis Night at all."

Not inappropriate at all, M.A. - I was probably showing off.

Cool! And impressively!

There is a little scene or sub-scene, near the middle of Circe that has what I think is one of the most important thematic statements in the book.

Spurred on by Florry's:
"They say the last day is coming this summer." (Dover, 476)

And enhanced by the subsequent appearance of:
THE HOBGOBLIN, THE END OF THE WORLD, and ELIJAH,
the three "working girls" face the thought of not getting into heaven, because, maybe, because of the lives they've "chosen" to lead, reveal their personal circumstances concerning the loses of their respective virginities. (Or so it seems.)

Kitty-Kate confesses first:
"I forgot myself. In a weak moment I erred and did what I did on Constitution hill. (...) It was a working plumber was my ruination when I was pure."

Florry-Teresa confesses third:
"It was in consequence of a portwine beverage on top of Hennessy's three stars. I was guilty with Whelan when he slipped into the bed."

But in between these two remorseful and excuse ridden stories is the wondrous counterpoint of Zoe-Fanny:
"I let him larrup it into me for the fun of it." (Dover, 478-79)

I find in Ulysses a very positive and progressive attitude towards sex: sex without guilt or pregnancy, sex just for fun.