Chunky Read ULYSSES with reading schedule

[Irene]

This was my first Joyce. I was afraid to try anything else. So, thanks for the encoragement, Tyler. Knowing that Portrait and Dubliner is very different gives me renewed interest.

[Marialyce]

Plus, Dubliners is very short in comparison.

[Irene]

The encyclopedia is short in comparison.

[Marialyce]

You are funny, Irene. I did get a chuckle just now.

[Meg]

me too

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

me three!

[Meg]

CHAPTER 18 THE END!!!

n Homer's epic, Odysseus is reunited with Penelope after he has slain the numerous suitors. At first, however, Penelope does not recognize her husband; she is convinced that he is indeed Odysseus, her husband, only after he is able to describe to her the construction of their bed, a fact known only to the two of them. In Joyce, the scene for "Penelope" is the Blooms' bed, whose jingling sound has been heard, vocally foreshadowed, and developed through several motifs in Ulysses throughout this single day of June 16th, 1904.


Joyce's technique in "Penelope" is illustrated not so much by stream-of-consciousness narrative as it is developed by word association — that is, Molly's thoughts do not "flow" in a consecutive, narrative pattern; instead, in "Penelope," Joyce reproduces the seemingly random ideas of a sleepy woman in the wee hours of the morning. This technique suggests that Molly is infinity, whose symbol is a horizontal 8. Molly (Marion Tweedy) was born on September 8, 1870, and on her birthday, Molly recalls, Bloom once bought her eight poppies. Recumbent as she is in this episode, Molly's physical position suggests mathematical infinity — the "infinite variety" of womanhood. Countering this amorphous non-structure is Joyce's use of only eight sentences to compose and impose some measure of order on the episode. Also, "Penelope" both begins and ends with Molly's thoughts about Bloom. Beyond this, however, little can be said about any more stringent pattern. Joyce has said that "Penelope" revolves around "four cardinal points . . . the female breasts, arse, womb and . . . ." Later, however, he contradicted himself, implying that in "Penelope," he was trying to portray the untamed torrent of womanhood.

It seems more profitable, ultimately, to examine the character of Molly herself, for she is one of the most intriguing characters in all of fiction. She resembles, first of all, Chaucer's Wife of Bath. The key to Molly's character is perhaps best contained in her statement, her cry, really, to: "let us have a bit of fun. . . ." Also, as with the Wife of Bath, a current of melancholy runs through Molly's personality. She doesn't want to be used by Boylan; she wants to be loved, in a tender way. Molly wishes that some man, any man, would give her a long kiss while holding her lovingly in his arms. Molly Bloom is lonely, and she writes letters to herself; she has been rejected by her quirkish and often cold husband, who also writes letters to a chimera figure (Martha Clifford). But, basically, Molly is not a defeated woman — despite her disappointments in finding a man who is able to love her; like Chaucer's heroine, Molly is a survivor, and Molly knows all the feminine tricks. Today, for example, Molly's technique of wooing might be similar to "faking an orgasm": "I gave my eyes that look with my hair a bit loose from the tumbling . . . ." And her method of lovemaking has always been mingled with a touch of teasing fantasy. When she was very young, Molly told Lieutenant Mulvey that she was engaged to a Spanish nobleman, Don Miguel de la Flora — and, as it turned out, she did indeed marry a "flower," in the figure of Bloom (his pseudonym), and he is another person who fantasizes about his love life with his pen pal, Martha.

Another intriguing and major trait of Molly Bloom is her jealousy, her scorn of other women. She criticizes Mrs. Riordan (Stephen's tutor in A Portrait) for leaving money to have prayers said for the repose of her soul, instead of making a small bequest to the Blooms, who had befriended her. In addition, Molly fired the Blooms' maid, Mary Driscoll, on a fictitious charge of stealing oysters — simply because Bloom had taken a fancy to the girl. And Molly is still jealous of Bloom's old flame, Josie Powell, whom she thinks Bloom may have met at Dignam's funeral, and she makes up reasons for her feeling fortunate to have Bloom as a husband instead of her being married to the lunatic Denis Breen, whom Josie married. She has heard that Breen goes to bed in muddy boots, and she knows that he is now the laughing stock of Dublin. In addition, Molly resents her competitor, the singer Kathleen Kearney (who appears in the short story "A Mother" in Dubliners). Molly also takes pride in the fact that when she was a girl her hair was thicker than Hester's, her girl friend's, (and thus she reminds one of Hedda Gabler, who wanted to burn off her rival's hair in Ibsen's play). In addition, when Molly reminisces through the mists of years about her young lover, Mulvey, who she thinks is probably around 40 by now (1904), she imagines that he is married and takes pride in the fact that she had him first (masturbating him into a handkerchief).

Molly is refreshing, even when her scornful criticism is directed towards Joyce's other characters in the novel, for her observations shed new insights into their actions and motivations. For example, Molly assails the "boiled eyes" of Menton, the pompous lawyer. She wonders if Paul de Kock, the author of salacious novels, was so nicknamed because he was "going about with his tube from one woman to another . . . ," and she sees Simon Dedalus as both flirtatious and overly critical.

[Meg]

LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Meg wrote: "LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


YAY!! Except I still have to read chapter 18!
I've been "letting" myself slack, and not making myself read a chapter until you posted the Summary, but now you've posted it, so now I have to read it...and just briefly looking at it...with its total lack of punctuation...oh dear! But I can do it! I can do it! I can do it! Then I'll be DONE! :o)

I shall return...

[Marialyce]

OMG! I think I would have sacrificed the book to the fire gods if I had the book, but since it is on my iPad, I will be forced to carry it around forever. So, tonight I am on the last chapter. Whether it has punctuation or not, it has all been gobble gook to me.

[Meg]

i couldn't have gotten this far without the group

Let's vote on an easier read for the next one

[Irene]

Meg, I second that suggestion. Anyone up for Dr. Suess?

[Meg]

Ha ha, I was thinking of a picture book

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Done!

Ok, I admit it, I skim read the final chapter. I tried to read it, but it was frustrating me...so I would read a few lines, then skip ahead part of a page, then read a few lines, then skip ahead again. :o)

I'm just happy to finally move this to my "read" shelf, and have no plans on ever revisiting this book.

For those who loved it, I'm happy you got more out of it than I did. Even though I ended up hating this book, I am still happy to be able to say I have explored the entire volume, even if I didn't understand a major portion of it. :o)

Thank you everyone who participated in this discussion. You all are the reason I stuck with this till the end. And a BIG THANK YOU to Meg, for once again being our fearless leader on another Chunky Read!

[Marialyce]

Sheila, You only skimmed the last chapter? I feel like a skimmed a whole lot of chapters. Perhaps this book did teach me something...the art of skimming! :)

I agree, to those who loved it, I think that is great. We each see things differently, and in that we are so unique which is great. Thank you to all and especially Meg for helping me put this book to rest forever.

[Meg]

I skimmed a good part of it. But, that being said, I can admit when references to the book are made elsewhere I at least know what they are referring to. So I am feeling a bit smarter in that respect. I will pause from now on on June 16th!

thank you sheilah for the compliments! I hope everyone will join in on our next journey, hopefully an easier one for most of us!

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

There were several chapters that I skimmed. :o)

But as Meg says, at least now when references are made to this book, I will know what they are referring to. Even if I am stil totally clueless as to what it all means. LOL