I think we get a glimpse at Joyce’s thoughts on Irish womanhood (and women in general) in this chapter. The first part of this episode is mainly about Gerty, and the second part is about Bloom. Incidentally, a ball is thrown toward Bloom in this chapter, too, which briefly awakens him from his sexual stupor (until the girls and children leave, at which point he and Gerty return to their mutual and simultaneous self-gratification). It also, of course, parallels The Odyssey, in that Odysseus, having been stranded on the island of the Phaeacians, is awoken after his shipwreck by a ball thrown by Nausicaa, the island princess. This theme actually ended the previous chapter (with the rising and falling of the biscuit tin), but it is explicitly related, here, to Bloom and Gerty’s coordinated orgasms.
For example, there is a roman candle that is described rising into the air, where it explodes there is also the rising and falling of Gerty MacDowell’s leg, and the description of the swinging censer in the church. Throughout the episode, we see references to objects moving in arc – that is, rising and falling. The major theme of this episode is sex, or perhaps more specifically, sexual climax.
It jumps ahead in time quite a bit, bringing us to 8pm, and we arrive back at Sandymount, where we were with Stephen Dedalus early in the day (in “Proteus”). Nausicaa: Now, here was an interesting episode.
If you are reading along or want to join, remember to use #FebBloom for social media. Melissa over at Avid Reader’s Musings is hosting a read-along of James Joyce’s Ulysses this month, and I promised to post my reading guides/reactions for anyone who might want another perspective on this difficult read.
0 kommentar(er)
