Today we finished reading 'Cyclops', which as Fritz Senn explained, bears the closest parallel in the entire book to Homer's Odyssey. Just think of the parallels between the citizen and Polyphemus, of the biscuit box thrown by the citizen with the rock thrown by Polyphemus. Other features that should be compared are the numerous references to 'eye' in the singular form hinting at the single-eyed giant, Joyce's playing with names through out the episode with how Odysseus introduces himself to Polyphemus by saying his name is "Οὖτις", and finally the gigantism of the entire episode with the gigantic inhabitants of the island, Cyclops.
Last week, we had left Martin Cunningham, rapping for his glass, saying, 'God bless all here is my prayer.' Bloom had gone out of the pub. Lenehan was pretending that he knows where he's gone.... He had a few bob on Throwaway and he's gone to gather in the shekels.' The friends gathered in the pub were talking in general of jews, and in particular of Bloom, the jew.
Cunningham's mentioning of God's blessing starts off another interpolation, this one about a formal blessing as it takes place in a church. This long interpolation (And at the sound of the sacring bell,...; penguin 440.5) that is more than two pages long, and is inserted between what Joe Hynes ('And I'm sure He will') and Jack Power ('And so say all of us') are saying, puts forth a real long list of saints, some real, some disguised to indicate those present in Barney Kieran's pub. Even the citizen's dog, that bloody mangy mongrel, gets a place of honor in this list as S. Owen Caniculus!
Bloom returns from the courthouse, where he has been looking for Martin Cunningham. Cunningham, who feels the tension in the air, makes a quick exit with Bloom, Jack Power and Crofton. They get on the jaunting car, and Martin says to the jarvey, 'Off with you.' Their hasty exit cues in another interpolation (The milkwhite dolphin....; penguin 443.28), a short report on a kind of nautical farewell, and is full of sailing technicalities.
Though Bloom quits the pub, the citizen does not keep quiet. The situation turns nasty with him rushing out and bawling at Bloom. As the onlookers (ragamuffins and sluts of the nation) enjoy the scene, Bloom starts to retaliate, evoking names of famous (though here irrelevant) jews, ending with 'And the Saviour was a jew and his father a jew. Your God.' Enraged, the citizen storms into the pub (By Jesus, I'll crucify him so I will. Give us that biscuitbox here.') with Joe Hynes trying to stop him. It is time for another interpolation (A large and appreciative gathering...; penguin 445.13), another parody of another departure. Now of a foreign visitor (Lipoti Virag alias Leopold Bloom).
The jarvey has gone round the corner just as the citizen hurls the biscuitbox after Bloom. It misses the target and the old tinbox clatters along the street. The interpolation that follows is real gigantic in nature, dealing as it does with an earthquake. (The catastrophe was terrific.... ; penguin 447.1) The citizen is shouting to the bloody dog; 'After him, Garry! After him, boy!' But the bloody car manages to go round the corner. Bloom's 'escape' is parodied in the very last paragraph of the episode (When, lo, there came about them...; penguin 449.1) in which Joyce uses at first biblical language describing how the prophet Elijah ascended to the heavens, ending the episode with ordinary language.
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| (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus) |
Cunningham's mentioning of God's blessing starts off another interpolation, this one about a formal blessing as it takes place in a church. This long interpolation (And at the sound of the sacring bell,...; penguin 440.5) that is more than two pages long, and is inserted between what Joe Hynes ('And I'm sure He will') and Jack Power ('And so say all of us') are saying, puts forth a real long list of saints, some real, some disguised to indicate those present in Barney Kieran's pub. Even the citizen's dog, that bloody mangy mongrel, gets a place of honor in this list as S. Owen Caniculus!
Bloom returns from the courthouse, where he has been looking for Martin Cunningham. Cunningham, who feels the tension in the air, makes a quick exit with Bloom, Jack Power and Crofton. They get on the jaunting car, and Martin says to the jarvey, 'Off with you.' Their hasty exit cues in another interpolation (The milkwhite dolphin....; penguin 443.28), a short report on a kind of nautical farewell, and is full of sailing technicalities.
Though Bloom quits the pub, the citizen does not keep quiet. The situation turns nasty with him rushing out and bawling at Bloom. As the onlookers (ragamuffins and sluts of the nation) enjoy the scene, Bloom starts to retaliate, evoking names of famous (though here irrelevant) jews, ending with 'And the Saviour was a jew and his father a jew. Your God.' Enraged, the citizen storms into the pub (By Jesus, I'll crucify him so I will. Give us that biscuitbox here.') with Joe Hynes trying to stop him. It is time for another interpolation (A large and appreciative gathering...; penguin 445.13), another parody of another departure. Now of a foreign visitor (Lipoti Virag alias Leopold Bloom).
The jarvey has gone round the corner just as the citizen hurls the biscuitbox after Bloom. It misses the target and the old tinbox clatters along the street. The interpolation that follows is real gigantic in nature, dealing as it does with an earthquake. (The catastrophe was terrific.... ; penguin 447.1) The citizen is shouting to the bloody dog; 'After him, Garry! After him, boy!' But the bloody car manages to go round the corner. Bloom's 'escape' is parodied in the very last paragraph of the episode (When, lo, there came about them...; penguin 449.1) in which Joyce uses at first biblical language describing how the prophet Elijah ascended to the heavens, ending the episode with ordinary language.
