Ruby Penelope Ulysses # 22

Last chapter of both Homer's Odyssey and Joyce's Ulysses; Penelope.

Double glassed beach reading.

Odysseus had returned to Ithaca and was recognized both by his swineherd and his faithful dog.
As he entered his castle he had to shuffle out lots of parasitic wooers, who sought to overtake his wife and his throne.
Penelope didn't recognize her long wayward husband at first. It was not until he could identify some secrets about the matrimonial bed, Penelope accepted Odysseus as her husband.

Leopold Bloom's wife Molly, is the Penelope of Ulysses.
We last left them in a narrow, squeaking bed in 7 Eccles Street.
Now it is revealed that Molly in fact did commit adultery with Boylan this very day. Bloom was aware of the fact, and had even helped arrange the situation.

The last chapter is one coherent text without punctuation or paragraphs.
We are let into Molly's head, a stream of thoughts vaulting out, like a barricaded flood let free.
At times, I must admit, I feel Joyce is belittling his wife. The language is vulgar and the detailed descriptions, even worse. No wonder the book landed directly on the feared Index list of the Catholic Church.
Even so, my sympathy is with Molly.
She's mourning over her dead son and is also worried about her young daughter. (The daughter of Nora and James Joyce was diagnosed with schizophrenia and their efforts to get her cured all failed.)

Molly (Nora) is a middle aged, fading singer, who now has to perform in faraway Belfast,- with young Boylan.
She's clinging to memories from her youth, being a celebrated belle at Gibraltar, (Galway, actually).
She has no hopes for a future with Boylan. She knows in her mind, her heart and will are set to stay with Bloom.
She remembers Poldy's proposal on June 16th 1904, now famous as Bloomsday all over the world.



"miss Stack bringing him flowers the worst old ones she could find at the bottom of the basket anything at all to get into a mans bedroom" James Joyce



"he knew the way to take a woman when he sent me the 8 big poppies because mine was the 8th" James Joyce



"the ships out far like chips that was the Malta boat passing" James Joyce


"coming back on the nightboat from Tarifa the lighthouse at Europa"James Joyce


"I love flowers Id love to have the whole place swimming in roses God of heaven theres nothing like nature the wild mountains then the sea and the waves rushing then the beautiful country with fields of oats and wheat and all kinds of things and all the fine cattle going about that would do your heart good to see rivers and lakes and flowers all sorts of shapes and smells and colours springing up even out of the ditches primroses and violets nature it is as for them saying theres no God I wouldnt give a snap of my two fingers for all their learning" James Joyce


"they might as well try to stop the sun from rising tomorrow the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons ", James Joyce


"yes he said I was a flower of the mountain" James Joyce

"the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets "James Joyce.



"then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes." James Joyce

Originated by MaryT, check hers for today