Episode References from Stuart Gilbert’s James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Episode 2
- Title: Nestor
- Scene: The School
- Hour: 10 a.m.
- Organ: (none)
- Art: History
- Colour: Brown
- Symbol: Horse
- Technic: Catechism (personal)
One Favorite Quote among Many
“My childhood bends beside me. Too far for me to lay a hand there once or lightly. Mine is far and his secret as our eyes. Secrets, silent, stony sit in the dark palaces of both our hearts; secrets weary of their tyranny: tyrants willing to be dethroned.”
Stephen contemplates shared humanity
What’s Important?
The attached WordCloud created courtesy of WordCloud.com shows the incidence of important words appearing in the post about Episode 2 three or more times. Frequency may signify importance.
Copyright @ don ward 2020, copyright pending @ don ward 2022
Hi Don, nice connection to forge with Columbanus, Stephen, and Joyce. Great series of questions in the Aristotle segment. As I read your work, I’m noting some papers you may or may not be familiar with. I’ll send you the details on Twitter, rather than here. I know you probably have oodles to read, still, they may be some use to your further analyses. Plus, you know what they say: Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy your blog and insights. All best, Mary.
For the sake of my own education, I’m reading the novel (Alma edition) against the Little Review version (Yale edition). One fascinating change between the two versions: when discussing Sir John Blackwood in the novel, Deasy says he “voted for the union.” In LR, Deasy says he “voted against the union.” From what I’ve read, Blackwood promoted the notion that he voted for it but in fact voted against it. At any rate, no source (including Gifford) mentions this point. I’ve read most of the other books over the decades (I’m 70) but do not have them to hand. Any thoughts?
It does seem to me that this brief chapter is all about confrontation: Stephen/students, Stephen/Deasy, England/Ireland, Greece/Rome, antisemitism/Bloom, Catholics/Protestants, reality/potentiality. Every exchange, whether actual or mental, is a challenge to see who will dominate or lose. Joyce was thoroughly confrontational, and this Episode 2 shows him yet again taking on history’s battles: one more of those and he is done for!