“Inclination prompted her to speak out: dignity told her to be silent.” (349)

“A defect is ten times worse in a woman.” (368)

Restricting rules of society vs. natural inclinations and intelligent assessments.

And, finally, another beautiful wordsmith rendering:
“The summer evening had begun to fold the world in its mysterious embrace.” (346)

As a first-time reader, I find the psychology of the characters is so prominent it demands most attention–the art comes through on the re-read. In a chapter with two challenging stream-of-consciousness-es, I felt Joyce’s intent, or one of the main ones, was to highlight the contrast between inner, often ugly thoughts, and more pleasing appearances, inner/outer, over/under.

Speaking of art, while Hitchcock’s fireworks scene from To Catch a Thief (pictured) is not as famous as the train tunnel one from North by Northwest, I wonder if Hitch was influenced by this chapter of Joyce’s?

I appreciated how the sentences also echoed Bloom’s physical state, and find it fascinating that it took so long to reveal who Bloom was–I was wondering if it was Stephen prior, though Stephen is fair not dark, isn’t he?

And Joyce paints a lovely picture of Gerty with her shining hair and pale complexion and whitest of teeth and blue blue eyes. Except she’s kind of a high and mighty bitch who looks down on her friends Cissy and Edy, and enjoys courting a dark stranger’s gaze, teasing w/ glimpses at her stockings and vainly cared-for panties. “Love laughs at locksmiths.” [ML 1946 p.358]

Anyone else notice the squalling, fighting, pissing, shitting(?), spitting up babes were all male children? Or catch who haughty Gerty’s grandpapa is [p.346 hint: his dog is named Garryowen]. Were you a tiny bit surprised that Gerty’s gentlemanly European turned out to be Leopoldo Bloom?

Quotes:
“A brief cold blaze shone from her eyes that spoke volumes of scorn immeasurable.” [p.356] (cat fight! mrowr!)
“…and there was none to know or tell save the little bat that flew so softly through the evening to and fro and little bats don’t tell.” [p.361]
“People afraid of the dark. Also glowworms, cyclists: lightingup time. Jewels diamonds flash better. Light is a kind of reassuring. Not going to hurt you.” [p.369]
“Why me? Because you were so foreign from the others.” [p.373]

Final thought. Doubt I’ll ever view cream of celery soup the same way again.

1) the milkwoman (U1.403-04 [Columbia U] “her wrinkled fingers quick at the squirting dugs” ( http://ulyssesseen.com/comic/us_comic_tel_0037.html ), and

2) miss Douce (AKA “Bronze,” U11.1113-16 [Columbia U] “her thumb and finger passed in pity: passed, reposed and, gently touching, then slid so smoothly, slowly down, a cool firm white enamel baton protruding through their sliding ring” ( http://www.printed-editions.com/artwork/richard-hamilton-bronze-by-gold-11740 ).

There’s reading fun to be had in recognizing that artfulness when that image is raised again (pun intended). (Spoiler alert: It will be raised again.)

Less focus on the characters’ psychological flaws and more focus on “why” something is in this work of art (e.g. Why does the milkwoman come? Why is Gerty lame? Why did Rudy die?) may be rewarding to some readers.

“And then a rocket sprang and bang…”(p. 366)

It was romantic, sexy, sticky and finally disgusting, and by disgusting I mean Bloom is very ugly in his thoughts afterward, demeaning to whom he just moments before was the object of his affection, left me disgusted with him.  

All of this again forces us to ponder the idea of the unfiltered mind and how one might sound in one’s own mind which may also be just as disgusting.  

Some lines I marked:

Come what might she would be wild, untrammelled, free.(p. 365)

Their souls met in a last lingering glance and the eyes that reached her heart, full of a strange shining, hung enraptured on her sweet flowerlike face. She half smiled at him wanly, a sweet forgiving smile, a smile that verged on tears, and then they parted.(p. 367)

Damned glad I didn’t do it in the bath this morning over her silly I will punish you letter.(p. 368)

*still very much digging this behemoth of a book :)*