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Chapter 5 - Who are the Lotus-Eaters: Lotus - Eaters: I am wondering who the lotus eates are. Who are these who ate the fruit of the lotus plant (or something similar) and so entered the same state of enervating dreaminess in which the Lotophagi lived. Is it McCoy who comes across so 'false' in the way he askes in "low respect: 'Is there any ... no trouble I hope? I see you're ...." and later has no time to attend the funeral of 'poor' Dignam, but wants his name to be entered in the book? Is it the woman who writes that silly and childist letter to Bloom? She certainly seems to be living in a sort of enervating dreaminess. Is it Bloom himself - whose thoughts are running all over the world, though those of his wife - "Mrs. Marion Bloom. Not up yet. Queen was in her bedroom eating bread and. No book. Blackened court cards laid along her thigh by sevens. Dark lady and fair man. Cat furry black ball. Torn strip of envelope."- bother him again, and again. Why does not Bloom who expects Molly to have an affair does nothing to prevent it. He even steers clear of the field, in a sense, when he leaves Molly in bed and goes off on his sauntering. (Talking of Bloom - I also wonder who is more Joycean in this book - Bloom or Stephen. How they both think! Bloom's thoughts are not so tortured as Stephen's are. But still the sheer amount of thoughts that enter Bloom's mind are amazing.) Is it the normal church goer who is the lotus eater here? Is Bloom (Joyce) drawing here our attention to the falsity of 'religious' people? See his reference to Peter Carey. "That fellow that turned queen's evidence on the invincibles he used to receive the, Carey was his name, the communion every morning. This very church. ...And just imagine that. Wife and six children at home. And plotting that murder (Phoenix park murders) all the time." Note also that Bloom (Joyce) is NOT making fun of the ritual practice of the communion - the eating of the Corpus, the bread of the angles, Panis angelorum. He says: "There's a big idea behind it, kind of kingdom of God is within you feel." (P. 99) (This sentence had escaped me completely till I read/reread/rereread the chapter.) And later when he says, "Gloria and immaculate virgin. Joseph her spouse. Peter and Paul. More interesting if you understood what it was all about." (P. 102) (The page numbers refer to those of the Penguin edition.) So Bloom is really not making fun of the practices, but of the people who do not basically think. The people who lead their life without thinking are the real lotus eaters. Bloom in that sense is not one of them. Nice chapter. Deceptively simple the first time one reads. But one has to read it more than once to really enjoy all that it has to offer. I am really MOST impressed by Joyce's Bildung (education / knowledge). His memory for details, and the way he knits together seemings unrelated events and people. Have a nice weekend, and do take part in thinking about Ulysses. It is a sheer joy. Don't forego it saying, 'I am very busy.' Pardon me for the suggestion but I really do not know anybody who is not very busy. Chandra
***Bloom witnesses the narcotic
effect of religion Bloom's ideas about drugs while at
the chemist's: People in the city: "Listlessly holding. . ." Time: "slack hour" Bloom: "his eyes read blandly" Plants: "big lazy leaves to float on", "Lethargy", "flowers of Idleness", "Petals too tired" Is it Bloom himself - whose thoughts are running all over the world, though those of his wife - "Mrs. Marion Bloom. Not up yet. Queen was in her bedroom eating bread and. No book. Blackened court cards laid along her thigh by sevens. Dark lady and fair man. Cat furry black ball. Torn strip of envelope."- By sevens? (more on plants in my next post) Mike
But, Mike, the time is (was) 10.00am. Why do you consider it the slack hour? You really gave a good lesson in thinking about the chapter, as you showed that every word, every association is important. It makes me feel like reading it all over again! Chandra Bloom sees the time as the "slack hour". "Tell him if he smokes he won't grow. O let him! His life isn't such a bed of roses. Waiting outside pubs to bring da home. Come home to ma, da. **Slack hour**: won't be many there. He crossed Townsend street, passed the frowning face of Bethel. El, yes: house of: Aleph, Beth. And past Nichols' the undertaker. At eleven it is. Time enough." It looks as if it is a time when the pubs are not all that full. The Pub being another example of Lotus Land and people that are unable to go home. Later, we will see Stephens sister Dilly, waiting for father outside a bar . . . Mike HOME! |