A Note About Format
Joyce does something new with the format of this Episode: He gives an all-caps headline for each piece of it, with a total of over 60 ‘headlines’ in the thirty-four pages of the Episode. Much of the Episode takes place in newspaper offices, and the headlines lend an urgency that is commensurate with what most people imagine (or used to imagine) is the tone of a newsroom. The headlines make the narrative more dramatic, as if the events in the episode are being distilled and reported. It’s hard to describe, but until now I’ve felt, when reading Ulysses, that I find things out as they happen to or are thought of by the characters: I’ve accompanied Dedalus or Bloom through the Episodes, witnessing what they witness, and knowing their thoughts as they think them. In contrast, in this Episode, the headlines establish distance between the narrative and the reader.
Narrative Summary
The Episode opens with a brief description of the trams that run through the heart of Dublin. Then we are with Bloom in a newspaper office, getting a copy of an advertisement that had previously run for his client, Keyes. Bloom wants to revise the ad, and is told that if Keyes will commit to running the new ad for three months, then the paper can write up a paragraph — a puff piece — about Keyes’ business and put it in the News section. Bloom sees Hynes, who is there to file a report about Dignam’s funeral. Bloom tries to remind Hynes of the money Hynes owes him, but Hynes seems not to understand what Bloom is getting at.
Bloom wants a different graphic on the new advertisement, and tries to communicate what he wants to the newspaper’s foreman, but vacillates between trying to make sure the foreman understands and worrying that the foreman thinks Bloom is being intrusive and pushy. Bloom, reminded of earlier in the day and Cunningham snubbing him, thinks of clever things he could have said to Cunningham about the dent in his hat.
Bloom watches the typesetter setting copy. It’s done backwards, and he remembers his father reading Hebrew “backwards” (right to left) as well. He needs to discuss the proposed three month commitment to the paper with Keyes, his client. Bloom thinks of stopping in at home to see Molly on the way to see Keyes but decides not to, and goes into another office to telephone Keyes. Ned Lambert, Simon Dedalus, and some other newspaper men are talking in that office, discussing the speech reprinted in the paper that day. Lambert and Dedalus leave to go get a drink.
Bloom, standing close to the door, gets hit by the doorknob when someone else comes in. The newspapermen have an animated discussion about the merits of different speakers and speeches, talking self assuredly, joking with each other, and Bloom is tentative, on the fringes. Bloom makes his phone call, finds out where he needs to go to speak to Keyes, and awkwardly takes his leave, with the editor, Myles Crawford, assuring him that he’ll get what he wants (the puff piece) for his client. The news boys mimic Bloom as he walks down the street outside.
Stephen Dedalus comes in, carrying Deasy’s article, asking Crawford to print it. The men seem to like Stephen, and he joins their discussion, now ranging to cover Ireland and England,and parallels to and Greece and Rome. Crawford asks Stephen to write something with bite for the paper, assuring Stephen that he has the ability. They start talking about great journalism, and Crawford pulls out a back-copy of an article the paper ran about a famous murder. Crawford is caught up in narrating the details of the murder, the men enthusiastic, when Bloom calls and asks to speak to him about Keyes. But Crawford, in a different mood now, won’t take Bloom’s call, saying “tell him go to hell.” Bloom is told to come by in person.
The men shift subjects, discussing great legal minds and famous cases, quoting lawyers’ speeches, and even Stephen Dedlaus is moved by some of the recitations. One of the speeches recalled is on the subject of reviving the “Irish tongue,” and raises parallels between the Irish and the Jews in relation to the English and the Egyptians.
Stephen suggests that they all go to the pub, and they agree. Stephen thinks to himself that he has much to learn about Dublin still — about the men, and how to make his way among them. As they set out, Stephen begins to tell a story about two old women who decide to climb to the top of Nelson’s column (in the heart of Dublin).
Bloom comes back, asks Crawford for a moment of his time to resolve the Keyes matter. Keyes has counter-proposed that he commit to a two-month run of the new advertisement (not three) but only if the paper gives him a “little puff” about his business. Bloom says “What will I tell him, Mr. Crawford?”, but Crawford’s mood has changed completely and he says to tell Keyes “he can kiss my arse.” Bloom’s eyes wander, he notices Stephen Dedalus, that it looks like they’re all off for a drink, and he tries again with Crawford. This time, Crawford says “He can kiss my royal Irish Arse.” Bloom stands still, and starts a tentative smile as Crawford passes him, on his way out with the men for a drink.
Stephen Dedalus continues the story of the two women as the men walk.
Thoughts and Impressions
It’s clear that Bloom is on the fringes with this group, tolerated but not embraced, and aware of their attitude towards him. He’s unsure how to act and lacks the other men’s casual camaraderie.
I think that the greater distance I felt from Bloom in this Episode because of the headlines that Joyce uses enabled me to read the Episode without becoming too uncomfortable or embarrassed on Bloom’s behalf. He gets humiliated here, and has no idea how to react.
In addition, while I know that good writers are supposed to show, rather than tell, about character’s emotions, it struck me very deeply in this Episode that although Joyce tells us Bloom’s thoughts, we still have to guess at Bloom’s feelings. And so far, Bloom has not had clear thoughts about his own emotions — he hasn’t thought “how embarrassing’ or “how dare he.” Perhaps that’s because people don’t normally think to themselves “I’m angry” or “I’m embarrassed.” But I think it’s also because Bloom distances himself from his own emotions, and does not allow them to rise up clearly to the forefront of his consciousness. I would imagine that to do so would be very difficult.
Dedalus joins the newsmen very shortly after Bloom leaves it, and I enjoyed the seamless switch from Bloom’s thoughts to Dedalus’s. At the end of the Episode, when the two are almost in a group together, there were parts where I had to stop and think about whose thoughts I was reading, but not many. It should be interesting to see how Joyce handles the scenes where the two men converse.
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