ULYSSES Readalong: ch 18: Penelope
“Molly Bloom (Caraid O’Brien),” by Louie Correia.
If you would like to listen to the last chapter of Ulysses, Penelope, read aloud, this link at LISTEN is a good one.
And, we’re done!
Chapter 18: Penelope, is Molly’s voice, and the last of the book. It’s interesting that we got 17 chapters of He Said, and that the 18th, She Said, is one of the most popular, with its famous last line
yes I said yes I will yes.
Though, since the foregoing chapter had no punctuation (Molly’s stream of consciousness is the most stream-y) this is technically the end of the one, long sentence.
Who finished? Who tried but didn’t?
ADDED LATER: Together, I think chapters 17 and 18, Ithaca and Penelope, were my favorites. I also think many things were revealed in them that might have had more impact for me if they hadn’t been foretold in the notes from earlier chapters. I’m not sure I could have read this entire book without notes, but I wish that the notes that exist weren’t so cavalier about the details just because this book has been around for over 100 years and others besides me have read it.
I thoroughly enjoyed Molly’s chapter, her voice, and her observations. That said, I think it’s important to remember that this is a chapter written by a man in a woman’s voice. It’s good, but I can’t say I stay up thinking about sex all the time and obsessing about how men view me, so while Joyce gets some of this right, I do think he sexualizes to an extreme that is more a male fantasy than an everywoman’s viewpoint.
Molly’s chapter is divided into eight “sentences” with no punctuation, so it can be hard to follow. The summary at Schmoop.com is helpful. I took this to mean that her stream of consciousness is the “streamiest” and more water-y and mothering than those of the other men in the book.
I will do a follow-up post on the whole book, but this wraps things up for now. Thanks for those who have come along for the journey.
Past posts:
Week 1: books 1 and 2
Week 2: books 3 and 4
Week 3: books 5, 6
Week 4: book 7
Week 5: book 8
Week 6: book 9
Week 7: book 10
Week 8: book 11
Week 9: book 12
Week 10: book 13
Week 11: book 14
Week 12: book 15 part 1/3
Week 13: book 15 part 2/3
Week 14: book 15 part 3/3
Week 15: book 16
Week 16: book 17
June 16th, 2015 at 11:29 am
I was reminded of the children’s book Go, Dog, Go!:
Do you like my hat?Â
I do. What a hat! I like it! Â I like that party hat! Â
Good-by!Â
Good-by.
(Except Bloom likes Molly in any hat unlike the dog in Go, Dog, Go!)
Sum of 18 for me in my fave quotes:
he did look a big fool dreeping in the rain splendid set of teeth he had made me hungry to look at them and(p. 746)I wish some man or other would take me sometime when hes there and kiss me in his arms theres nothing like a kiss long and hot down to your soul almost paralyses you(p. 740)that long joult over the featherbed mountain(p. 750)child born out of her ear(p. 751)can feel his mouth O Lord(p. 754)he said hed come back Lord its just like yesterday to me(p. 761)goodbye to my sleep for this night anyhow(p. 763)then play with the cat she rubs up against you for her own sake(p. 763)the smoothest place is right there between this bit here how soft like a peach(p. 770)(And finally her climax:)…Yes.(p. 783)
June 17th, 2015 at 8:40 pm
… and yes I read yes in entirety Yes.
What a lovely sense of satisfaction after completing this literary Everest. HUGE thanks to Kristin for shepherding us along the way. And to all the TCUlysses-ians for being so open w/ opinions and thoughts and perspectives and insights. Reading this as a group was a joy.
Penelope. Can’t call it my favorite episode as I keep being haunted by Ithaca. That said, I did enjoy hearing from Poldy’s beloved (and yes, I believe he does love her quite deeply). They both have large appetites for life; Molly is freer w/ hers, at least as expressed from the Island of Bed in the Sea of Home.
So many great quotes; I’ll limit myself to 3 I particularly enjoyed:
“of course hes mad on the subject of drawers thats plain to be seen always skeezing at those brazenfaced things on the bicycles with their skirts blowing up to their navels” [ML 1946, p.731]
“sparrowfarts skitting around talking politics they know as much about as my backside anything in the world to make themselves someway interesting” [p.747]
“deceitful men all their 20 pockets arent enough for their lies then why should we tell them even if its the truth they dont believe you” [p.757]
It’s been a great journey. Thanks all.