Hi Mr. Reich, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve made this video, but I just wanted to say thank you for this series! I’ve been reading Ulysses this summer and plan to finish on Bloomsday- and, watching these, I feel less lonely on my Joyce journey. I found Gerty’s story really sad, since it seemed like she was using her romantic delusions to cope with her difficult home life and her disability. In this chapter, I think Joyce is dispelling sentimental views we might have about Bloom. Before this chapter, I thought of Bloom as a kind of model citizen, someone I would like as a father figure or nice uncle- but now, I see that he’s a lech. Also, you talked about how Woolf disliked Joyce for his vulgarity, but thought he was on to something- one of her criticisms of him was that he put too much of his personality/ego into his books. Although it probably required a giant ego to write Ulysses, I think he’s pretty good at letting his characters speak, think, and act for themselves rather than speaking through them or moralizing through them. The only character who’s possibly speaking for Joyce is Stephen, and he’s no perfect hero. In Woolf’s novels, on the other hand, I can hear her voice through the characters- all their thoughts and emotions are filtered through a distinctly Woolfian style. In contrast, Joyce uses many styles to show how reality is modulated through perception, so he’s harder to pin down. Didn’t mean for the comment to be this long. Your video prompted me to think a lot about Ulysses and I wanted to share a bit with you!
"Also, you talked about how Woolf disliked Joyce for his vulgarity, but thought he was on to something- one of her criticisms of him was that he put too much of his personality/ego into his books. Although it probably required a giant ego to write Ulysses," I find people often have trouble when a Public Dream is being spoken, they think it is "big ego", when in fact it is community, small ego. Joseph Campbell, age 81: "a myth is the society's dream. The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth."
Chris It has been years since you posted these videos and I hope you are doing well! I first read Ulysses when I was a teenager and have read all of Joyce. I am now 68. I also listened to the Ulysses audiobook read by Donel Donnelly (My favorite audiobook to date). I recently visited Ireland and in Dublin, I of course did a Joyce tour....visited most of the places including Martello Tower and Sweny's. (and bought the lemon soap). I want to say, these videos are great. I have read other books...Gifford's book.....ReJoyce by Burgess....I am re-reading Ulysses now and some of the reference stuff....and your videos are very enjoyable. I am up to this Nausicaa video now but will absolutely watch them all! and I will check out your other videos as well! David
Thank you so much for these videos. I doubt very much whether I'd have made it this far in the book without them. And since I've come this far, I can now see what a shame that would be.
Dear Chris, I've been watching your videos and they've helped me get through the book, thank you. As a non-native English speaker (I'm Brazilian) you can imagine what a chalange it was. Regarding the first lines you praised, I believe it was written as a parody of a bad victorian romance. I recommend " The Odyssey of style in Ulysses" where this is all explained. Best regards
I really appreciated the part where you analyzed the sentence "I am a... ". And the fact that we can't complete it with one word that is all-of-us, all-of-what-we-are. We are son many things - good and less good. And I agree about how easily we judge people saying "he is a" "she is a". This was a great moral lesson. Thank you so much
Thank you! I love your comments. It is fun to follow your journey. This is a complex chapter. It made an impact on me. When she walks away with the limp, it makes the whole sex thing extra creepy. At least it felt that way to me.
Hello, Chris! Yesterday i read Nausicaa and watched this video, but i was so moved by your words (the final part), i could not collect my thoughts 🥺 this episode is quite emotional too. Though at first it felt sooo cheap to me, with all those clichés, unnatural perfection, silly "typical" women's thoughts, ugh. Then something in the scenery itself made me drift away, i just sat there dreaming of some beautiful balmy evenings, of my teenage years... i literally got sentimental 😅😅 Then of course that cheesy part ruined my fine mood, snapped me back to realism. And back to Bloom. His fixation on Molly is amazing to me, how he keeps comparing everyone to her. And he reminded me of one line from Steinbeck's "Cup of Gold": Old Robert had loved his wife so well and so long that he could think sharp things about her, and the thoughts could not injure his affection. There's beauty in his loving heart which keeps him a nice man even though in that scene he wasn't too nice) Thank you again for all the insightful information about the book! Hope, you are doing great 🌻
I love the way you write. You have a great insight into this book. This particular chapter haunted me for months after I first read it. It was tawdry and distasteful but not at the same time. And when she limps away, quite stomach turning. And the mass is going on and Bloom thinks of Molly...it is like Joyce gets the whole human experience in that small chapter. It thrills me to hear from someone who makes it this far and is moved by the book. I cannot tell you how deeply I appreciate the time you take to comment. Thank you.
My favorite chapter of the book :), which is saying a lot when put up against chapters like Ithaca, that one was borderline life-changing for me as a lot of Ulysses has surprisingly been for me. the last 4 or so pages of Nausicaa are some of the most profoundly beautiful and eye-opening pieces of text for me as a writer and as a person. It's just such wonderful stuff and your video has helped me appreciate that even more. I admire this novel more than nearly any other novel I've come across, it's truly astounding what Joyce has explored of the human condition and while he rejected sentimentality, I think he struck a real core of heart and poetry. One that comprehends and works in some ways because of the vast ugliness, confusion, bluntness, entropy, and what sometimes feels like the impossibility of reality as a human being. There's a sincere poetry found in the unpoetic, and a grounding of the escapist poetry people use to distance themselves from this world. This is what Nausicaa is all about. The convergence of reality and fantasy, the acceptance of life as an imperfect thing, your own mistakes alongside the mistakes of others, understanding that the past is past, that you only have now, that it's all on you. It keeps a balance between this genuine melancholy and laugh-out-loud humor that just astounds me. Sitting half-asleep on the beach late in a long day, where past and present, memory and dream, beauty and ugliness all fall into one slowly fading stream, indistinguishable from each other. And that chapter ending is just utterly perfect.
I am completely awestruck by your beautiful writing. Thank you. When readers find pleasure in this great book, it fills my heart. You express it so beautifully. I wish we could sit together and talk about this book. Someday! Cheers and best wishes to you. Thank you for taking the time to write that.
@@TeachUBusiness Thank you so so much for your reply :)). Ohh, god I have way wayyyy too much to say about this book, and my experience reading and rereading and rereading it has been something unmirrored in the world of reading for me. Really, it's wonderful. I'd love to be able to talk with you about it too, having lurked in the shadows and watched your videos on the book for a decent bit now (in a very random, unorganized fashion just as I've also read the book). I actually read this Nausicaa chapter first which hooked me into finishing the rest of it. My process of reading Ulysses has been insane and detestable by probably most people's standards, but Telemachus was a total slog for a while so I kinda just wanted to get into the meat of the book. It was about as disorienting as reading it in order would be, I have no regrets. Anyway, as I continue to find more I wanna say I'll drop comments across all your videos and any conversation can sprout as it will! I'm glad for the existence of this project as it has really illuminated a lot of things and is detached from a LOT of the snobbery and annoying discourse that can surround this book. When you get to the heart of things (if u can find it past all the unintelligible writing and major plot points distilled in tiny sentences that blend into the rest of the wordthoughtvomit LOL I love it) this book is just a total marvel and a treasure trove of great writing.
I love your videos and watch the corresponding one before reading each episode for an overview which makes what is a difficult read for me much easier and more interesting. I found out about Ulysses in a Facebook book club during CoVid and joined up with a few people there to read it. We video chat once a week or so. Highly recommend others to find some people online to read this with!
@@TeachUBusiness Indeed I am! I've read it off and on several times but now am digging in for real, thanks to an online book club I'm part of. We discussed Nausicaa a couple nights ago in fact. The main point of contention was basically how much of a parody the first 700 lines of the chapter is. I feel "satire" may be the best word. Joyce certainly pokes fun at the conventions of romance novels, but I feel he's up to something more serious as well. It seems to me that he highlights the artificiality and distortions of the genre, and that he shows the damage that they can cause. Gerty is so mesmerized by the narrative she thinks she's supposed to have that she seems to think she's "left on the shelf" when she's really in the prime of her life. Furthermore, we end up not really seeing who Gerty is, so much so that the detail about her being lame (a central part of her character) comes as a total surprise. I would also connect this aspect of satire to Joyce's overall project (or one of them): showing the inadequate nature of all forms of narrative in order to exhort artists to look for newer, more authentic ways to express "reality." Anyway, I thought you might like to hear some of my thoughts and welcome your reactions. I'll be watching your video on "Oxen" soon. By the looks of the first 100 lines, I'm going to need it.
You are doing GREAT! Don't let the oxen trample you! Oxen is one of the toughest episodes. As a tip, try to focus on what is being said rather than the style it's being said. When people try to decipher each style, they lose track of the happenings. What did you think of Naussica? When she limps away, it really feels like a gut punch. (IMO)
I had put down the book as I was sitting exams, but now that they're over, I'm back and it felt fitting to get back into Ulysses Bloomsday Week! Thanks again Chris. Great chat about Ulysses, as always!
I'm so happy to hear from you, Georgina! Any idea how the exams went? This is a big week for us! I need to get on the stick to get content out! Cheers, Chris
Your videos are amazing... Omg.... I wish I'd Listened years ago when you recorded them and it was fresh for you too... Id love to discuss and talk with you about this amazing stuff.... But I am grateful I can listen to your so so inspiring and helpful comments.... Thank you from my heart ♥️♥️
This was without question the episode that I have found the most difficult to finish. My emotional response was so strong that I really struggled to keep reading. I didn't view the first part of the chapter as Gerty's voice but as Bloom's fantasy as he watches her, a clichéed view of what fills a young woman's head, maybe informed by the romance books he buys for Molly. Gerty is simply an object that he can elicit sexual gratification from so there is no incentive for him to get to know her (that would 'spoil all') and I understood the writing that opens the episode to be a reflection of his superficial interest in her rather than an accurate representation of who she is. As young women we are encouraged to conform to societal ideals in order to be acceptable, wearing makeup to ensure our lashes are lustrous, learning how to create a hominess that will please our future husbands, not admitting to having bodily needs such as hunger, and only expressing our emotions 'nicely.' We are taught that this is where our value lies, rather than in our words, our thoughts and our ideas, and I believe that this is why Joyce chose not to share Gerty's inner world in the same way that he presents that of Stephen and Bloom. From the little insight we get into Gerty's story, I'm pretty sure that she thinks of more than ribbons and eyebrowleine. There can be few things more frightening than growing up with a violent father addicted to alcohol and she has just been deserted by a boy who she may have believed would take her away from this. I imagine she would have little opportunity to pursue a career herself, therefore marriage is her only way to escape a very bleak future. To accomplish this she must be what men want; she must sit and look pretty. She can't even stand because if she does she it will be revealed that she is lame and not the perfect woman that men want her to be. I found it such a painful reflection of society that even when conforming to these exhausting standards of beauty and etiquette, the chapter's tone mocks her attempts to be all that is asked of her. I found myself thinking of Dilly too during this episode and sharing Stephen's misery as I imagined what lays ahead for her as she grows into womanhood.
I love your comments! Great thinking. This episode really disturbed me when I first read it. Joyce does a brilliant job of creating pathos. As Gerty flirts with Bloom, and he gets deeper and deeper with his desire, we are drawn to this apparently erotic scene like trying to look away from a tragedy. With the mass happening and the reference to the virgin Mary, We get confused about the entire thing....and when Gerty walks away with a limp, the reader gets a dose of self-disgust. It's brilliant. And yet, do we turn on ole Bloom? No. Joyce gives us empathy for all the characters. And by the end? I am a .... Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your thoughts...
@@wasfuerkeksigkeit Thanks so much. I found that this episode really affected how I feel about Bloom. I find it much more difficult to feel empathy towards him now and have been struggling to keep motivated to read, not wanting to spend so much time in his head. I took a break from the book recently, during Circe, but coming back to it today I was surprised that I didn't feel more moved by his compassion towards Stephen. I had been looking forward to their connection for such a long time but ended up wondering why he sees Stephen as deserving of his care despite his imperfections (he can hardly stand for most of the episode, let alone walk), while he sees Gerty as something to use and ridicule. Both are young people doing all they can to survive.
@@rachelj2795 A few years late but I think it's very likely that Joyce was doing that as a parody of romantic irish novels that don't care about the inner psyche of the women, just portraying them as objects. And if you read carefully, Bloom desires Gerty because he projects the Molly from the past onto her. Joyce portrays her as the ideal woman to mess with the reader's head and evoke the romantic style that objectifies women, but as soon as we get into Bloom's head, we see that his true desire is not Gerty as an object, but rather to live his old times with Molly again. As he can't go back to those times with Molly herself, he tries to become young again through Gerty. Taking this into consideration, I think this episode is very, very sad.
@captain_cloudd Thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry, I haven't returned to Ulysses since my first read, so I can't remember all the details of this episode, but I do remember how it left me feeling. Maybe this had a purpose, but from this point, my relationship with the book really changed. I felt that Joyce was inviting readers to imagine things that were deeply upsetting, but that we couldn't criticise this because it would just mean that we were not understanding his writing. Having put so much effort into reading this far, I didn’t feel that I could stop, and, remembering how much some of the earlier episodes had meant to me, I had hoped that maybe I would ultimately find some meaning in being encouraged to root for a man whose actions in this epsiode were wrong (regardless of what was driving them) or to be disgusted by Gerty being revealed to be lame, but I didn't. I agree that there is a sadness in Bloom's longing for his youth, but this was eclipsed for me by the sadness of Gerty's story and the sense that we were supposed to find her ridiculous. I don't doubt Joyce's talent, but sadly, I do doubt his respect for the female characters in his work. Maybe I would feel differently if I were to read again, but I'm currently enjoying exploring other modern classics.
Regarding the age of the children, might it be related to Oxen of the Sun, “Marion that had borne him an only man child which on his eleventh day on love had died?”
Hi Chris! This second time around with 'Ulysses' I just so happened to stumble upon one of your videos. And my Joyce was I happy! I don't know about you but every now and then you find yourself in a situation (or rather 'mood') when you decide to really dig into a book, try to 'understand' it and along with that understand a little bit more about yourself and maybe life in general. This second time with 'Ulysses' I, from the the very first page, got completely swept away by the narrative of Mr Joyce ... I guess, I honestly don't know. But hey, here I am and I just want to thank you for your superb videos (I have listened to and watched two so far). Take care!
Thank you so much for that very kind comment. I am happy that the writing is touching you. You are so right in everything you say. It's like a code. Once we crack it, the book opens up and reaches us deeply. Please let me know how this second journey is for you. May I ask where you are? It's fun to know readers all over the world. Thank you.
@@TeachUBusiness Of course you may, I'm from Sweden and a lovely town called Gothenburg (Göteborg), maybe known to some people over the Atlantic Ocean for a certain Boss who alongside some 70' Swedes almost made the stadium Ullevi collapse on 8 June 1985. But he has been back many times since then. And we welcome him every time with open arms! I'll keep you posted concerning my 'Ulysses' journey!
@@TeachUBusiness Well my friend, reading 'Ithaca' now and I must say, for me, it's the toughest one so far. When you say that one need to understand everything in order to be able to fully enjoy the chapter I say 'dictionary':-) I have just ordered some books about 'Ulysses', including 'The New Bloomsday Book' and looking forward to read it ('Ulysses') once more as soon as I have finished. But, hey you've helped me a lot, so thanks a lot for that.
Your lectures are amazing and your mastery of the material does make it fun. I would like to point out that Gerty is not a minor. Here’s a quote. “As for undies they were Gerty’s chief care and who that knows the fluttering hopes and fears of sweet seventeen (though Gerty would never see seventeen again) can find it in his heart to blame her?” (U 13.171-73). So it seems she is not a minor (even in modern times) and she certainly is not below the age of consent in Joyce’s Ireland. I’m glad for this. As much as I understand and embrace the flawed character of Bloom, I think my view of him would be very different if Gerty were underaged. Then we would be entering Humbert Humbert territory, where we are interested in the character but loath him. I want to accept Bloom’s perversity. I don’t want to think my nieces aren’t safe around him
A lot of good analysis as usual. But I thought your judgement of Gerty was harsh: she is not fake simply because she uses make-up and her lame leg is hardly that off putting... I agree with Rachel J that this is a parody of a parody... this is how a male gaze would imagine the thoughts of a girl to be. Her life is unbelievably harsh with few avenues of escape available to her.
At some point I should make an additional video on this episode.I try to express a couple of ideas....1) With the service in the background from the church of Mary (blue is Mary's color) Joyce is painting an unrealistic picture of the perfect Irish girl. 2) Some things never change. Gerty is young and follows the "advice" of the magazines of the day and she has a somewhat unrealistic image of the relationship between adult men and women. 3) The contrast between what Gerty sees in Bloom and what Bloom sees in Gerty is brilliantly portrayed. She sees him as the tall dark foreigner with whom she might eat flowers for breakfast. And he sees her in a purely sexual way as a fantasy girl teasing him by showing a bit of knicker. Reality hits (as it does) after Bloom finishes pleasuring himself and Gerty limps away. It gives us a view of them both that is quite shocking.... Some have taken that as criticism of Gerty. It isn't. Despite the perfect image, she is flawed. Bloom wouldn't begin to know about her world view, but the limp is something he can see....and then feel shame. And while they both play out their fantasies, real life goes on around them. The boys fight, the kid has to pee. Sissy is dealing with those realities which lie ahead for Gerty. In a catholic Ireland, she'll not eat flowers but be expected to crank out a dozen kids. Her life IS harsh. Joyce is telling us that.
Hello Chris. I've been reading this book for a couple of months and just started to watch your videos to help me understand what the heck I've just really read ^^. You talked about a split in a 3/4 of this chapter. I just wanted to ask if I'm correct to notice the mockery and even parody of the Victorian romanticised descriptive style of love treated in a "my- prince-to-come" way? Then, contrasted with a down-to-earth way of Bloom's thinking makes it even more silly?
You are right on point. It is a beautiful moment wrapped in the paper of real life. Brilliant, really. So Bloom knows that Molly is the real deal. His beach fantasy is nothing in comparison. There is so much packed into this chapter that we could talk about it for days. Glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for commenting.
Once again I’m watching your video in preparation to reading the episode..I’m looking forward to this one. It has everything I love, sex perversion, drugs and rock n roll...All things real. I’m not much of a non-fiction personality, I prefer the real grit, real life. The Virginia Wolfs are the problem with society...too easily offended and void of realism. Thank you again for the wonderful preview...
You'll love this episode. It's one of my favorites. Watch for the contrast between the weirdly idealized and the real. Brilliantly, Joyce has this perfect picture of Irish Girlhood with a big flaw.
So, watched the movie version up to the scene on the beach, bloom pleasures himself and as Gertrude walked away, I could swear she had a wooden leg? Lol very Monty Pythonesque. There is actually a short clip of that scene on TH-cam.
Joyce does a brilliant job in this episode of displaying the perfect against the reality of Irish Girlhood. The first time I read this was like punch in the gut.
Here’s the short movie clip. I thought you might enjoy this scene. I was like what the...and found it amusing. th-cam.com/video/3S7hJdYdnpw/w-d-xo.html
Great as always, Chris! Could you please tell me what equipment and technology you use for your recordings? Move to online teaching and learning post Coronavirus is proving a bit of a challenge!
After reading this episode, I feel glad that the arrival of Covid, brought an end to the formal hand shake. I see the word " romance " used quite a bit in the comments, however I see no sign of it in this episode - lust maybe. All in all, pretty gross stuff.....🤢
Thank you. That's very kind. I hope you are enjoying the book. This episode is one of my favorites as Joyce compares the ideal of woman to the real woman. And real is much, much better. Thank you for commenting.
Why do you suggest that Gerry was a minor? Doesn’t the text say that ‘she will never see seventeen again’? And, if I’m not mistaken, does it not later suggest that she is twenty-two years of age? Or have I misread....?
We know she has seen her 17th birthday and that Bloom is 20 years older. He is 38. So she is either 17 or 18. I think her representation as a virginal Mary figure would diminish greatly though might be more tawdry at 22. What do you think?
Chris Reich Page 455 of my Penguin edition says ‘(though Gerty would never see seventeen again)’. And on page 457, ‘Then they could talk about her till they went blue in the face ........... because she would be twenty-two in November’. It seems clear she wasn’t a minor.
@@mediolanumhibernicus3353 Let's go on. The quote you mention but elipse "And while Edy Boardman was with little Tommy behind the pushcar she was just thinking would the day ever come when she could call herself his little wife to be. Then they could talk about her till they went blue in the face, Bertha Supple too, and Edy, little spitfire, because she would be twentytwo in November. She would care for him with creature comforts too for Gerty was womanly wise and knew that a mere man liked that feeling of hominess." refers to Edy as is generally agreed. Edy is the older of the girls. Gerty had her first kiss (read back a few paragraphs, from young Reggy, still in short trousers (13) at a party. We know Reggy is now 17. I do not think Gerty, especially with her quirks, would have a 13 year old in shorts keep his arm around her waist and then give her a kiss if she was 18 at the time. On the greater front, Bloom married Molly when she just turned 18. He is reliving his experience with her on Howth during this episode with Gerty---I think Joyce's attention to detail would want to place us with a 17 year old "Molly" stand in. Read the preceding paragraphs about Reggy and place the entire event in context and I think you'll arrive at Gety being 17. Great discussion!
You say at the end that Joyce wants us to know that nobody is perfect. Is not that the teaching of the Bible? Every one of us is a sinner. In God's new kingdom, nothing is hidden. We will each one know and accept the other. We will have become sinless.
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Ulysses audiobook RTE is worth a listen to whom it may concern. Genius stuff
Hi Mr. Reich, I know it’s been awhile since you’ve made this video, but I just wanted to say thank you for this series! I’ve been reading Ulysses this summer and plan to finish on Bloomsday- and, watching these, I feel less lonely on my Joyce journey. I found Gerty’s story really sad, since it seemed like she was using her romantic delusions to cope with her difficult home life and her disability. In this chapter, I think Joyce is dispelling sentimental views we might have about Bloom. Before this chapter, I thought of Bloom as a kind of model citizen, someone I would like as a father figure or nice uncle- but now, I see that he’s a lech.
Also, you talked about how Woolf disliked Joyce for his vulgarity, but thought he was on to something- one of her criticisms of him was that he put too much of his personality/ego into his books. Although it probably required a giant ego to write Ulysses, I think he’s pretty good at letting his characters speak, think, and act for themselves rather than speaking through them or moralizing through them. The only character who’s possibly speaking for Joyce is Stephen, and he’s no perfect hero. In Woolf’s novels, on the other hand, I can hear her voice through the characters- all their thoughts and emotions are filtered through a distinctly Woolfian style. In contrast, Joyce uses many styles to show how reality is modulated through perception, so he’s harder to pin down.
Didn’t mean for the comment to be this long. Your video prompted me to think a lot about Ulysses and I wanted to share a bit with you!
"Also, you talked about how Woolf disliked Joyce for his vulgarity, but thought he was on to something- one of her criticisms of him was that he put too much of his personality/ego into his books. Although it probably required a giant ego to write Ulysses,"
I find people often have trouble when a Public Dream is being spoken, they think it is "big ego", when in fact it is community, small ego.
Joseph Campbell, age 81: "a myth is the society's dream. The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth."
this Professor is pure charm!
Now I'm blushing! Did you enjoy the book? I would love your thoughts on this adventure.
the naturalness and humanity of your presentation is rare and has helped make the reading so profound for me.
The previous episode was my favourite so far and I wouldn’t have understood it if it wasn’t for these videos. Thanks for the guide Chris!
Chris
It has been years since you posted these videos and I hope you are doing well! I first read Ulysses when I was a teenager and have read all of Joyce. I am now 68. I also listened to the Ulysses audiobook read by Donel Donnelly (My favorite audiobook to date). I recently visited Ireland and in Dublin, I of course did a Joyce tour....visited most of the places including Martello Tower and Sweny's. (and bought the lemon soap). I want to say, these videos are great. I have read other books...Gifford's book.....ReJoyce by Burgess....I am re-reading Ulysses now and some of the reference stuff....and your videos are very enjoyable. I am up to this Nausicaa video now but will absolutely watch them all! and I will check out your other videos as well!
David
Thank you so much for these videos. I doubt very much whether I'd have made it this far in the book without them. And since I've come this far, I can now see what a shame that would be.
Dear Chris, I've been watching your videos and they've helped me get through the book, thank you. As a non-native English speaker (I'm Brazilian) you can imagine what a chalange it was. Regarding the first lines you praised, I believe it was written as a parody of a bad victorian romance. I recommend " The Odyssey of style in Ulysses" where this is all explained. Best regards
I played the song Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes while reading the passage that follows. Wow. Seems like he meant for us to do that. Fits perfectly.
I really appreciated the part where you analyzed the sentence "I am a... ". And the fact that we can't complete it with one word that is all-of-us, all-of-what-we-are. We are son many things - good and less good. And I agree about how easily we judge people saying "he is a" "she is a". This was a great moral lesson. Thank you so much
Thank you! I love your comments. It is fun to follow your journey. This is a complex chapter. It made an impact on me. When she walks away with the limp, it makes the whole sex thing extra creepy. At least it felt that way to me.
Thank god for your breakdowns. These are great to listen to as a primer to these chapters.
Chris, I can't thank you enough. You've made this novel comprehensible.
I AM A... "human?"
You've been immortalized by these videos. They are of great help!
Thanks so much for all your videos. They're really helpful and illuminating and funny, a great companion.
Thank you! I hope you are enjoying your odyssey!
Hello, Chris!
Yesterday i read Nausicaa and watched this video, but i was so moved by your words (the final part), i could not collect my thoughts 🥺 this episode is quite emotional too.
Though at first it felt sooo cheap to me, with all those clichés, unnatural perfection, silly "typical" women's thoughts, ugh.
Then something in the scenery itself made me drift away, i just sat there dreaming of some beautiful balmy evenings, of my teenage years... i literally got sentimental 😅😅
Then of course that cheesy part ruined my fine mood, snapped me back to realism. And back to Bloom. His fixation on Molly is amazing to me, how he keeps comparing everyone to her. And he reminded me of one line from Steinbeck's "Cup of Gold":
Old Robert had loved his wife so well and so long that he could think sharp things about her, and the thoughts could not injure his affection.
There's beauty in his loving heart which keeps him a nice man even though in that scene he wasn't too nice)
Thank you again for all the insightful information about the book!
Hope, you are doing great 🌻
I love the way you write. You have a great insight into this book. This particular chapter haunted me for months after I first read it. It was tawdry and distasteful but not at the same time. And when she limps away, quite stomach turning. And the mass is going on and Bloom thinks of Molly...it is like Joyce gets the whole human experience in that small chapter. It thrills me to hear from someone who makes it this far and is moved by the book. I cannot tell you how deeply I appreciate the time you take to comment. Thank you.
My favorite chapter of the book :), which is saying a lot when put up against chapters like Ithaca, that one was borderline life-changing for me as a lot of Ulysses has surprisingly been for me. the last 4 or so pages of Nausicaa are some of the most profoundly beautiful and eye-opening pieces of text for me as a writer and as a person. It's just such wonderful stuff and your video has helped me appreciate that even more. I admire this novel more than nearly any other novel I've come across, it's truly astounding what Joyce has explored of the human condition and while he rejected sentimentality, I think he struck a real core of heart and poetry. One that comprehends and works in some ways because of the vast ugliness, confusion, bluntness, entropy, and what sometimes feels like the impossibility of reality as a human being. There's a sincere poetry found in the unpoetic, and a grounding of the escapist poetry people use to distance themselves from this world. This is what Nausicaa is all about. The convergence of reality and fantasy, the acceptance of life as an imperfect thing, your own mistakes alongside the mistakes of others, understanding that the past is past, that you only have now, that it's all on you. It keeps a balance between this genuine melancholy and laugh-out-loud humor that just astounds me. Sitting half-asleep on the beach late in a long day, where past and present, memory and dream, beauty and ugliness all fall into one slowly fading stream, indistinguishable from each other. And that chapter ending is just utterly perfect.
I am completely awestruck by your beautiful writing. Thank you. When readers find pleasure in this great book, it fills my heart. You express it so beautifully. I wish we could sit together and talk about this book. Someday! Cheers and best wishes to you. Thank you for taking the time to write that.
@@TeachUBusiness Thank you so so much for your reply :)). Ohh, god I have way wayyyy too much to say about this book, and my experience reading and rereading and rereading it has been something unmirrored in the world of reading for me. Really, it's wonderful. I'd love to be able to talk with you about it too, having lurked in the shadows and watched your videos on the book for a decent bit now (in a very random, unorganized fashion just as I've also read the book). I actually read this Nausicaa chapter first which hooked me into finishing the rest of it. My process of reading Ulysses has been insane and detestable by probably most people's standards, but Telemachus was a total slog for a while so I kinda just wanted to get into the meat of the book. It was about as disorienting as reading it in order would be, I have no regrets. Anyway, as I continue to find more I wanna say I'll drop comments across all your videos and any conversation can sprout as it will! I'm glad for the existence of this project as it has really illuminated a lot of things and is detached from a LOT of the snobbery and annoying discourse that can surround this book. When you get to the heart of things (if u can find it past all the unintelligible writing and major plot points distilled in tiny sentences that blend into the rest of the wordthoughtvomit LOL I love it) this book is just a total marvel and a treasure trove of great writing.
I love your videos and watch the corresponding one before reading each episode for an overview which makes what is a difficult read for me much easier and more interesting. I found out about Ulysses in a Facebook book club during CoVid and joined up with a few people there to read it. We video chat once a week or so. Highly recommend others to find some people online to read this with!
I think you hit the ball out of the park with the last five minutes of this one.
Thank you so much. I hope you are enjoying the book. This is one of my favorite episodes.
@@TeachUBusiness Indeed I am! I've read it off and on several times but now am digging in for real, thanks to an online book club I'm part of.
We discussed Nausicaa a couple nights ago in fact. The main point of contention was basically how much of a parody the first 700 lines of the chapter is. I feel "satire" may be the best word. Joyce certainly pokes fun at the conventions of romance novels, but I feel he's up to something more serious as well. It seems to me that he highlights the artificiality and distortions of the genre, and that he shows the damage that they can cause. Gerty is so mesmerized by the narrative she thinks she's supposed to have that she seems to think she's "left on the shelf" when she's really in the prime of her life. Furthermore, we end up not really seeing who Gerty is, so much so that the detail about her being lame (a central part of her character) comes as a total surprise.
I would also connect this aspect of satire to Joyce's overall project (or one of them): showing the inadequate nature of all forms of narrative in order to exhort artists to look for newer, more authentic ways to express "reality."
Anyway, I thought you might like to hear some of my thoughts and welcome your reactions. I'll be watching your video on "Oxen" soon. By the looks of the first 100 lines, I'm going to need it.
Campbell says "Now-se-keye'-a". He should know.
Thank you.
The "I am a" part is beautiful
just excellent. with thanks
Bloom is described as handsome because Athena cast a spell on Odysseus! Now he looks like that from Gerty's point of view
Finished the episode last night. Really enjoyed this one. Now on to Oxen of the Sun...
You are doing GREAT! Don't let the oxen trample you! Oxen is one of the toughest episodes. As a tip, try to focus on what is being said rather than the style it's being said. When people try to decipher each style, they lose track of the happenings.
What did you think of Naussica? When she limps away, it really feels like a gut punch. (IMO)
Chris Reich I thought it was both genius and hilarious. My immediate thought was it could have easily been a scene in a Monty Python movie.
great video, thanks chris. from the UK.
I had put down the book as I was sitting exams, but now that they're over, I'm back and it felt fitting to get back into Ulysses Bloomsday Week! Thanks again Chris. Great chat about Ulysses, as always!
I'm so happy to hear from you, Georgina! Any idea how the exams went? This is a big week for us! I need to get on the stick to get content out! Cheers,
Chris
Maybe " I am a human " is a good way to finish the sentence
Best comments touching! Thank you
BTW, great videos. They really inspire the reader.
Your videos are amazing... Omg.... I wish I'd Listened years ago when you recorded them and it was fresh for you too... Id love to discuss and talk with you about this amazing stuff.... But I am grateful I can listen to your so so inspiring and helpful comments.... Thank you from my heart ♥️♥️
Thank you so much!! I would be happy to discuss the book sometime. We should arrange a BIG Zoom thing for Bloom's Day 2021!
@@TeachUBusiness We absolutely should! Rereading Ulysses this year, loving it even more.
This was without question the episode that I have found the most difficult to finish. My emotional response was so strong that I really struggled to keep reading. I didn't view the first part of the chapter as Gerty's voice but as Bloom's fantasy as he watches her, a clichéed view of what fills a young woman's head, maybe informed by the romance books he buys for Molly. Gerty is simply an object that he can elicit sexual gratification from so there is no incentive for him to get to know her (that would 'spoil all') and I understood the writing that opens the episode to be a reflection of his superficial interest in her rather than an accurate representation of who she is.
As young women we are encouraged to conform to societal ideals in order to be acceptable, wearing makeup to ensure our lashes are lustrous, learning how to create a hominess that will please our future husbands, not admitting to having bodily needs such as hunger, and only expressing our emotions 'nicely.' We are taught that this is where our value lies, rather than in our words, our thoughts and our ideas, and I believe that this is why Joyce chose not to share Gerty's inner world in the same way that he presents that of Stephen and Bloom.
From the little insight we get into Gerty's story, I'm pretty sure that she thinks of more than ribbons and eyebrowleine. There can be few things more frightening than growing up with a violent father addicted to alcohol and she has just been deserted by a boy who she may have believed would take her away from this. I imagine she would have little opportunity to pursue a career herself, therefore marriage is her only way to escape a very bleak future. To accomplish this she must be what men want; she must sit and look pretty. She can't even stand because if she does she it will be revealed that she is lame and not the perfect woman that men want her to be.
I found it such a painful reflection of society that even when conforming to these exhausting standards of beauty and etiquette, the chapter's tone mocks her attempts to be all that is asked of her. I found myself thinking of Dilly too during this episode and sharing Stephen's misery as I imagined what lays ahead for her as she grows into womanhood.
I love your comments! Great thinking. This episode really disturbed me when I first read it. Joyce does a brilliant job of creating pathos. As Gerty flirts with Bloom, and he gets deeper and deeper with his desire, we are drawn to this apparently erotic scene like trying to look away from a tragedy. With the mass happening and the reference to the virgin Mary, We get confused about the entire thing....and when Gerty walks away with a limp, the reader gets a dose of self-disgust. It's brilliant. And yet, do we turn on ole Bloom? No. Joyce gives us empathy for all the characters. And by the end? I am a ....
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your thoughts...
I think your comment is spot on
@@wasfuerkeksigkeit Thanks so much. I found that this episode really affected how I feel about Bloom. I find it much more difficult to feel empathy towards him now and have been struggling to keep motivated to read, not wanting to spend so much time in his head. I took a break from the book recently, during Circe, but coming back to it today I was surprised that I didn't feel more moved by his compassion towards Stephen. I had been looking forward to their connection for such a long time but ended up wondering why he sees Stephen as deserving of his care despite his imperfections (he can hardly stand for most of the episode, let alone walk), while he sees Gerty as something to use and ridicule. Both are young people doing all they can to survive.
@@rachelj2795 A few years late but I think it's very likely that Joyce was doing that as a parody of romantic irish novels that don't care about the inner psyche of the women, just portraying them as objects. And if you read carefully, Bloom desires Gerty because he projects the Molly from the past onto her. Joyce portrays her as the ideal woman to mess with the reader's head and evoke the romantic style that objectifies women, but as soon as we get into Bloom's head, we see that his true desire is not Gerty as an object, but rather to live his old times with Molly again. As he can't go back to those times with Molly herself, he tries to become young again through Gerty. Taking this into consideration, I think this episode is very, very sad.
@captain_cloudd Thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry, I haven't returned to Ulysses since my first read, so I can't remember all the details of this episode, but I do remember how it left me feeling. Maybe this had a purpose, but from this point, my relationship with the book really changed. I felt that Joyce was inviting readers to imagine things that were deeply upsetting, but that we couldn't criticise this because it would just mean that we were not understanding his writing. Having put so much effort into reading this far, I didn’t feel that I could stop, and, remembering how much some of the earlier episodes had meant to me, I had hoped that maybe I would ultimately find some meaning in being encouraged to root for a man whose actions in this epsiode were wrong (regardless of what was driving them) or to be disgusted by Gerty being revealed to be lame, but I didn't. I agree that there is a sadness in Bloom's longing for his youth, but this was eclipsed for me by the sadness of Gerty's story and the sense that we were supposed to find her ridiculous.
I don't doubt Joyce's talent, but sadly, I do doubt his respect for the female characters in his work. Maybe I would feel differently if I were to read again, but I'm currently enjoying exploring other modern classics.
God bless you for these videos ❤️
Thank you so much. Keep reading....
Regarding the age of the children, might it be related to Oxen of the Sun, “Marion that had borne him an only man child which on his eleventh day on love had died?”
Anything is possible. Joyce links so many things together that it might just be possible.
Hi Chris!
This second time around with 'Ulysses' I just so happened to stumble upon one of your videos. And my Joyce was I happy! I don't know about you but every now and then you find yourself in a situation (or rather 'mood') when you decide to really dig into a book, try to 'understand' it and along with that understand a little bit more about yourself and maybe life in general. This second time with 'Ulysses' I, from the the very first page, got completely swept away by the narrative of Mr Joyce ... I guess, I honestly don't know. But hey, here I am and I just want to thank you for your superb videos (I have listened to and watched two so far). Take care!
Thank you so much for that very kind comment. I am happy that the writing is touching you. You are so right in everything you say. It's like a code. Once we crack it, the book opens up and reaches us deeply. Please let me know how this second journey is for you. May I ask where you are? It's fun to know readers all over the world. Thank you.
@@TeachUBusiness
Of course you may, I'm from Sweden and a lovely town called Gothenburg (Göteborg), maybe known to some people over the Atlantic Ocean for a certain Boss who alongside some 70' Swedes almost made the stadium Ullevi collapse on 8 June 1985. But he has been back many times since then. And we welcome him every time with open arms! I'll keep you posted concerning my 'Ulysses' journey!
@@fredrikholmkvist5870 Thank you for that. If I can help in your journey, let me know.
@@TeachUBusiness Well my friend, reading 'Ithaca' now and I must say, for me, it's the toughest one so far. When you say that one need to understand everything in order to be able to fully enjoy the chapter I say 'dictionary':-)
I have just ordered some books about 'Ulysses', including 'The New Bloomsday Book' and looking forward to read it ('Ulysses') once more as soon as I have finished. But, hey you've helped me a lot, so thanks a lot for that.
Once again you gave me a wonderful and inspicering lesson. Thank you Chris!
Excellent, Kurt! Glad to have your participation. This episode is pretty profound.
Very helpful.
Your lectures are amazing and your mastery of the material does make it fun. I would like to point out that Gerty is not a minor. Here’s a quote. “As for undies they were Gerty’s chief care and who that knows the fluttering hopes and fears of sweet seventeen (though Gerty would never see seventeen again) can find it in his heart to blame her?” (U 13.171-73).
So it seems she is not a minor (even in modern times) and she certainly is not below the age of consent in Joyce’s Ireland. I’m glad for this. As much as I understand and embrace the flawed character of Bloom, I think my view of him would be very different if Gerty were underaged. Then we would be entering Humbert Humbert territory, where we are interested in the character but loath him. I want to accept Bloom’s perversity. I don’t want to think my nieces aren’t safe around him
A lot of good analysis as usual. But I thought your judgement of Gerty was harsh: she is not fake simply because she uses make-up and her lame leg is hardly that off putting... I agree with Rachel J that this is a parody of a parody... this is how a male gaze would imagine the thoughts of a girl to be. Her life is unbelievably harsh with few avenues of escape available to her.
At some point I should make an additional video on this episode.I try to express a couple of ideas....1) With the service in the background from the church of Mary (blue is Mary's color) Joyce is painting an unrealistic picture of the perfect Irish girl. 2) Some things never change. Gerty is young and follows the "advice" of the magazines of the day and she has a somewhat unrealistic image of the relationship between adult men and women. 3) The contrast between what Gerty sees in Bloom and what Bloom sees in Gerty is brilliantly portrayed. She sees him as the tall dark foreigner with whom she might eat flowers for breakfast. And he sees her in a purely sexual way as a fantasy girl teasing him by showing a bit of knicker. Reality hits (as it does) after Bloom finishes pleasuring himself and Gerty limps away. It gives us a view of them both that is quite shocking....
Some have taken that as criticism of Gerty. It isn't. Despite the perfect image, she is flawed. Bloom wouldn't begin to know about her world view, but the limp is something he can see....and then feel shame.
And while they both play out their fantasies, real life goes on around them. The boys fight, the kid has to pee. Sissy is dealing with those realities which lie ahead for Gerty. In a catholic Ireland, she'll not eat flowers but be expected to crank out a dozen kids.
Her life IS harsh. Joyce is telling us that.
Hello Chris. I've been reading this book for a couple of months and just started to watch your videos to help me understand what the heck I've just really read ^^. You talked about a split in a 3/4 of this chapter. I just wanted to ask if I'm correct to notice the mockery and even parody of the Victorian romanticised descriptive style of love treated in a "my- prince-to-come" way? Then, contrasted with a down-to-earth way of Bloom's thinking makes it even more silly?
You are right on point. It is a beautiful moment wrapped in the paper of real life. Brilliant, really. So Bloom knows that Molly is the real deal. His beach fantasy is nothing in comparison. There is so much packed into this chapter that we could talk about it for days. Glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for commenting.
Still here... A bit slow... But you know what they say... 'Slow and steady wins the race'
Once again I’m watching your video in preparation to reading the episode..I’m looking forward to this one. It has everything I love, sex perversion, drugs and rock n roll...All things real. I’m not much of a non-fiction personality, I prefer the real grit, real life. The Virginia Wolfs are the problem with society...too easily offended and void of realism. Thank you again for the wonderful preview...
You'll love this episode. It's one of my favorites. Watch for the contrast between the weirdly idealized and the real. Brilliantly, Joyce has this perfect picture of Irish Girlhood with a big flaw.
So, watched the movie version up to the scene on the beach, bloom pleasures himself and as Gertrude walked away, I could swear she had a wooden leg? Lol very Monty Pythonesque. There is actually a short clip of that scene on TH-cam.
Joyce does a brilliant job in this episode of displaying the perfect against the reality of Irish Girlhood. The first time I read this was like punch in the gut.
Here’s the short movie clip. I thought you might enjoy this scene. I was like what the...and found it amusing.
th-cam.com/video/3S7hJdYdnpw/w-d-xo.html
Rte 1982 production audio.
Thank you
Thank you! I appreciate your participation. Feel free to comment. We're all on the odyssey together.
Great as always, Chris!
Could you please tell me what equipment and technology you use for your recordings? Move to online teaching and learning post Coronavirus is proving a bit of a challenge!
I'd like to talk with you if possible. Chris@TeachU.com
Did you get my email reply?
After reading this episode, I feel glad that the arrival of Covid, brought an end to the formal hand shake. I see the word " romance " used quite a bit in the comments, however I see no sign of it in this episode - lust maybe. All in all, pretty gross stuff.....🤢
Tots adorb!
Thank you. That's very kind. I hope you are enjoying the book. This episode is one of my favorites as Joyce compares the ideal of woman to the real woman. And real is much, much better. Thank you for commenting.
NAW-SÁY-KÁY-AHH
Nope, go to the Greek source: Nausi-ca-ah.
Why do you suggest that Gerry was a minor? Doesn’t the text say that ‘she will never see seventeen again’? And, if I’m not mistaken, does it not later suggest that she is twenty-two years of age? Or have I misread....?
GERTY, not Gerry!
We know she has seen her 17th birthday and that Bloom is 20 years older. He is 38. So she is either 17 or 18. I think her representation as a virginal Mary figure would diminish greatly though might be more tawdry at 22. What do you think?
Chris Reich Page 455 of my Penguin edition says ‘(though Gerty would never see seventeen again)’.
And on page 457, ‘Then they could talk about her till they went blue in the face ........... because she would be twenty-two in November’.
It seems clear she wasn’t a minor.
@@mediolanumhibernicus3353 Let's go on. The quote you mention but elipse "And while Edy Boardman was with little Tommy behind the pushcar she was just thinking would the day ever come when she could call herself his little wife to be. Then they could talk about her till they went blue in the face, Bertha Supple too, and Edy, little spitfire, because she would be twentytwo in November. She would care for him with creature comforts too for Gerty was womanly wise and knew that a mere man liked that feeling of hominess." refers to Edy as is generally agreed. Edy is the older of the girls. Gerty had her first kiss (read back a few paragraphs, from young Reggy, still in short trousers (13) at a party. We know Reggy is now 17. I do not think Gerty, especially with her quirks, would have a 13 year old in shorts keep his arm around her waist and then give her a kiss if she was 18 at the time.
On the greater front, Bloom married Molly when she just turned 18. He is reliving his experience with her on Howth during this episode with Gerty---I think Joyce's attention to detail would want to place us with a 17 year old "Molly" stand in. Read the preceding paragraphs about Reggy and place the entire event in context and I think you'll arrive at Gety being 17. Great discussion!
Can you talk about your mic; is it Klingon?
It's a Snowball by Blue Microphone. I am very happy with it.
You say at the end that Joyce wants us to know that nobody is perfect. Is not that the teaching of the Bible? Every one of us is a sinner. In God's new kingdom, nothing is hidden. We will each one know and accept the other. We will have become sinless.