!

!
!

Max Foley
December 8, 2014
Ulysses

Ithaca as Resolution and Access to Eternity

!
In the second half of Ulysses, we are treated to a wide variety of literary styles and
experimentations. A naive reader might be utterly baffled by the repeated shifts and style, but
those who are familiar with the criticism on Joyce acknowledge that he altered the language not
arbitrarily, but as a reflection of the internal life of the character's minds. In the first half of the
novel, the language is meant to reflect as nearly as possible the internal monologue of Stephan
and Bloom, to the point where narration, dialogue, and thought are made utterly indistinct,
bumping up against each other as a fluid collection of words. However, through the second half
of the novel, it is clear that our perspective grows gradually, being handed off to omniscient
narrators, or other quirky "characters". This starts with "Wandering Rocks", in which we follow
several Dubliners on their paths through life, no longer limited to Stephen and Bloom. In
"Sirens", we receive knowledge of acts that Bloom is unaware of - namely Douce and Kennedy's
mockery of him and Boylan's intercourse with Molly. In the next two sections, we are fully
deposited in the perspective of other Dubliners distinct from Bloom - the nameless narrator of
"Cyclops" and Gerty McDowell. In "Eumaeus", we are treated to a third person narration by a
deliberately tedious and incompetent author. So it is clear that while the style has some sort of

correspondence with the mental state of the characters, it is obviously not a literal translation of
the contents of their mind.
In most of the experimental chapters, however, we can come to a fairly obvious
conclusion as to the relationship between the literary style and the events of the chapter. "Sirens"
is musical because it takes place in a bar where people are singing, and also because the music is
related to the sex act between Molly and Boylan. "Cyclops" is written from the perspective of a
kind of nasty Dubliner because the primary event is Bloom's encounter with that type of person.
"Oxen of the Sun", taking place in a maternity ward, gives birth to the English language.
"Eumaeus" is long-winded and rambling to imitate the exhaustion of the characters. But what do
we make of "Ithaca"? This chapter is perhaps one of the ones that is most highly defined by its
style - it is the only one that is totally divorced from the usual conventions of the novel as
narrating a series of linear events. It is also the grand finale of the novel - Penelope is an
epilogue. So it is clear that this chapter is significant. And it is clear that the style used must be
very purposeful and not arbitrarily chosen. However it is not necessarily immediately obvious
what the events - a homecoming, a final union between Stephen and Bloom - have to do with a
Q&A format. This paper will argue that in Ithaca, through language alone, a satisfying resolution
is created in which Bloom's "passport to eternity", as Joyce calls it, becomes clear.
Ulysses can be described as a massive novel in which nothing happens. The entirety of
the action takes place in one totally normal day. The central conflict of the book - Molly's affair
with Boylan - is essentially a non-conflict. Bloom is aware during the entire course of the novel
of Molly's infidelity, and the entire time he does nothing about it. Beginning, middle, and end, he
is in the exact same situation - nothing changes. The secondary plot is the union of Bloom and

Stephen as father and son figures. While this is eventually fulfilled, their initial meeting in
"Eumaeus" is said to be slightly disappointing, as there seems to be a huge gap in their
communications due to Stephen's somewhat obnoxious and inebriated state. (Interestingly, both
these themes are very quiet and understated in the confusing mass of language that is Ulysses.
One can easily imagine a naive reader getting to "Ithaca" without picking up on the fact that
Molly has been unfaithful, or that Stephen is meant to be Bloom's adopted son. It almost seems
more likely than the reverse.) So, the natural question is: how can Joyce create a satisfying
conclusion, given the almost plotless nature of the book?
Perhaps he doesn't. In this book, Joyce constantly defies expectation. Every element of
the Homeric parallel is parodied and subverted in some sort of way. Odysseus, an almost perfect
figure widely beloved by all, becomes Bloom, who despite some strong suits is creepy, a social
outcast, and has a somewhat pathetic life. Nestor, the wise old man of the Odyssey, is
transformed into the obnoxious and narrow-minded Mr. Deasy. Penelope, Odysseus' faithful
wife, becomes Molly sleeping around behind Bloom's back. The Sirens, figures of seduction who
draw Odysseus towards them, are turned into the nasty Douce and Kennedy, who are repulsed by
Bloom. The dramatic action scene of stormy seas and great monsters that Scylla and Charybdis
implies is instead turned into an incredibly dull lecture on Shakespeare. With all these
disappointing subversions, it might even be expected that the conclusion would be unsatisfying.
However, as this essay will show, this is not in fact the case.
Joyce wrote about his intentions in a letter to Frank Budgen in 1921: "I am writing Ithaca
in the form of a mathematical catechism. All events are resolved into their cosmic physical,
psychical etc equivalents so that not only will the reader know everything and know it in the

baldest coldest way, but Bloom and Stephen thereby become heavenly bodies, wanderers like the
stars at which they gaze." These few sentences very effectively summarize the nature of the
universal perspective of the chapter, in a manner that this essay will lay clear.
In order to understand what he means, we must look towards what the central theses of
Ulysses is. Originally known as Ulysses in Dublin, we can see by what Joyce chose to title his
work what the central point is, and that is Bloom's journey through life in a single day reliving
the legendary quest of Odysseus. That single day is, of course, blown up to epic proportions, all
the various details and random thoughts and musings laid out in front of us. It is at least a one to
one scale model - each chapter probably takes at least an hour to read. The point is that while our
lives may seem uninteresting, tedious, sometimes even pathetic, if we can look closely enough
we will find great drama and beauty. The implication is that we relive these great mythic arcs
every day, without even realizing it. This theme would again be elaborated on in Joyce's followup novel, Finnegans Wake, in which a man relives all of the history of civilization in his sleep. In
"Ithaca", Bloom finally fulfills both halves of the Odyssean quest - homecoming, and reunion
with his son. Even if he doesn't know it, he has completed an eternal journey, and in doing so has
fulfilled his role as a Odysseus figure. He has earned his "passport to eternity", in the sense that
he has become a part of a larger eternal archetype, and therefore has achieved union with
something greater than himself.
This is touched upon in one of the question-answer pairs: "If he had smiled why would he
have smiled? To reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter whereas
he is always the last term of a preceding series even if the first term of a succeeding one, each
imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone, whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor

alone in a series originating In and repeated to infinity" (2125). We see here that Bloom has a
moment stepping into bed in which he has a vision of a series of an infinitude of men all
fulfilling the same role. In the context of the novel, this seems to refer to Molly's many sexual
partners, but of course things in Ulysses are allowed to convey multiple meanings. The extremely
lofty language including references to infinity seems inappropriate to merely refer to a string of
infidelities. We see here that Bloom is "neither first nor last nor only not alone in a series
originating In and repeated to infinity", or in other words that the role of Odysseus is taken on
over and over and over by many people, of which Bloom is just one iteration.
Another reference that conveys the same idea occurs at the end of the chapter. "He rests.
He has travelled. With? Sinbad the Sailor and Tinbad the Tailor and Jinbad the Jailer and
Whinbad the Whaler and Ninbad the Nailer and Finbad the Failer and Binbad the Bailer and
Pinbad the Pailer and Minbad the Mailer and Hinbad the Hailer and Rinbad the Railer and
Dinbad the Kailer and Vinbad the Quailer and Linbad the Yailer and Xinbad the
Phthailer" (2320). Sinbad the Sailor is obviously a reference to Odysseus, as both are mythical
sailors who go on fantastic adventures. Here we see that there are a wide variety of individuals
who are analogous to Sinbad and yet have slightly different characteristics. This is a reference to
the infinite series of Odysseus figures that Bloom is just one of. Bloom, according to the text, has
travelled with all of them in his journey throughout the day, meaning that he has made a sort of
spiritual connection with the infinite series of heroes, which implies a deeper connection to
eternity.
The final question-answer pair in the chapter is perhaps the most fascinating one of all.
The ultimate question is simply "Where?". In some editions of the text, the question is simply

unanswered. However, in others, the chapter - and the story, really - culminates with a final
period, an oversized inky black perfect circle that stands alone on its own line. It is clear that this
is meant to be an answer, perhaps The Answer. Perhaps the period represents the spherical Earth,
maybe even the universe as a whole. The answer to the question, therefore, is "Everywhere". We
see a similar expression of universality at an earlier point in the chapter: "What universal
binomial denominations would be his as entity and nonentity? Assumed by any or known to
none. Everyman or Noman" (2008).
As previously mentioned, the perspective in Ulysses can be modeled as gradually
widening throughout the second half of the book. This trend reaches its final conclusion in
"Ithaca", in which the vantage point becomes wholly universal. The most obvious sense in which
this is true is that for the first time the narration is totally omniscient. The first voice asks a
question, and the second responds with a torrent of highly specific details, including things that
no mortal would ever think to commit to memory or attempt to understand. For example observe
the absurd degree of detail in this answer: "Did he fall? By his body's known weight of eleven
stone and four pounds in avoirdupois measure, as certified by the graduated machine for
periodical selfweighing in the premises of Francis Froedman, pharmaceutical chemist of 19
Frederick street, north, on the last feast of the Ascension, to wit, the twelfth day of May of the
bissextile year one thousand nine hundred and four of the christian era (jewish era five thousand
six hundred and sixtyfour, mohammadan era one thousand three hundred and twentytwo), golden
number 5, epact 13, solar cycle 9, dominical letters C B, Roman indiction 2, Julian period 6617,
MCMIV" (90).

A question that is constantly asked about the various voices used in Ulysses is: who
exactly is speaking? Can these characters be said to have any consistent personality or ambitions
that comes through in their writing? In terms of "Ithaca", we have two distinct voices, the
inquirer and the answerer. It is clear that the answerer at the very least is some sort of omniscient,
eternal intelligence. In that sense, the prose begins to take the form of a conversation between
two gods or celestial beings. This recalls aspects of the Odyssey. Many scenes of Homer's epic
involve gods discussing the exploits of Odysseus, who is a figure constantly worthy of attention
in the eye of the universe. Since Bloom is now Odysseus, or at least one of his avatars scattered
across space and time, he briefly becomes the center of the universe himself: a figure worthy of
special notice.
The style of this chapter is also often related to Catholic catechism, an educational tool
that describes God, the Bible, and the teachings of the Catholic church. This is unlikely to be a
coincidence, as Joyce was raised in a Catholic institution and heavily influenced by his
experiences there. Given that the catechism is meant to describe God, and God is in a sense
equivalent to the entirety of the universe, there is an implication that in this chapter, we are given
literally everything - the entire universe is laid out before us. Stephen Sicari describes the
significance of this as such: "Joyce is not abandoning realism but instead has followed ninteenthcentury naturalism to its limit, exhausting its resources and needing new ones if he is to be able
to present in Bloom what he wishes for us to find, that in this unassuming ordinary man lies,
hidden from the naturalistic narrator's eyes, a dimension that can be called a 'Christ
dimension'" (Sicari).

This utter universality explains passages such as the previously quoted one about Bloom's
weight. Every possible bit of information regarding the subject is revealed. Obviously, even
considering Joyce's tendencies to make things go on for much longer than they should, this
chapter had to end at some point, so its infinite nature must be somewhat illusory. (That being
said, this is one of the longest chapters of the book - only "Circe", "Eumaeus", and "Penelope"
exceed it. By word count, "Ithaca" is over five times as long as "Nestor".) Joyce creates these
illusions by, as previously mentioned, describing things in as much detail as possible. The other
technique he uses is to describe as many far reaching things as he can as if he is exploring all
the things in the heavens and the Earth. Consider the "water" Q&A pair, perhaps the most
extensive answer in the chapter. The journey of water, the very essence of life, is outlined from
the bottom of the sea floor to the ice of the Antarctic to the condensation of vapor in the sky to
"its variety of forms in loughs and bays and gulfs and bights and guts and lagoons and atolls and
archipelagos and sounds and fjords and minches and tidal estuaries and arms of sea". In fact, the
way this answer begins is with the words "Its universality". Additionally, a few questions later,
the oppositional element of fire is later considered.
Even Molly's butt is compared to all the lands in the world: "Satisfaction at the ubiquity
in eastern and western terrestrial hemispheres, in all habitable lands and islands explored or
unexplored (the land of the midnight sun, the islands of the blessed, the isles of Greece, the land
of promise) of adipose posterior female hemispheres, redolent of milk and honey and of
excretory sanguine and seminal warmth, reminiscent of secular families of curves of amplitude,
insusceptible of moods of impression or of contrarieties of expression, expressive of mute
immutable mature animality" (2229).

It must finally be said that for the reader, there is another way that this chapter creates a
sense of satisfaction and resolution: all answers are given. At no point in the novel is the
narration expository regarding Bloom's lifestyle - we are simply dropped into his head, and any
details in his life we must infer via what he is thinking or what other characters are saying about
him. But here, finally, at the end of the book, we are treated to a wealth of biographical and
expository information about our hero.
So, far, what has been discussed is the implications of the writing style and what it says
about Bloom's position in the eye of the universe. But earlier, it was mentioned how the writing
style, even when it is clearly not coming from inside the character's head, still always mirrors the
character's mental state to an extent. Critic Karen R. Lawrence argues cynically for a lack of
resolution in "Ithaca", describing the mechanical nature of the writing as following: "Bloom
psychologically displaces his anxieties onto a physical object; in 'Ithaca' it is as if the story were
displaced onto objects, as if the mechanism of avoidance characterized the behavior of the text.
This narrative displacement, in fact, sometimes dovetails with Bloom's own mechanism of
avoidance, as in the answer to the question 'By what reflections did he, a conscious reactor
against the void incertitude, justify to himself his sentiments?' The answer includes a disquisition
on everything from the 'frangibility of the hymen' to the 'apathy of the stars'. A. Walton Litz has
observed, rightly I think, that this answer 'is a reflection of Bloom's thought as he strives for
equanimity by sinking his own anxieties in the processes of nature'" (Lawrence). Lawrence is
partially right, in that it is true that Bloom uses meditation on the processes of nature to reach
equanimity. However, there is no reason to believe that he is not successful, and therefore no
reason to believe that this is the expression of a psychologically unhealthy state.

Bloom is home, finally, at the end of a long day. He has a pleasant interaction with
Stephen. In line ____, it is finally stated that he reaches "equanimity" regarding Boylan. We also
see his reasoning for reaching equanimity, and it can be said stem from a new "big picture" way
of viewing things, where the minor transgressions of the figures in his life do not seem so
important: "As natural as any and every natural act of a nature expressed or understood executed
in natured nature by natural creatures in accordance with his, her and their natured natures, of
dissimilar similarity. As not as calamitous as a cataclysmic annihilation of the planet in
consequence of collision with a dark sun. As less reprehensible than theft, highway robbery,
cruelty to children and animals, obtaining money under false pretences, forgery, embezzlement,
misappropriation of public money, betrayal of public trust, malingering, mayhem, corruption of
minors" (2178). In this way, we see that not only is the reader given a universal perspective
and a satisfying ending, but Bloom feels his perspective expanding, and is also content.
Sometimes in our lives we just have these little spiritual moments where a sudden calm comes to
us, and we become aware of the big picture. And we feel very small, but also content to be a part
of this unfathomable cosmic machine. This is the Christ dimension that Sicari references. That
is what Bloom is feeling as he goes to sleep. And that is why Ulysses has a happy ending.

!
!
!
!
!
!

!
!
!
!
Works Cited

!
Rereading Ulysses: "Ithaca" and Modernist Allegory
Stephen Sicari
Twentieth Century Literature, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Autumn, 1997), pp. 264-290

!
Style and Narrative in the "Ithaca" Chapter of Joyce's Ulysses
Karen R. Lawrence
ELH, Vol. 47, No. 3 (Autumn, 1980), pp. 559-574

!
!