History
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Never Let Them In
—They sinned against the light, Mr Deasy said gravely. And you can see the darkness in their eyes. And that is why they are wanderers on the earth to this day. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. We’ve already discussed Mr. Deasy’s retrograde and inaccurate views on…
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Decoding Dedalus: Glorious, Pious and Immortal Memory
This is a post in a series called Decoding Dedalus where I take a paragraph of Ulysses and break it down line by line. The passage below comes from “Nestor,” the second episode of Ulysses. It appears on page 31 in my copy (1990 Vintage International). Glorious, pious and immortal memory. The lodge of Diamond……
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Deasy of West Britain
Horn of a bull, hoof of a horse, smile of a Saxon. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. For all posts on Mr. Deasy, click here. The conversation between Stephen and Mr. Deasy in “Nestor” rings familiar to anyone who’s ever had to sit across from, let’s…
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Decoding Dedalus: Dark Men in Mien and Movement
This is a post in a series called Decoding Dedalus where I take a paragraph of Ulysses and break it down line by line. The passage below comes from “Nestor,” the second episode of Ulysses. It appears on page 28 in my copy (1990 Vintage International), beginning with “Across the page…” and ending with “…could…
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Ep. 5 – Sweny’s Pharmacy
Kelly and Dermot sit down with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh, two volunteers who are keeping the legacy of Sweny’s Pharmacy alive. Sweny’s, of course, is the location where Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap. We talk the history of Sweny’s, their Joyce connection and the challenges of preserving Joycean landmarks in 21st century Dublin.…
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Pyrrhus: A Disappointed Bridge
To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. In the Gilbert schema, the art of “Nestor” is listed as history, so it is fitting that the episode opens with Stephen delivering a history lesson. The topic is Pyrrhus, an ancient Greek king mostly remembered by the phrase “Pyrrhic victory.”…
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Decoding Dedalus: A Dedalus Never Pays His Debts
—I will tell you, he said solemnly, what is his proudest boast. I paid my way. … I never borrowed a shilling in my life. Can you feel that? I owe nothing. Can you? This is a post in a series called Decoding Dedalus where I take a paragraph of Ulysses and break it down…
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Who was the Real Mr. Deasy?
To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. This post is a part of an occasional series on the real people behind the characters in Ulysses. For all posts on Mr. Deasy, click here. “You will see at the next outbreak they will put an embargo on Irish cattle.…
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The Pre-Decimal Money System
As I start digging deeper into “Nestor” and beyond in Ulysses, I thought it might be handy to have a quick reference for the pre-decimal British currency amounts found in the novel. I have concluded this is world’s most confusing system of currency (prove me wrong, Internet!), but this chart should take some of the…
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The Women of Ulysses: Mr. Deasy’s Perfidious Women
Part of an occasional series on the women of Ulysses. For all posts on Mr. Deasy, click here. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. In “Nestor,” the second episode of Ulysses, Stephen Dedalus finds himself in a discussion with his employer, Mr. Deasy. They have reached a…