Summary
Bloom returns home with Stephen, makes him a cup of cocoa, discusses cultural and linguistic differences between them, considers the possibility of publishing Stephen’s parable stories, and offers him a place to stay for the night. Stephen refuses Bloom’s offer and is ambiguous in response to Bloom’s proposal of future meetings. The two men urinate in the backyard, Stephen departs and wanders off into the night,[55] and Bloom goes to bed, where Molly is sleeping. She awakens and questions him about his day. The episode is written in the form of a rigidly organised and “mathematical” catechism of 309 questions and answers, and was reportedly Joyce’s favourite episode in the novel. The deep descriptions range from questions of astronomy to the trajectory of urination and include a list of 25 men that purports to be the “preceding series” of Molly’s suitors and Bloom’s reflections on them. While describing events apparently chosen randomly in ostensibly precise mathematical or scientific terms, the episode is rife with errors made by the undefined narrator, many or most of which are intentional by Joyce.[56]
Odyssey Allusion
In the Odyssey…
Characters
- This Characters - did this
Episode Notes
This occurred
- Wherein…
- Then this
Analysis
- Some themes
- And more themes