Claypso: Part I

Ulysses and Calypso

An Overview

By: Alicia Trombley

Chapter four begins at eight o'clock in the morning with Leopold Bloom in his house on 7 Eccles Street. The morning begins as Bloom wakes and begins preparation for breakfast and we are introduced to Leopold and Molly's fractured household. Molly, Bloom's wife, is asleep in bed and his daughter Milly is away. Bloom's primary concern when he wakes is to get his wife Molly's breakfast started. He likes to serve Molly breakfast in bed, but preparation is very specific, she wants her toast cut precisely right and tea served correctly. Only after preparations are made for her breakfast, Bloom starts out for the butcher shop to acquire a nice piece of kidney meat for his own breakfast.

On his way out, Bloom notices that he has forgotten his key which was placed in a pair of pants upstairs from the night before. In fear of disturbing his wife Molly, he leaves without his key. Bloom obviously does not wear the pants in the relationship and shows many signs of submission. For example, Bloom is fully aware of an affair his wife is having with a young gentleman, whom she sings professionally with, named Blazes Boylan. The most convincing piece of information leading to the conclusion of the affair is the letter Molly receives from Boylan. Bloom delivers the letter to Molly, she glances at it and hides it under her pillow. We also see later that she has opened and read the letter, but has placed it from Bloom's eyes once again under the pillow. Bloom is aware that the letter she received is confirming an appointment between the adulterous lovers to consummate their relationship.

The love triangle in Shakespeare’s sonnets "Dark Lady and Fair Man" is used as a model for the triangle between Leopold Bloom, Molly and Blazes Boylan. Sonnet number 138 helps to see the connection between the triangles.

When my love swears that she is made of truth,

I do believe her, though I know she lies,

That she might think me some untutor’d youth,

Unlearned in the worlds false subtitles.

Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,

Although she knows my days are past the best,

Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue;

On both sides thus is simple truth suppress’d.

But wherefore says she not she unjust?

And wherefore say not I that I am old?

O, love’s best habits in seeming trust,

And age in love loves not t’ have years told

Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,

And in our faults by lies we flattered be. (Shakespeare, 1868)

Like the sonnet, Bloom allows and accepts the fault of the adultery. Molly may not speak lies but is withholding truth. Therefore, Bloom suppresses all of his feelings and is completely tormented by the thoughts of her adultery. He endures the pain and in some ways, mourns his loss. Bloom feels inadequate in two areas of his life. One lying in wealth, for he feels that he has not established himself and is more humble rather than wealthy. He has little wealth when compared to Boylan’s own wealth. This may be the sole cause as to Bloom expressing the idea of considering a literary career to make more money.

Two, he does not live up to Molly's promiscuity. Bloom is possibly just lustful and often does not want her, he never shows any hints of love or yearning for his wife. Boylan, unlike Bloom, is young, wealthy and exudes a sexual energy that attracts women to him. Another line from "Dark Lady and Fair Man" says "thou hast both him and me, he pays the whole and yet I am not free." (Shakespeare, 1868) Boylan is getting the rewards of marriage (sex) while Bloom receives none of her affections and yet is not free to find those affections elsewhere.

All beings have a sexual drive or desire and Bloom hints towards his own sexual desires while out at the butcher shop. Maybe due to lack of love in his own bedroom he finds his eyes resting upon other females. One lady he finds "whacking" away at a rug and his gaze rested upon her "vigorous hips" and the way her skirt swung with each whack. If that was not enough, he had her retrieve something for him and he quickly shuffled behind her trying desperately to see her underwear. This type of desire is called voyeurism; sexual satisfaction by observing the sex organs or sexual activities of others. Bloom is a peeping tom and continues to settle his eyes on women.

In this chapter we find that Bloom is going to attend the funeral of an acquaintance, Patty Dignam. The theme of death, yet small, plays a role in this chapter. The hint of the circularity of the passage of time and the finality of death looms within Bloom's mind. Bloom has random thoughts suggesting death, emptiness and loneliness and these issues seem to consume him. The catalyst for many of these emotions may result from his lifeless relationship with his wife or the death of his son. We could take into consideration that the dark thoughts and the black clothes point to a different type of mourning. Bloom has endured a great deal of pain throughout the years and the death of a friend resurfaces the pain of the past. This pain buried deep within his heart is much deeper than we have been shown thus far. For Bloom's thoughts do not revolve around the death of his friend Patty Dignam, rather on the other hardships that have risen in his life.

Bloom also has a slight concern with his daughter’s innocence due to her new suitor. Milly is becoming an adult and due to her absence he has little control over her social life. He fears that she may give into temptation, although he also feels that she knows how to "mind herself." In many cases, he questions the situation, but does not take action. We are not fully introduced to Bloom's parental skills, but to raise a question, why the withdrawal from his daughter? He shows mental anguish initially, but backs away from all the thoughts that consume him. Bloom may also feel that he will be replaced as the man in his daughter's life, just as he has been replaced in Molly's.

Overall, we are introduced to Leopold Bloom in this chapter. We encounter the unusual household of the Bloom family and Bloom's knowledge of the adulterous affair between his wife and Boylan. We also find that Bloom has moved his daughter, Milly out of the household so that she does not encounter Molly and Boylan together. Furthermore, Bloom has completely exiled himself from the house so that he will not come into contact with Molly and Boylan.

Annotated Bibliography

Burnham, Michele. “Dark Lady and Fair Man; the Love Triangle in Ulysses and Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” Studies in the Novel 22 (1990 Spring) : 43-56

The article had many views that were critical to the relationship between Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom and Blazes Boylan. It brought my attention to the adulterous affair and the effect it was having on Leopold. It also led me to the sonnet itself. Within the text I found hidden within the text of Ulysses meaning and emotions that were.

Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works. 2nd ed. Riverside Press, 1997. P. 1840-1871.

Reading the sonnet “Dark Lady and Fair Man” helped me to see the true nature of Leopold and Molly Bloom’s relationship. It provided details that would otherwise go unnoticed to me in Ulysses. The sonnet spoke more directly about unfaithfulness and lies and the emotions that lie beneath. The emotions that are faced within the sonnet comply to those that Leopold has in Ulysses.

Thompson, Karlf F. “The Unknown Ulysses.” Shakespeare Quarterly 19 (1968) : 125-12.

The article gave another form of insight into Leopold’s thoughts and submissive qualities. Although it primarily did not help the thought process on adultery, the theme I chose to follow, it did provide as a guide to search for other hidden messages in the text of Ulysses.

Rea, Joanne. “Tramways and Death.” Romance Notes 29 (Spring 1989) : 213-216.

The article provide many literary metaphors linked to death in Ulysses. Although many of the scenes referred to were not relevant in my chapter, I found some passages within the text underlining thoughts in reference to death, getting old and the birth of the new. It brought new questions and many new perspectives to think of when reading the text.