Monday, March 31, 2008

The Wandering Rocks

The Wandering Rocks in odysseus are a group of rocks that are surrounded by fog. These rocks are apparently capable of moving around in the fog and as a result, capsizing and smashing ships. Odysseus never actually goes through these rocks but the sorcerress Circe informs him of them.
Joyce seems to use a technique in her writing to emulate these hidden rocks smashing ships. Throughout this episode you will be reading about a characters experience and out of no where there is a sentence or two that has nothing to do with the character and his surroundings, but what is happening somewhere else. This seems to be meant to confuse the reader until suddenly he is returned to the original setting of the section.

An Example:
"Father Conmee gave a letter from his breast to Master Brunny Lynam and pointed to the red pillarbox at the corner of Fitzgibbon street.

—But mind you don’t post yourself into the box, little man, he said.

The boys sixeyed Father Conmee and laughed:

—O, sir.

—Well, let me see if you can post a letter, Father Conmee said.

Master Brunny Lynam ran across the road and put Father Conmee’s letter to father provincial into the mouth of the bright red letterbox. Father Conmee smiled and nodded and smiled and walked along Mountjoy square east.

Mr Denis J Maginni12, professor of dancing &c, in silk hat, slate frockcoat with silk facings, white kerchief tie, tight lavender trousers, canary gloves and pointed patent boots, walking with grave deportment most respectfully took the curbstone as he passed lady Maxwell at the corner of Dignam’s court.

Was that not Mrs M’Guinness?

Mrs M’Guinness, stately, silverhaired, bowed to Father Conmee from the farther footpath along which she sailed. And Father Conmee smiled and saluted. How did she do?"

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