What you do here and how passionate you are about the book is just precious ✨ a huge thank you for these inspiring talks! I've been thinking about what Stephen's missing and about the vision "trick". Well, Stephen often reminds me of Camus' Stranger. He is not "grounded", there's nothing or no one for him to hold on to. And it shows up even more when we get to know Bloom. And not only Stephen sees the world kind of hostile, he sees himself weak and because of that he becomes so. And Bloom on the contrary sees himself quite adequately, but he is depressed, usurped. But he sees that inner sleeping power, so he dares, he does something, he tries to start anew. Here is how I think we can use the "ineluctable modality of the visible" too) P.S. I'm from Russia so please excuse my mistakes)
I love your comment! Very insightful. I hope that you are enjoying the book. Remember to have fun and it will be easier to understand when you hit the hardest episodes. Your thoughts are excellent and very much appreciated. Thank you.
@@TeachUBusiness Thank you so much! You know, I'm now reading Ulysses in Russian, but I do treat it like a book in a foreign language. I have to look up some words and comments as I read, sometimes I don't really get it, I miss something because I don't have some cultural background, but I just take my time and dig in) this is a very important and absolutely enjoyable experience and I'm so happy I've found your greatly helpful and welcoming channel!
idk if you're still reading comments after 5 years, but if you are, I would just like you to know that you've been an amazing resource for my reading group in our reading and appreciation of this great work.
This is so much more than just a summary! Your passion and knowledge on Ulysses, joyce and everything around it is amazing. We're so lucky we can listen to you for hours
Middle aged woman from Colombia: I just finished reading Proteus for the third time. First I really enjoyed it. Like a treasure hunt with a good map vs. being in a wilderness with hope there is a treasure somewhere. THANK YOU!
Second time reading Ulysses. Your the first commentator that mentions Proteus's knowledge of past present and future which is useful. Another person explained clearly the time and space references but not directy linked to Proteus. This chapter is I think the hardest and is training for the rest. Maybe Circe is more difficult but by the time you get there your more informed and more familiar with unusual langage and imagery. Just to add. I finished Ulysses and started re-reading it the next week. For me the best book I have ever read and an inexhaustible learning resource. What makes it so re-readable is its musicality in words. Poetic. You can study and study which is an important aspect of reading. But the poetic musicality conveys a feeling that cannot be intellectualised. This is for me what makes this book a work of genuine craft and genius. It holds both the asthetic and the intellectual in equal measure, and isnt that in a way what the books main message is about. That very divide. There is no complete bridge between the intellect and direct knowing. Maybe just a pier which was referred to in Telechemus.
Challenge episode indeed but instead of being scared of I feel more invested into discovering the different layers of Ulysses. I can see how this novel is not only a masterpiece but also a novel you can enjoy in a very literary nerdy way :D Thank you for your videos
Reading this episode is like learning Tai Chi as a beginner. You don't know what you're doing. You are told that it'll take a long time to learn it; and that you may never be good enough at it even if you practice it daily till you die. Yet, some won't let go. Ineluctable modality of the visible indeed.
I bought the book years ago and despaired of the 1. chapter... kinda bought it, because it would make a good look in the shelf. But it always bothered me, that i couldn't finish it. So now in this strange days, i said to myself - when, if not now. And i Starter again. I struggled again, but found some pleasure in chapter 2. Chapter 3 now was just - wtf?! And i looked up UA-cam for some explanation videos like yours. Good that you're here. Will make the read way enjoyable ;) Cheers from Austria. Reading in german.
Chris, I was a bit surprised to hear you mention Stephens visit to his uncle's house as if it was actual. From what I gathered, the visit completely played out in our protagonist's mind and never really took place. Around line 160: "He halted. I have passed the way to aunt Sara's. Am I not going there? Seems not." This seems to me a fine riff on the first theme of the episode, the inescapable modality of the visible. Here, Joyce makes us even see things that are not really there: Unactualized possibilities that only appear in front of the mind's eye. To further develop your note of Joyce's eye condition: It is an interesting phenomenon, that people with sight problems usually have unimpaired mental imagery. In their visual memories, things appear much clearer to them than what they were capable of actually perceiving (the mind simply fills in the gaps). This is what happens to Stepehen: he doesn't need to visit his aunt, because the mental encounter gives him all the contact that he needs, or maybe even more. The contempt of the incorporeal ghost (concept?) of aunt Sara is more than enough to replace "the real thing". Inescapable modality...
I thank you for your comments very much. Yes, I would make note that Stephen does go past the gate but I believe he does go physically there. Why? Let's take style. The visit is too coherent, in my opinion, to be a mental experience only. The stream of consciousness technique that Joyce uses, particularly with Stephen, is rather choppy. I don't think we'd get such a clear beginning to end recap if the visit was purely imaginary. I think too that Stephen had an epiphany while walking along the strand that he needed some human connection to mature as an artist so I think he made a physical visit. The visit was not satisfying but was the first of other unsatisfying visits. Some commentaries do see the visit as imaginary---I do not---yet. But, your point is well taken and worthy of consideration. I especially appreciate that you bring something to the table! EDIT: You know, I went back and re-read the order of the visit sequence. I'm conflicted about whether that visit is 'real' and think you might have a point. I hesitate because Stephen's morning thought process is not as coherent and fluid as that sequence reads. But, the structure of the time sequence makes that ambiguous. Ambiguity is a hallmark of Stephen's thinking---that runs me in circles. Let's discuss this further. I think that after a lousy encounter in the morning with his room mates, not connecting with students, not connecting with Deasy, not connecting with life on the strand and realizing it, Stephen makes a conscious decision to see his uncle---and perhaps he gets lost in himself sufficiently to skip that encounter? I'm still unfomfortable with Stephen's mental play---it's just too coherent (in my opinion) and I lean toward Stephen going back into his head after departing. Certainly my thoughts are not definitive and I'm glad you raised this.
This has been on my mind all day! I hope we can dialogue on this a bit. I may be persuaded to alter my view when I update these videos someday! Here's what has me in a knot. Joyce is so stylistically perfect---this "scene" seems out of style so much from Stephen's [stream of consciousness] inner monologues. It is as any writer would present it---with complete thoughts, dialogues, and actions. That just doesn't feel right to me. Could you objectively read it, sans commentaries, and see what you think? As I re-read it, I did get a feeling that he just floated by without stopping (nobody home). It seems in need of an editor!
Dear Chris, I feel grateful and honored that you spend some time and energy engaging with my comment. I first read your style argument this morning and found it quite on point, because I remember feeling grateful for the lucidity of this passage and being very surprised upon encountering the line that narrates Stephens decision to not visit after all. My consideration of a mental interpretation of the visit is motivated solely by a fancy for the aesthetics of the metaleptic effect it might have on readers: being told about the inescapable influence of seeing is one thing, being demonstrated the deceiving nature of perception life and in color by a faux scene would be a far greater effect--and a crafty practical joke. I see the underlying problem expressed by two independent questions: (i) Why would Stephens stream of consciousness be so lucid, if the visit is only imagined? (ii) Why would Stephen think that he passed the way to aunt Sara if he had actually visited her? Both are somewhat vexing! Could it be, that the thought process of imagining a scene play out is different from the process of reasoning? While the latter is an associative process, that is additionally often interrupted by pushy perceptions, the former might be taken to be more stable: When imagining, the visual capacities of the mind are occupied and not so easily distracted, projections might be less prone to retrospective associations then contemplations about the present? These are just musing from my side, of course, and should be put to a test on the text. I'm a first-time reader just finishing with Proteus, so I can't say whether there is evidence of different kinds of mentation in later parts of the book. Does anything come to your mind, perchance?
Zakum90 I read it as a memory from a previous visit to his Aunt and Uncle’s which goes through his mind as he’s on his way there. The memory isn’t too pleasant so when he realises he’s walked past the house he isn’t too fussed.
Thanks for this, I'm taking a U3A class on the book and rereading it after 50 years. I loved "Portrait" as a young man and was surprised, on reading Ulysses in the 70s and again now, how holy I find Bloom. I like a topology of head, heart, gut groin; and It seemed to be then, and now, that Stephen was enmeshed in head and groin, thoughts and desires, where Leopold is led by heart and gut, feelings and convictions. Between them there's a whole person. Again, thanks for sharing your ideas!
Thank you very, very much. I love this book and it is my gooal to help others read Ulysses for fun. Your assessment of the two main characters is spot on. I think Joyce saw that in himself.
Great video, thanks. First time reading Ulysses and I'm learning alot from your videos! Writing from Old Kilkenny, near Strongbow's castle on the Nore!
I was intending to watch these after reading the chapter. Right from the get go I had no idea what was going on and the next pages kept elevating in difficulty even with my two supplementary texts to aid me. I was so relieved to find out that you and everyone else found this chapter the first challenging test! I think it makes it a little harder for this recent generation because we were not taught these references (even the most basic ones). There was a professor at my university that, in frustration, quit teaching 'Ulysses' for a semester course because students didn't want to do the additional work to look up these references. Joyce's eyesight problem I heard a little bit of it which also reminded me of John Milton who was blind when he dictated 'Paradise Lost' the great epic free verse poem (I believe Homer was said to be blind, too). Which makes me see that this trait that these artists have in common leads me to the theory that because they have this decline in hearing or sight that they appreciate what they have and have to play with the hands that they are dealt. Another great video. Looking forward to Chapter 4 tomorrow! Every one of these chapters is like running a mental 5K race.
Nikolai Lipnicky You comments are excellent. Have fun reading the book and enjoy untangling the little puzzles Joyce builds. Too often people bog down with references when the characters are trying to reach us emotionally. Stephen is a sad guy...he is a bit lost so his poetic thinking is somewhat muddy and sad. Did you notice how he sees people? That is so important. Skip the references note how Stephen views the world. I really appreciate your participation. Take care, Chris
Yes I see what you meant and it felt very sad. Actually it was the last two or three pages where it was easiest to decipher. My favorite passage was: you find my words dark. darkness is in our souls. Do you not think? Flutier. Our souls shamewounded by our sins, cling to us yet more, a woman to her lover clinging. The more the more.
That's excellent! When we can get to the point of feeling this writing, the book becomes enjoyable at a whole new level. Thank you for your excellent comments. You will encourage someone else by your words to take the jump and experience this book.
I like what I’m reading a lot, but this episode really does stretch your perception of what physically is going on. Feels just like pure cognition put on paper. I got the impression he was remembering his time in Paris and that he didn’t even go to his uncles house and was more like just thinking of what would happen if he did and pessimistically predicting how it’d go. Fun read though
A shout in the street can be heard and so can little boys whistling in the dark. I love these videos as much as I love the room they are recorded in. It would be really appropriate if the blind was raised after each episode to let a little more light in each time
Oh Gosh, this was really something! I guess next time I'll record a video to list all my thoughts. However, for now, let's go theme by theme. 1) ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS CHAPTER " Put forth all your strength and hold him fast, for he will do his very utmost to get away from you. He will turn himself into every kind of creature that goes upon the earth, and will become also both fire and water; but you must hold him fast and grip him tighter and tighter, till he begins to talk to you and comes back to what he was when you saw him go to sleep; then you may slacken your hold and let him go; and you can ask him which of the gods it is that is angry with you, and what you must do to reach your home over the seas" (The Odyssy by Homer, Book IV, Athena describes how to deal with Proteus) This time we can't make a parallel between a character in the Odyssy and a sigle one in the Ulysses. I rather believe that the whole chapter itself is Proteus: it changes multidimentionally (language shift, time-space shift, style shift). Yet if you have the will to go through it, this chapter can virtually answer to any question, because there are so many references in it, that wikipedia itself would have a hard time competing with it. 2) PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE (OMPHALOS) Omphalos is a stone given to Cronus. It represents the navel of the word, located in Delphi (famous for predictions). As Cronus started the timeline of our era, this chapter starts the story. 3) THE INELUCTIBLE MODALITY OF THE VISIBLE Only by climbing up and falling down the six realms of existance, you may possibly get a taste of Nirvana. Only when Dante is ready to jump into Lucifer's jaws at the bottom of the hell, he may possibly hope to have a vision of God. 4) THE DEATH CYCLE 5) VISUAL IMPAIRMENT In one of the first lines of this chapter, Joyce quotes Dante's Inferno (Maesto di color che sanno). In the same book (Inf, IV 12-13) there is this line: "Or discendiam quaggiù nel cieco mundo" "dark and deep, adn thick with clouds o' er spread, mine eye is vain" 5) WHY DIDN'T STEPHEN GO TO HIS AUNT SARA'S? I'm just guessing, but maybe that's becuse, although Stephen's affection for aunt Sara, her relation with the rest of the family may be not that good. I think, however, we will know more about this point later on. 6) THE MISSING PIECE You may ask questions to an oracle, but you may not get the answer you expected. This chapter is covered in question marks, but I don't see answers.
You are certainly "all in"! I love that you are diving so deeply into this book. That's superb and usually the realm of the third or fourth time reader. Congratulations on that and thank you for adding so much. I hope people will find these videos months and years from now and learn from comments like yours. I am only holding a match in the dark. Each comment added is another match. Slowly those who come later will see more and more. Thank you, Cosimo.
@@TeachUBusiness I hope this comment finds you healthy and happy kind sir! As you say the comments are helpful and only possible due to the video that you Dr. Reich spent your time creating and sharing so all of us can finally enjoy Ulysses during this my second attempt reading.
Absolutely wonderful video! Thanks so much for sharing this Chris. I’m embarking on this challenge of a read in my late 20s and it’s great to have someone so passionate about it to follow along with. I’m of the opinion that Stephen is lacking someone of like mind, whether an intellectual peer or a lover; someone to share his mind with.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your enthusiasm! Enjoy the journey and dont get too hung up on trying to understand everything. If you can follow the story and appreciate the writing, the book will come alive. You will new nuggets every time you pick it up. Thank you for participating.
wow. thank you so much. i love your passion and it really inspires and motivates me. i respect your attitude toward reading and this work. thank you xx
Blush, thank you so much. I hope that you enjoy the book. Read it for fun. If you get enjoyment, I will be very happy! I appreciate that you took the time to write. Means a lot to me. Mind if I ask where you are located? It's fun to know that stuff for me.
Chris Reich actually I’m a university student majoring in English lit in South Korea and currently studying abroad in the UK! tho I’m planning to live in America in the near future☺️ Glad that you asked!🤣🤣 i was struggling with Ulysses but now i feel like I’m enjoying it more, thanks to ur videos. Again i appreciate ur passion and videos and am glad that i found you!☺️
Stephen wants to be remembered, recognized, get the attention he deserved. The paper, the particle he left on the rock, the urinating, all of these for creating something for somebody else to remember. He was asking that question in the text as well. He thinks he is weak not capable of neither his mom nor a drowning body. This is I think Joyce's worry as well to write this novel.
Just started the book last night (my fourth attempt in life) and I just want to say that your videos inspired me to pick myself back up and try again. Your energy is fantastic and your love of the book is obvious. I thank you for these videos. I feel you could run a local course at a civics center or similar setting and get very positive feedback!
I realize this comment is very late in coming, but I just wanted to say I really appreciate these videos. I read Ulysses (on my own) about 20 years ago and understood (maybe!) 10% of it. Now I'm re-reading it, with your help. (I'm also using a guidebook. I realize you don't recommend that, but I find it helpful, too.) As you might tell by my pseudonym, I'm a big fan of Dubliners. I first read it in 1993 for an undergrad literature class, and I've read it many, many times. (P.S. I guess my pseudonym doesn't appear in the comments? I'll just say it's "Gabriel Conroy."
This video was very helpful! Thanks again. However I thought it was fairly clear that the visit to the uncle just happens in his head. In the RTE audio production, this is much clearer.
stephen realizes that what he perceives, like us, is just the "signature of all things," not the thing itself. is he missing love? which has been replaced by guilt. what he sees in reality is transformed in his mind to a longlist of other things...
You are on your way. This is a pretty tough episode and you have a handle on it. You should be very pleased that you made it this far! Your thoughts are excellent. Stephen, the poet, who wants to express deep ideas is somewhat locked into the physical. He hasn't got the human (humanities) connection with the things he sees.
Chris, I just watched the "Proteus segment and was able to get UA-cam on my Smart TV. That made the whole lesson even more fun. I felt I was in the first row of the classroom. (My hand was up to ask a question!) I was pondering what philosopher remarked that our eyes are almost are brain in bringing us the input that shapes us. Now on to the Proteus. Oliver
Aristotle is the likely father of what we might call early empiricism. I believe that Stephen was contemplating Aristotle as his "Ineluctable modality of the visible" is rather crude and not fully developed empiricism. Right? Saying simply that something "is" what it appears to be, doesn't take other data into consideration. I allude to that in the video. As empiricism developed under Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, et al., it became more precise and used more sensory input and eventually became the technique to confirm the conclusion. All this evolved to the modern 'scientific method' used today. What (I think) is important here is not a deep understanding of empiricism but rather Stephen's superficial view of what he observes. He's a smart guy and can make witty observations but can he 'see'? Is what we see, enough? I end the video with the question about what Stephen is "missing". Maybe you are on to it...
Let me add...if this "hook" of philosophy stimulated your interest to dive into one of the most challenging 'chapters' in literature, I'd love to hear it! I mention in the video that this difficult chapter might just become a favorite! You come through this with your mind excited and you've made the leap to the Joyce side!
@@TeachUBusiness I agree with you about Stephen contemplating Aristotle. If memory serves he alludes directly to Aristotle in the first paragraph of 'Proteus' : "Bald he was and a millionaire, maestro di color che sanno." In some of the exegeses I have read over the years the authors posit the notion that Scylla and Charybdis symbolize Aristotletelianism vs Platonism in the National Library episode. To achieve the aesthetic discipline he develops from Aquinas, Stephen must safely navigate this strait, and like Odysseus, sacrifice to Scylla (Aristotle) and avoid Charybdis (Plato).
Yes, it's a reference to what McLuhan called "the kingdom of the eye." It's about perception and the primacy of percepts over concepts. Text, and especially phonetic text, always had the tendency to "turn the eyes into ears," which would interfere with the kingdom of the ear: the oral culture of Homer and the Rhapsodes. Even as late as the New Testament Paul is warning about the letter, which lies, versus the ear which reveals the spirit. But prior to Gutenberg there was at least some kind of balance, reflected in the Trivium: Rhetoric, Grammar, and Dialectic. But the shift to mechanical print changed all of that so Joyce is calling attention to a second mentality shift that is post-mechanical. And unlike mechanisms, it *flows*. So which way are we going, toward greater revelation or greater concealment? The irony is that the eye, having become dominant rather than part of a balanced sensorium, conceals... making deception harder to detect.
Just read 3 it was my favourite...nice to hear your ideas on protean...Neptune...proteins change the basis of life and shape shifting! Aristotle was nice and straightforward compared to all this movement but he was a biologist not a shapeshifter!❤️️❤️️❤️️🖐
Just started reading Ulysses a couple days ago, I've been using Joyce project.com. This is straight up more helpful and fun, so thanks Chris, I will be a return customer from now on.
Good morning dr Reich. I am listening to your videos. Thanks for them. So far I have seen that the relation between homer’ s Odyssey and Ulysses, is very little. Can you tell me what you think about their relationship. Thanks a lot
Keep in mind that Joyce is not writing the Odyssey in a modernized format. He brilliantly uses the Odyssey as a roadmap. Each idea in each episode has a core idea that Joyce derived from the Odyssey. As you go deeper in the book, you will see that every episode is in a different style and each episode is a pleasure to see how Joyce uses it. It is great to hear from you, Marissa.
Chris, great video! Just one note: I don’t think he visited his uncle. I think he just visit “mentally” his uncle. Don’t you think? I’ve just read again and still have this impression.
Dear Sir, somebody recommended me this book, and I have been trying to figure it out. These videos help me as I read. It is reassuring to know that it was not just I was was bamboozled.
Hi Umar! This has been called "the best book you'll ever read twice." If you are not pressed for time as you might be when taking a class, go back and re-read Chapter 1 and you will see it come alive. Each time you read this masterpiece, it will reveal a little more to you. Thank can be very frustrating but start with this: The book takes place in a single day (how hard can that be?) and it is about the lives of three people: Bloon, Stephen, and Molly. Try to enjoy the lannguage. Too many people get lost trying to understand every little detail. Better to enjoy the Odyssey Joyce puts us on. Think about the opening of the book: STATELY, PLUMP BUCK MULLIGAN CAME FROM THE STAIRHEAD, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressinggown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him by the mild morning air. He held the bowl aloft and intoned: --INTROIBO AD ALTARE DEI. Halted, he peered down the dark winding stairs and called out coarsely: --Come up, Kinch! Come up, you fearful jesuit! Mulligan is mocking the Catholic Mass---Yellow is the Catholic color meaning "light" and is often worn by priests to represent seasons in the liturgical cycle with strong presence of Christ. Ok, in depth analysis aside. The words are put together well. And it does sound like something a young, pompous dude would do. Right? Stay with it and have fun. Most people, if they survive chapter 3, get traction with chapter 4. We're all here to help. Thank you for your comments! I really appreciate your participation.
Steven uses intellect as a way to distance himself from his emotions, His emotions & intellect are not fully integrated leading to resentment and confusion. In fact, one could argue that Stephen has an intellectual addiction as well as a drug and sex addiction possibly related to emotional problems related to a dysfunctional alcoholic religious family and early exposure and possible bullying by older kids that Stephan may offset by using his intellect to cover his other insecurities: he's in need of a father substitute maybe Bloom who could be viewed as needing a son replacement for his Rudie who would have been about Stephen's age had he lived.
You are correct. I totally missed that the first couple reads. He walks past the gate. But he does a very realistic interpretation on what it would have been like had he gone in.
@@TeachUBusiness Indeed. Another layer of Stephen's genius, I suppose. I wonder if his relatives act as theh would have in real life, or are instead reflections of aspects of his family (and, by extension, Ireland as a whole) he has disdain for. The dodging debt collectors, poverty and alcoholism are all accentuated in his "vision," which makes me wonder if perhaps Stephen isn't giving his aunt and uncle a fair shake.
Stephen overthinks, like we all do, creating problems that may not really exist. Deceived by our senses, the more information we intake, the further we get from understanding life. The seastorm of our thoughts and senses trick us, pushing us away from our goal. This episode is long and chaotic on purpose. You wish to go through it as soon as possible. Exactly like Ulysses in the Odyssey wants to find land under his feet. No wonder why words like "waves, sea, sink, land, feet" and similar can be found through all the episode. Please someone corrects me if I am not right, but I felt like Joyce tried to kill the reader by putting him-her into a storm of uncontrolled phenomena. The thing is, since most of readers quit here, his attempt was rather successful. He did it, however, just to give hurdles to the reader, hoping he-she would eventually be able to jump over them. Like Ulysses, Stephen may miss some stable land under his feet. He is both amazed and scared by the world. It makes me think of Friedrich's painting "wanderer above the sea of fog" upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Caspar_David_Friedrich_-_Wanderer_above_the_sea_of_fog.jpg
You really are getting it! Joyce is showing us a little about himself too. As a young man he was quite the philosopher. You are right about this chapter being tough. Once you get through this one, it gets a bit easier for a while.
Definitely a challenging chapter. Thanks for the video! In regard to what Stephen is missing. Could it be a like-minded person? It seems like no one gets him. He observes people and life from afar, detached and not belonging. Even the guy who he jokes with and lives with... he feels alienated by. Stephen has this way of seeing things and perceiving things he shares with no one. Seems like he would be extremely lonely.
Priscilla De la Torre You got it! Excellent observations! We see that Stephen remains detached as the book progresses. His writing will not be great until he experiences rather than observes. Very good!
Broke a sweat reading it, but it really was enjoyable. Managed to understand much more than i thought i could and this I owe to your very well made videos. Especialy enjoyed Stephen's reminisce of his time in Paris. Sadly i haven't figured out why Stephen's aunt is missing (maybe it has to with Stephen's mother's death?) so i can't give you answer. Nontheless it's been a great journey thus far.
Iasonas Xd Good comments. His aunt refuses to see Stephen because Stephen refused to kneel and pray as his mother died. She is holding a seious grudge. Hope that helps...I hope to get the next video done this week.
Chris Reich I knew it! Not because I figured it out from the text but, sisters are very alike. In a lot of families an aunt is essentially a second mother so, I could imagine she’d be ashamed of him for having abandoned his religion especially in the case of his mother dying.
Superb thinking! You are on to the heart of the book---this is about how people ARE. THat's why this book is timeless. You get it! Thank you for your comments.
Another great job. And why doesn’t the aunt come down?-I hope you don’t mind, but I shall comment on every episode you do. Do you do an overview of each chapter/episode? I haven’t looked ahead yet.
I'm happy you are commenting! Yes, there are videos all the way to the end. I hope you find them all useful. After this chapter, it gets a little easier for a while. Stephen 'disrespected' his mother by refusing to take a kneel and pray. His aunt deeply resents that. Similar scenes would happen today, I suspect.
Many commentators say that the stand-in for the god Proteus in this chapter is the dog, which makes Stephen Menelaus. The dog acts in undog-like ways, shape-shifting, acting like a deer or a hare or a horse, until it encounters a dead dog. Then it is shocked back into "dogness". Do you agree on this interpretation?
At that stage of Joyce's life, he was pretty much adrift with alcohol. He hadn't yet met Nora. As he writes Stephen's thoughts, he must have considered his own of intellectualizing everything but lacking the human connection that he found later with her.
Chris Reich Thank you for your reply! Stephen does seem very detached from everything. It’s almost like he’s observing his life more than living it. He does not feel connected to anything or anyone. He seems estranged from his own life. Or at least that’s the way i see it now. Still reading “Ulysses” and your videos are of great help!
Some observations ….3-39 Gabler, “put me on to Edenville Aleph Alpha nought nought one….” Stephen wants to telephone the Garden of Eden and talk to someone, some 1?…who would that be?😮 when I write Aleph Alpha nought nought one on paper, those nought looked like 2 bellybuttons (omphalos), surely not the navals of Adam and Eve 😅
Just a quick, thank you so much for this. It is a tough chapter but you really helped pull it together for me. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book with you. Thanks
Good job! Some chapters are easier than others. Once you start to "feel" the book, it gets much easier. Chasing the references can be fun, but the real experience is in the way this book can touch your being.It's about life.
I am not at all sure that we get the word protein from Proteus ( though there is the word protean which means capable of changing shape), rather that both words have a common origin from the Greek protos meaning first. Also when proteins were first discovered, and named, their shape changing properties would not have been known.
How very kind of you! I'd like that too! I'm a lousy ukulele player but it's a ton of fun. You see all that sciency stuff in my office? I play around with physics for fun. And my real enjoyment is astronomy (solar mostly). Well, books, science, opera...where are you? I might have asked before.
Chris Reich Thats awesome! I'm a musician from New Jersey, and I have been trying to get through Ulysses for a while now. You are making it easy and fun! Thanks again.
His visual experience of the world is as something read-as a written language. He is unable to have a visual experience separate from written word. Therefore he is not really seeing, not really experiencing. Only reading and only thinking. His experience of the world is indirect. This is what he is missing.
I imagine this also reflecting Joyce’s contemplation of and frustration with the limitations of the written word over visual experience. This is my second go at reading the whole book. I had to stop midway due to life events. I’m appreciative of your videos. My being able to make another go at is meaningful. I also have the audiobook in addition to print version which is of great help.
Just beginning, slowed down on 3, looking for resources Why did Aunt Sara not come down? What is Steven missing? For one he did not "really" visit: but also he feared emotional pain his father's reaction: was this the aunt that Mulligan said accused him of killing his mother: It seems Steven lacks the ability to be with his emotions God and other people although the words convey this to people who can hear his emotional music Glad I found you. Thanks, Chris. Michael
I think she must have been resentful about Stephan failing to pray with her sister ; being so out of touch with emotional sense because of his overpowering religion of resentment of the human flaws of some people in the church
From your comments I'd say you are quite good at describing things. This book is unlike any other that you've probably read. It's difficult for difficult reasons. Sure, a physics is hard. You need to know a lot to read it. This book is very hard but we can tell that there is something there worthwhile. And as we scratch at it, we see more and more and more.
Of course he did not visit his uncle .. he doesn’t have any place to go and doesn’t want to go bc he knows exactly how all will go .. all very predictable.. only thinking gives him some peace..
You are great and genius... i love this book and fortunately can feel and read the book easily.., though i love your explanation.. many people will be grateful.. not sure we need shadow reflection.. i am not sure whether it has an added value ... thank you
It’s not just related to Stephen and Joyce and this book, but what anxieties do authors of World Literature face that make them world-acknowledged while they have to try to acknowledge their own backgrounds against the backdrop of world achievements, in the first place? And is it upto them to mark the genre of their books or do the publishers and later reviews decide that? I really liked the several mentions of global characters and some beautiful phrases here and portmanteaus but one line again which jostled me. “I zmellz de bloodz odz an Iridzman”. The way it is written seems taken from an ancient hieroglyphic scroll(what did celtic look like btw?) and this was preceded by the image of the dead dog’s body floating in the waters and seceded by a live dog which Stephen later calls “The dog of my enemy.” But I can somehow relate the anxiety of global authors like hell hounds on their heels. I can’t help wondering is it circumstantial? Is World Literature a genre whose authors have all at some point been victimised to a more than common extent? That they are forced to forge connections with what they absolutely must in order to feel sane, in Stephen’s case, with his poetry. Or running after experiences which they know are hopeless(going to uncle’s house or any such obligatory functions which exist for an artist like breathing, can’t be avoided), and “non servium” (they don’t serve anybody), they’re further selective of who they connect and interact with.
What you do here and how passionate you are about the book is just precious ✨ a huge thank you for these inspiring talks!
I've been thinking about what Stephen's missing and about the vision "trick". Well, Stephen often reminds me of Camus' Stranger. He is not "grounded", there's nothing or no one for him to hold on to. And it shows up even more when we get to know Bloom. And not only Stephen sees the world kind of hostile, he sees himself weak and because of that he becomes so. And Bloom on the contrary sees himself quite adequately, but he is depressed, usurped. But he sees that inner sleeping power, so he dares, he does something, he tries to start anew. Here is how I think we can use the "ineluctable modality of the visible" too)
P.S. I'm from Russia so please excuse my mistakes)
I love your comment! Very insightful. I hope that you are enjoying the book. Remember to have fun and it will be easier to understand when you hit the hardest episodes. Your thoughts are excellent and very much appreciated. Thank you.
@@TeachUBusiness Thank you so much! You know, I'm now reading Ulysses in Russian, but I do treat it like a book in a foreign language. I have to look up some words and comments as I read, sometimes I don't really get it, I miss something because I don't have some cultural background, but I just take my time and dig in) this is a very important and absolutely enjoyable experience and I'm so happy I've found your greatly helpful and welcoming channel!
idk if you're still reading comments after 5 years, but if you are, I would just like you to know that you've been an amazing resource for my reading group in our reading and appreciation of this great work.
This is so much more than just a summary! Your passion and knowledge on Ulysses, joyce and everything around it is amazing. We're so lucky we can listen to you for hours
Thank you. You are very kind. Enjoy your read!
Middle aged woman from Colombia: I just finished reading Proteus for the third time. First I really enjoyed it. Like a treasure hunt with a good map vs. being in a wilderness with hope there is a treasure somewhere. THANK YOU!
Second time reading Ulysses. Your the first commentator that mentions Proteus's knowledge of past present and future which is useful. Another person explained clearly the time and space references but not directy linked to Proteus. This chapter is I think the hardest and is training for the rest. Maybe Circe is more difficult but by the time you get there your more informed and more familiar with unusual langage and imagery.
Just to add. I finished Ulysses and started re-reading it the next week. For me the best book I have ever read and an inexhaustible learning resource.
What makes it so re-readable is its musicality in words. Poetic. You can study and study which is an important aspect of reading. But the poetic musicality conveys a feeling that cannot be intellectualised. This is for me what makes this book a work of genuine craft and genius. It holds both the asthetic and the intellectual in equal measure, and isnt that in a way what the books main message is about. That very divide. There is no complete bridge between the intellect and direct knowing. Maybe just a pier which was referred to in Telechemus.
Challenge episode indeed but instead of being scared of I feel more invested into discovering the different layers of Ulysses. I can see how this novel is not only a masterpiece but also a novel you can enjoy in a very literary nerdy way :D Thank you for your videos
Thank you for commenting! I love your words! Yes, we can nerd out on this book! Please keep going. Your comments are gold....
Remember to think about what Stephen is missing. The opening line of this episode is your first clue. Leave your comments. I want to hear from YOU!
Reading this episode is like learning Tai Chi as a beginner. You don't know what you're doing. You are told that it'll take a long time to learn it; and that you may never be good enough at it even if you practice it daily till you die. Yet, some won't let go. Ineluctable modality of the visible indeed.
That's a great comment, James. You will see that this book gives something new every time you pick it up. I love your Tai Chi analogy. Fits well!
Really helpful series, thank you 👍
Thanks, Chris, very helpful guide for a difficult Chapter. Writing this as I look out on the snotgreen irish Sea.
Very interesting series, thank you.
Yes thank you. And the comments are very helpful too. Irish and years trying to read Ulysses.
I bought the book years ago and despaired of the 1. chapter... kinda bought it, because it would make a good look in the shelf. But it always bothered me, that i couldn't finish it. So now in this strange days, i said to myself - when, if not now. And i Starter again.
I struggled again, but found some pleasure in chapter 2. Chapter 3 now was just - wtf?!
And i looked up UA-cam for some explanation videos like yours. Good that you're here. Will make the read way enjoyable ;)
Cheers from Austria. Reading in german.
Chris, I was a bit surprised to hear you mention Stephens visit to his uncle's house as if it was actual. From what I gathered, the visit completely played out in our protagonist's mind and never really took place. Around line 160: "He halted. I have passed the way to aunt Sara's. Am I not going there? Seems not."
This seems to me a fine riff on the first theme of the episode, the inescapable modality of the visible. Here, Joyce makes us even see things that are not really there: Unactualized possibilities that only appear in front of the mind's eye.
To further develop your note of Joyce's eye condition: It is an interesting phenomenon, that people with sight problems usually have unimpaired mental imagery. In their visual memories, things appear much clearer to them than what they were capable of actually perceiving (the mind simply fills in the gaps). This is what happens to Stepehen: he doesn't need to visit his aunt, because the mental encounter gives him all the contact that he needs, or maybe even more. The contempt of the incorporeal ghost (concept?) of aunt Sara is more than enough to replace "the real thing". Inescapable modality...
I thank you for your comments very much. Yes, I would make note that Stephen does go past the gate but I believe he does go physically there. Why? Let's take style. The visit is too coherent, in my opinion, to be a mental experience only. The stream of consciousness technique that Joyce uses, particularly with Stephen, is rather choppy. I don't think we'd get such a clear beginning to end recap if the visit was purely imaginary. I think too that Stephen had an epiphany while walking along the strand that he needed some human connection to mature as an artist so I think he made a physical visit. The visit was not satisfying but was the first of other unsatisfying visits. Some commentaries do see the visit as imaginary---I do not---yet. But, your point is well taken and worthy of consideration. I especially appreciate that you bring something to the table!
EDIT: You know, I went back and re-read the order of the visit sequence. I'm conflicted about whether that visit is 'real' and think you might have a point. I hesitate because Stephen's morning thought process is not as coherent and fluid as that sequence reads. But, the structure of the time sequence makes that ambiguous. Ambiguity is a hallmark of Stephen's thinking---that runs me in circles. Let's discuss this further. I think that after a lousy encounter in the morning with his room mates, not connecting with students, not connecting with Deasy, not connecting with life on the strand and realizing it, Stephen makes a conscious decision to see his uncle---and perhaps he gets lost in himself sufficiently to skip that encounter? I'm still unfomfortable with Stephen's mental play---it's just too coherent (in my opinion) and I lean toward Stephen going back into his head after departing. Certainly my thoughts are not definitive and I'm glad you raised this.
This has been on my mind all day! I hope we can dialogue on this a bit. I may be persuaded to alter my view when I update these videos someday! Here's what has me in a knot. Joyce is so stylistically perfect---this "scene" seems out of style so much from Stephen's [stream of consciousness] inner monologues. It is as any writer would present it---with complete thoughts, dialogues, and actions. That just doesn't feel right to me. Could you objectively read it, sans commentaries, and see what you think? As I re-read it, I did get a feeling that he just floated by without stopping (nobody home). It seems in need of an editor!
Dear Chris, I feel grateful and honored that you spend some time and energy engaging with my comment. I
first read your style argument this morning and found it quite on point, because I remember feeling grateful for the lucidity of this passage and being very surprised upon encountering the line that narrates Stephens decision to not visit after all.
My consideration of a mental interpretation of the visit is motivated solely by a fancy for the aesthetics of the metaleptic effect it might have on readers: being told about the inescapable influence of seeing is one thing, being demonstrated the deceiving nature of perception life and in color by a faux scene would be a far greater effect--and a crafty practical joke.
I see the underlying problem expressed by two independent questions:
(i) Why would Stephens stream of consciousness be so lucid, if the visit is only imagined?
(ii) Why would Stephen think that he passed the way to aunt Sara if he had actually visited her?
Both are somewhat vexing! Could it be, that the thought process of imagining a scene play out is different from the process of reasoning? While the latter is an associative process, that is additionally often interrupted by pushy perceptions, the former might be taken to be more stable: When imagining, the visual capacities of the mind are occupied and not so easily distracted, projections might be less prone to retrospective associations then contemplations about the present?
These are just musing from my side, of course, and should be put to a test on the text. I'm a first-time reader just finishing with Proteus, so I can't say whether there is evidence of different kinds of mentation in later parts of the book. Does anything come to your mind, perchance?
Zakum90 I read it as a memory from a previous visit to his Aunt and Uncle’s which goes through his mind as he’s on his way there. The memory isn’t too pleasant so when he realises he’s walked past the house he isn’t too fussed.
Yes I think so too. Or...maybe Joyce is leaving it up to the reader to decide whether it "really" happened or not.... I
Thanks for this, I'm taking a U3A class on the book and rereading it after 50 years. I loved "Portrait" as a young man and was surprised, on reading Ulysses in the 70s and again now, how holy I find Bloom. I like a topology of head, heart, gut groin; and It seemed to be then, and now, that Stephen was enmeshed in head and groin, thoughts and desires, where Leopold is led by heart and gut, feelings and convictions. Between them there's a whole person. Again, thanks for sharing your ideas!
Thank you very, very much. I love this book and it is my gooal to help others read Ulysses for fun. Your assessment of the two main characters is spot on. I think Joyce saw that in himself.
Thank you so much for this. I am reading Ulysses for my honours class and it has been a bit of a struggle. You have helped a lot!
Thank you for leaving a comment! I hope that you do great in class and that you enjoy the book! Keep us posted as you continue your own odyssey!
I’m just getting to your videos, and I just want to thank you. This is good content. You’re the man.
Great video, thanks. First time reading Ulysses and I'm learning alot from your videos!
Writing from Old Kilkenny, near Strongbow's castle on the Nore!
I was intending to watch these after reading the chapter. Right from the get go I had no idea what was going on and the next pages kept elevating in difficulty even with my two supplementary texts to aid me. I was so relieved to find out that you and everyone else found this chapter the first challenging test! I think it makes it a little harder for this recent generation because we were not taught these references (even the most basic ones). There was a professor at my university that, in frustration, quit teaching 'Ulysses' for a semester course because students didn't want to do the additional work to look up these references. Joyce's eyesight problem I heard a little bit of it which also reminded me of John Milton who was blind when he dictated 'Paradise Lost' the great epic free verse poem (I believe Homer was said to be blind, too). Which makes me see that this trait that these artists have in common leads me to the theory that because they have this decline in hearing or sight that they appreciate what they have and have to play with the hands that they are dealt. Another great video. Looking forward to Chapter 4 tomorrow! Every one of these chapters is like running a mental 5K race.
Nikolai Lipnicky You comments are excellent. Have fun reading the book and enjoy untangling the little puzzles Joyce builds. Too often people bog down with references when the characters are trying to reach us emotionally. Stephen is a sad guy...he is a bit lost so his poetic thinking is somewhat muddy and sad. Did you notice how he sees people? That is so important. Skip the references note how Stephen views the world.
I really appreciate your participation. Take care, Chris
Yes I see what you meant and it felt very sad. Actually it was the last two or three pages where it was easiest to decipher. My favorite passage was: you find my words dark. darkness is in our souls. Do you not think? Flutier. Our souls shamewounded by our sins, cling to us yet more, a woman to her lover clinging. The more the more.
That's excellent! When we can get to the point of feeling this writing, the book becomes enjoyable at a whole new level. Thank you for your excellent comments. You will encourage someone else by your words to take the jump and experience this book.
Hi from Brazil! I loved your video, thanks for sharing!
The visit to the uncles house could be an imagined visit by steven no?
I like what I’m reading a lot, but this episode really does stretch your perception of what physically is going on. Feels just like pure cognition put on paper. I got the impression he was remembering his time in Paris and that he didn’t even go to his uncles house and was more like just thinking of what would happen if he did and pessimistically predicting how it’d go. Fun read though
A shout in the street can be heard and so can little boys whistling in the dark. I love these videos as much as I love the room they are recorded in. It would be really appropriate if the blind was raised after each episode to let a little more light in each time
Started this series because of this chapter
Oh Gosh, this was really something! I guess next time I'll record a video to list all my thoughts. However, for now, let's go theme by theme.
1) ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS CHAPTER
" Put forth all your strength and hold him fast, for he will do his very utmost to get away from you. He will turn himself into every kind of creature that goes upon the earth, and will become also both fire and water; but you must hold him fast and grip him tighter and tighter, till he begins to talk to you and comes back to what he was when you saw him go to sleep; then you may slacken your hold and let him go; and you can ask him which of the gods it is that is angry with you, and what you must do to reach your home over the seas" (The Odyssy by Homer, Book IV, Athena describes how to deal with Proteus)
This time we can't make a parallel between a character in the Odyssy and a sigle one in the Ulysses. I rather believe that the whole chapter itself is Proteus: it changes multidimentionally (language shift, time-space shift, style shift). Yet if you have the will to go through it, this chapter can virtually answer to any question, because there are so many references in it, that wikipedia itself would have a hard time competing with it.
2) PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE (OMPHALOS)
Omphalos is a stone given to Cronus. It represents the navel of the word, located in Delphi (famous for predictions). As Cronus started the timeline of our era, this chapter starts the story.
3) THE INELUCTIBLE MODALITY OF THE VISIBLE
Only by climbing up and falling down the six realms of existance, you may possibly get a taste of Nirvana.
Only when Dante is ready to jump into Lucifer's jaws at the bottom of the hell, he may possibly hope to have a vision of God.
4) THE DEATH CYCLE
5) VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
In one of the first lines of this chapter, Joyce quotes Dante's Inferno (Maesto di color che sanno). In the same book (Inf, IV 12-13) there is this line:
"Or discendiam quaggiù nel cieco mundo"
"dark and deep, adn thick with clouds o' er spread, mine eye is vain"
5) WHY DIDN'T STEPHEN GO TO HIS AUNT SARA'S?
I'm just guessing, but maybe that's becuse, although Stephen's affection for aunt Sara, her relation with the rest of the family may be not that good. I think, however, we will know more about this point later on.
6) THE MISSING PIECE
You may ask questions to an oracle, but you may not get the answer you expected. This chapter is covered in question marks, but I don't see answers.
You are certainly "all in"! I love that you are diving so deeply into this book. That's superb and usually the realm of the third or fourth time reader. Congratulations on that and thank you for adding so much. I hope people will find these videos months and years from now and learn from comments like yours. I am only holding a match in the dark. Each comment added is another match. Slowly those who come later will see more and more. Thank you, Cosimo.
@@TeachUBusiness I found this video and I am immensely grateful to you all!!!
@@TeachUBusiness I hope this comment finds you healthy and happy kind sir! As you say the comments are helpful and only possible due to the video that you Dr. Reich spent your time creating and sharing so all of us can finally enjoy Ulysses during this my second attempt reading.
Absolutely wonderful video! Thanks so much for sharing this Chris. I’m embarking on this challenge of a read in my late 20s and it’s great to have someone so passionate about it to follow along with.
I’m of the opinion that Stephen is lacking someone of like mind, whether an intellectual peer or a lover; someone to share his mind with.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your enthusiasm! Enjoy the journey and dont get too hung up on trying to understand everything. If you can follow the story and appreciate the writing, the book will come alive. You will new nuggets every time you pick it up. Thank you for participating.
wow. thank you so much. i love your passion and it really inspires and motivates me. i respect your attitude toward reading and this work. thank you xx
Blush, thank you so much. I hope that you enjoy the book. Read it for fun. If you get enjoyment, I will be very happy! I appreciate that you took the time to write. Means a lot to me. Mind if I ask where you are located? It's fun to know that stuff for me.
Chris Reich actually I’m a university student majoring in English lit in South Korea and currently studying abroad in the UK! tho I’m planning to live in America in the near future☺️ Glad that you asked!🤣🤣 i was struggling with Ulysses but now i feel like I’m enjoying it more, thanks to ur videos. Again i appreciate ur passion and videos and am glad that i found you!☺️
Stephen wants to be remembered, recognized, get the attention he deserved. The paper, the particle he left on the rock, the urinating, all of these for creating something for somebody else to remember. He was asking that question in the text as well. He thinks he is weak not capable of neither his mom nor a drowning body. This is I think Joyce's worry as well to write this novel.
Just started the book last night (my fourth attempt in life) and I just want to say that your videos inspired me to pick myself back up and try again. Your energy is fantastic and your love of the book is obvious. I thank you for these videos.
I feel you could run a local course at a civics center or similar setting and get very positive feedback!
You are very kind! I am very happy that you are enjoying the book! Thank you so much for making my day.
I realize this comment is very late in coming, but I just wanted to say I really appreciate these videos. I read Ulysses (on my own) about 20 years ago and understood (maybe!) 10% of it. Now I'm re-reading it, with your help. (I'm also using a guidebook. I realize you don't recommend that, but I find it helpful, too.)
As you might tell by my pseudonym, I'm a big fan of Dubliners. I first read it in 1993 for an undergrad literature class, and I've read it many, many times.
(P.S. I guess my pseudonym doesn't appear in the comments? I'll just say it's "Gabriel Conroy."
This video was very helpful! Thanks again. However I thought it was fairly clear that the visit to the uncle just happens in his head. In the RTE audio production, this is much clearer.
You are correct. I have adjusted my own thoughts after numerous reads. I learn something every time I read the book.
Thanks a lot for this overview
Thank you. It is very nice of you to say that. Enjoy the book.
stephen realizes that what he perceives, like us, is just the "signature of all things," not the thing itself. is he missing love? which has been replaced by guilt. what he sees in reality is transformed in his mind to a longlist of other things...
You are on your way. This is a pretty tough episode and you have a handle on it. You should be very pleased that you made it this far! Your thoughts are excellent. Stephen, the poet, who wants to express deep ideas is somewhat locked into the physical. He hasn't got the human (humanities) connection with the things he sees.
Chris, I just watched the "Proteus segment and was able to get UA-cam on my Smart TV. That made the whole lesson even more fun. I felt I was in the first row of the classroom. (My hand was up to ask a question!) I was pondering what philosopher remarked that our eyes are almost are brain in bringing us the input that shapes us. Now on to the Proteus. Oliver
Aristotle is the likely father of what we might call early empiricism. I believe that Stephen was contemplating Aristotle as his "Ineluctable modality of the visible" is rather crude and not fully developed empiricism. Right?
Saying simply that something "is" what it appears to be, doesn't take other data into consideration. I allude to that in the video. As empiricism developed under Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, et al., it became more precise and used more sensory input and eventually became the technique to confirm the conclusion. All this evolved to the modern 'scientific method' used today.
What (I think) is important here is not a deep understanding of empiricism but rather Stephen's superficial view of what he observes. He's a smart guy and can make witty observations but can he 'see'? Is what we see, enough? I end the video with the question about what Stephen is "missing". Maybe you are on to it...
Let me add...if this "hook" of philosophy stimulated your interest to dive into one of the most challenging 'chapters' in literature, I'd love to hear it! I mention in the video that this difficult chapter might just become a favorite! You come through this with your mind excited and you've made the leap to the Joyce side!
Oliver Goldsmith hope you remembered to enjoy it like "delicious chocolate cake"🖐❤️️❤️️
Oh My! What a GREAT quote. Has anyone found the author of these words?
I have tried with no luck:-(
@@TeachUBusiness I agree with you about Stephen contemplating Aristotle. If memory serves he alludes directly to Aristotle in the first paragraph of 'Proteus' : "Bald he was and a millionaire, maestro di color che sanno." In some of the exegeses I have read over the years the authors posit the notion that Scylla and Charybdis symbolize Aristotletelianism vs Platonism in the National Library episode. To achieve the aesthetic discipline he develops from Aquinas, Stephen must safely navigate this strait, and like Odysseus, sacrifice to Scylla (Aristotle) and avoid Charybdis (Plato).
Yes, it's a reference to what McLuhan called "the kingdom of the eye." It's about perception and the primacy of percepts over concepts. Text, and especially phonetic text, always had the tendency to "turn the eyes into ears," which would interfere with the kingdom of the ear: the oral culture of Homer and the Rhapsodes. Even as late as the New Testament Paul is warning about the letter, which lies, versus the ear which reveals the spirit. But prior to Gutenberg there was at least some kind of balance, reflected in the Trivium: Rhetoric, Grammar, and Dialectic. But the shift to mechanical print changed all of that so Joyce is calling attention to a second mentality shift that is post-mechanical. And unlike mechanisms, it *flows*. So which way are we going, toward greater revelation or greater concealment? The irony is that the eye, having become dominant rather than part of a balanced sensorium, conceals... making deception harder to detect.
Just read 3 it was my favourite...nice to hear your ideas on protean...Neptune...proteins change the basis of life and shape shifting! Aristotle was nice and straightforward compared to all this movement but he was a biologist not a shapeshifter!❤️️❤️️❤️️🖐
I am REALLY glad you have joined in the discussion! You get it!!!! Hope you are having fun. Thank you for your participation.
Just started reading Ulysses a couple days ago, I've been using Joyce project.com. This is straight up more helpful and fun, so thanks Chris, I will be a return customer from now on.
Thank you BigHube21! I am so glad you are having FUN as well as the studious aspects. Stay in touch.
I can’t see Ulysses in the web page you mention, thanks
Good morning dr Reich. I am listening to your videos. Thanks for them. So far I have seen that the relation between homer’ s Odyssey and Ulysses, is very little. Can you tell me what you think about their relationship. Thanks a lot
Keep in mind that Joyce is not writing the Odyssey in a modernized format. He brilliantly uses the Odyssey as a roadmap. Each idea in each episode has a core idea that Joyce derived from the Odyssey. As you go deeper in the book, you will see that every episode is in a different style and each episode is a pleasure to see how Joyce uses it. It is great to hear from you, Marissa.
Thanks a lot Dr. Reich
Chris, great video! Just one note: I don’t think he visited his uncle. I think he just visit “mentally” his uncle. Don’t you think? I’ve just read again and still have this impression.
Yup. You know, I read many times and thought more about what was going on than what actually happened. I agree with you. GREAT catch!
Chris that’s great! I’ll carry on watching the videos :)
Dear Sir, somebody recommended me this book, and I have been trying to figure it out. These videos help me as I read. It is reassuring to know that it was not just I was was bamboozled.
Hi Umar! This has been called "the best book you'll ever read twice." If you are not pressed for time as you might be when taking a class, go back and re-read Chapter 1 and you will see it come alive. Each time you read this masterpiece, it will reveal a little more to you. Thank can be very frustrating but start with this: The book takes place in a single day (how hard can that be?) and it is about the lives of three people: Bloon, Stephen, and Molly. Try to enjoy the lannguage. Too many people get lost trying to understand every little detail. Better to enjoy the Odyssey Joyce puts us on.
Think about the opening of the book:
STATELY, PLUMP BUCK MULLIGAN CAME FROM THE STAIRHEAD, bearing a bowl of
lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressinggown,
ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him by the mild morning air. He
held the bowl aloft and intoned:
--INTROIBO AD ALTARE DEI.
Halted, he peered down the dark winding stairs and called out coarsely:
--Come up, Kinch! Come up, you fearful jesuit!
Mulligan is mocking the Catholic Mass---Yellow is the Catholic color meaning "light" and is often worn by priests to represent seasons in the liturgical cycle with strong presence of Christ. Ok, in depth analysis aside. The words are put together well. And it does sound like something a young, pompous dude would do. Right?
Stay with it and have fun. Most people, if they survive chapter 3, get traction with chapter 4. We're all here to help.
Thank you for your comments! I really appreciate your participation.
Steven uses intellect as a way to distance himself from his emotions, His emotions & intellect are not fully integrated leading to resentment and confusion. In fact, one could argue that Stephen has an intellectual addiction as well as a drug and sex addiction possibly related to emotional problems related to a dysfunctional alcoholic religious family and early exposure and possible bullying by older kids that Stephan may offset by using his intellect to cover his other insecurities: he's in need of a father substitute maybe Bloom who could be viewed as needing a son replacement for his Rudie who would have been about Stephen's age had he lived.
what is the main theme of this chapter ?
But he doesn't actually visit his uncle....right?
You are correct. I totally missed that the first couple reads. He walks past the gate. But he does a very realistic interpretation on what it would have been like had he gone in.
@@TeachUBusiness Indeed. Another layer of Stephen's genius, I suppose. I wonder if his relatives act as theh would have in real life, or are instead reflections of aspects of his family (and, by extension, Ireland as a whole) he has disdain for. The dodging debt collectors, poverty and alcoholism are all accentuated in his "vision," which makes me wonder if perhaps Stephen isn't giving his aunt and uncle a fair shake.
Stephen overthinks, like we all do, creating problems that may not really exist. Deceived by our senses, the more information we intake, the further we get from understanding life. The seastorm of our thoughts and senses trick us, pushing us away from our goal. This episode is long and chaotic on purpose. You wish to go through it as soon as possible. Exactly like Ulysses in the Odyssey wants to find land under his feet. No wonder why words like "waves, sea, sink, land, feet" and similar can be found through all the episode.
Please someone corrects me if I am not right, but I felt like Joyce tried to kill the reader by putting him-her into a storm of uncontrolled phenomena. The thing is, since most of readers quit here, his attempt was rather successful. He did it, however, just to give hurdles to the reader, hoping he-she would eventually be able to jump over them.
Like Ulysses, Stephen may miss some stable land under his feet. He is both amazed and scared by the world. It makes me think of Friedrich's painting "wanderer above the sea of fog"
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Caspar_David_Friedrich_-_Wanderer_above_the_sea_of_fog.jpg
You really are getting it! Joyce is showing us a little about himself too. As a young man he was quite the philosopher. You are right about this chapter being tough. Once you get through this one, it gets a bit easier for a while.
Definitely a challenging chapter. Thanks for the video! In regard to what Stephen is missing. Could it be a like-minded person? It seems like no one gets him. He observes people and life from afar, detached and not belonging. Even the guy who he jokes with and lives with... he feels alienated by. Stephen has this way of seeing things and perceiving things he shares with no one. Seems like he would be extremely lonely.
Priscilla De la Torre You got it! Excellent observations! We see that Stephen remains detached as the book progresses. His writing will not be great until he experiences rather than observes. Very good!
What’s Stephen missing? His recently-deceased mother, a father figure (until he connects with Bloom), and how about his faith?
Broke a sweat reading it, but it really was enjoyable. Managed to understand much more than i thought i could and this I owe to your very well made videos. Especialy enjoyed Stephen's reminisce of his time in Paris. Sadly i haven't figured out why Stephen's aunt is missing (maybe it has to with Stephen's mother's death?) so i can't give you answer. Nontheless it's been a great journey thus far.
Iasonas Xd Good comments. His aunt refuses to see Stephen because Stephen refused to kneel and pray as his mother died. She is holding a seious grudge. Hope that helps...I hope to get the next video done this week.
Chris Reich I knew it! Not because I figured it out from the text but, sisters are very alike. In a lot of families an aunt is essentially a second mother so, I could imagine she’d be ashamed of him for having abandoned his religion especially in the case of his mother dying.
Superb thinking! You are on to the heart of the book---this is about how people ARE. THat's why this book is timeless. You get it! Thank you for your comments.
Another great job. And why doesn’t the aunt come down?-I hope you don’t mind, but I shall comment on every episode you do. Do you do an overview of each chapter/episode? I haven’t looked ahead yet.
I'm happy you are commenting! Yes, there are videos all the way to the end. I hope you find them all useful. After this chapter, it gets a little easier for a while. Stephen 'disrespected' his mother by refusing to take a kneel and pray. His aunt deeply resents that. Similar scenes would happen today, I suspect.
Chris Reich ugh, can’t believe I missed that. I was over complicating it. Thanks buddy.
Many commentators say that the stand-in for the god Proteus in this chapter is the dog, which makes Stephen Menelaus. The dog acts in undog-like ways, shape-shifting, acting like a deer or a hare or a horse, until it encounters a dead dog. Then it is shocked back into "dogness". Do you agree on this interpretation?
Thank you so much! What was Joyce himself missing in his life? Was it perhaps the feeling of being loved or something else?
At that stage of Joyce's life, he was pretty much adrift with alcohol. He hadn't yet met Nora. As he writes Stephen's thoughts, he must have considered his own of intellectualizing everything but lacking the human connection that he found later with her.
Chris Reich Thank you for your reply! Stephen does seem very detached from everything. It’s almost like he’s observing his life more than living it. He does not feel connected to anything or anyone. He seems estranged from his own life. Or at least that’s the way i see it now. Still reading “Ulysses” and your videos are of great help!
Some observations ….3-39 Gabler, “put me on to Edenville Aleph Alpha nought nought one….” Stephen wants to telephone the Garden of Eden and talk to someone, some 1?…who would that be?😮 when I write Aleph Alpha nought nought one on paper, those nought looked like 2 bellybuttons (omphalos), surely not the navals of Adam and Eve 😅
Just a quick, thank you so much for this. It is a tough chapter but you really helped pull it together for me. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book with you. Thanks
Good job! Some chapters are easier than others. Once you start to "feel" the book, it gets much easier. Chasing the references can be fun, but the real experience is in the way this book can touch your being.It's about life.
I am not at all sure that we get the word protein from Proteus ( though there is the word protean which means capable of changing shape), rather that both words have a common origin from the Greek protos meaning first. Also when proteins were first discovered, and named, their shape changing properties would not have been known.
Chris, you are so good at this! And, you seem like a really cool guy, I would definitely love to hang out, talk Joyce, and play some ukulele with you.
How very kind of you! I'd like that too! I'm a lousy ukulele player but it's a ton of fun. You see all that sciency stuff in my office? I play around with physics for fun. And my real enjoyment is astronomy (solar mostly). Well, books, science, opera...where are you? I might have asked before.
Chris Reich Thats awesome! I'm a musician from New Jersey, and I have been trying to get through Ulysses for a while now. You are making it easy and fun! Thanks again.
Re proteus and protein: they both have roots in the Greek word 'protos' meaning 'first'. I wouldn't say protein comes from proteus though.
His visual experience of the world is as something read-as a written language. He is unable to have a visual experience separate from written word. Therefore he is not really seeing, not really experiencing. Only reading and only thinking. His experience of the world is indirect. This is what he is missing.
Excellent comment. You are on your way.
I imagine this also reflecting Joyce’s contemplation of and frustration with the limitations of the written word over visual experience. This is my second go at reading the whole book. I had to stop midway due to life events. I’m appreciative of your videos. My being able to make another go at is meaningful. I also have the audiobook in addition to print version which is of great help.
Just beginning, slowed down on 3, looking for resources
Why did Aunt Sara not come down? What is Steven missing?
For one he did not "really" visit: but also he feared emotional pain his father's reaction: was this the aunt that Mulligan said accused him of killing his mother:
It seems Steven lacks the ability to be with his emotions God and other people although the words convey this to people who can hear his emotional music
Glad I found you. Thanks, Chris. Michael
Aunt Sara must have been ashamed of her domestic circumstances
I think she must have been resentful about Stephan failing to pray with her sister ; being so out of touch with emotional sense because of his overpowering religion of resentment of the human flaws of some people in the church
Have a coffee before you read this chapter.
You might need something stronger for some pf the later ones!
Chris Reich are you from California? Maybe you can send me something 😂
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A woman?
...and I haven't even read the masterpiece yet!.
i've just realized that i am "anti-joycean", in that i can see ok but can't describe or explain things very well.
From your comments I'd say you are quite good at describing things. This book is unlike any other that you've probably read. It's difficult for difficult reasons. Sure, a physics is hard. You need to know a lot to read it. This book is very hard but we can tell that there is something there worthwhile. And as we scratch at it, we see more and more and more.
Of course he did not visit his uncle .. he doesn’t have any place to go and doesn’t want to go bc he knows exactly how all will go .. all very predictable.. only thinking gives him some peace..
You are correct....Thank you for commenting!
You are great and genius... i love this book and fortunately can feel and read the book easily.., though i love your explanation.. many people will be grateful.. not sure we need shadow reflection.. i am not sure whether it has an added value ... thank you
It’s not just related to Stephen and Joyce and this book, but what anxieties do authors of World Literature face that make them world-acknowledged while they have to try to acknowledge their own backgrounds against the backdrop of world achievements, in the first place?
And is it upto them to mark the genre of their books or do the publishers and later reviews decide that?
I really liked the several mentions of global characters and some beautiful phrases here and portmanteaus but one line again which jostled me.
“I zmellz de bloodz odz an Iridzman”.
The way it is written seems taken from an ancient hieroglyphic scroll(what did celtic look like btw?) and this was preceded by the image of the dead dog’s body floating in the waters and seceded by a live dog which Stephen later calls “The dog of my enemy.”
But I can somehow relate the anxiety of global authors like hell hounds on their heels. I can’t help wondering is it circumstantial? Is World Literature a genre whose authors have all at some point been victimised to a more than common extent?
That they are forced to forge connections with what they absolutely must in order to feel sane, in Stephen’s case, with his poetry. Or running after experiences which they know are hopeless(going to uncle’s house or any such obligatory functions which exist for an artist like breathing, can’t be avoided), and “non servium” (they don’t serve anybody), they’re further selective of who they connect and interact with.
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