Tuesday 7 August 2012

Ulysses, Episode VII: Aeolus

This chapter, named after the Greek god of the winds, is about the hot air found within the world of journalism. The location is the offices of the Freeman's Journal at 48 Prince Street, the time is 12 noon. Structurally this chapter is composed of a series of articles each with their own (often irrelevant) headline. There is conversation between Daedalus, Bloom and other characters although the narrative is fractured by the division of articles. This is the first chapter of the novel where Joyce uses such bold structural devices. There is a conflict between narrator and the arrangements of the editor, the flow of dialogue is interrupted by strange headlines such as: 'the crozier and the pen' (p.114) and 'short but to the point' (p.120), these headlines are vaguely and comically related to the conversation between the characters, but it is ultimately Joyce's humourous portrayal of the ambiguity of the press. Joyce mimics the oratory of both Irish and Greek rhetoricians, but also makes gratuitous reference to Bloom's Jewish descent. The article titled: 'And it was the feast of the Passover' (p.118) is filled with Jewish terminology such as 'Shema Israel Adonai Elohenu' (Hebrew: Hear, oh Israel, the Lord our God'). Ulysses itself contains a myriad religious references, which I could never hope to cover here, but it is important to note that Joyce places great emphasis on how religion affects the individual. The Word, in the Biblical sense (the Word of God), is rendered to the same level as the printed words of news articles.Joyce's language fluctuates between grand rhetoric to inane banter to obscure nonsense; 'diminished digits prove too titillating for frisky frumps' (p.143). But it is this playful exploration of Ulysses that gives such a powerful insight into the creative mind. Aeolus is Joyce's attempt at transcribing the creative process of journalism, and the thoughts of those involved.

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