It's 1pm and Leopold Bloom is hungry. He walks around the environs of Trinity College, close to the river Liffey. The whole chapter is centred around the theme of food and hunger. The opening line describes: 'Pineapple rock, lemon platt, butter scotch' (p.144) and the peristalsis of Bloom's hungry gut is in rhythm with his brisk walking pace.
As he walks along, Bloom thinks of poetry and 'how poets write' (p.146). He conjures a couplet of verse relating to his hunger: 'the hungry famished gull /Flaps o'er the waters dull' (p.145). Bloom meets Mrs Breen and tells her about Dignam's funeral although, his thoughts are directed at the 'hot mockturtle vapours and steam of newbaked jampuffs rolypoly poured out of Harrisons' (p.150). The sensuous imagery that abounds this chapter is typical of Bloom's character.
Also within this chapter is a phrase that proves relevant to the novel as a whole. As Bloom walks by Trinity College, he contemplates the idea of coincidence whilst thinking of Parnell's brother and the Irish writer, A.E. Bloom reaches the conclusion that: 'Coming events cast their shadows before' (p.158). This notion of foreshadowing is crucial to the novel, Joyce repeats ideas and themes throughout Ulysses and thus casts a figurative shadow on the plot as it unfolds.
The chapter concludes with Bloom espying Blazes Boylan (of whom Bloom suspects is having an affair with his wife) walking towards him. Out of shame and disgust, Bloom diverts into the National Museum thinking: 'didn't see me perhaps' (p.175), before concluding; 'Safe!' (p.175).
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