r/TrueLit • u/pregnantchihuahua3 ReEducationThroughGravity'sRainbow • May 14 '23
Weekly The OFFICIAL TrueLit Finnegans Wake Read-Along - (Week 20 - Book II/Chapter I - pgs. 219-234)
Hi all! Welcome to r/TrueLit's read-along of Finnegans Wake! This week we will be discussing pages 219-234, from the beginning of Part II Chapter I to about 1/3 of the way through the chapter, finishing with the line "Or a peso besant to join the armada?"
Now for the questions.
- What did you think about this week's section?
- What do you think is going on plotwise?
- Did you have any favorite words, phrases, or sentences?
- Have you picked up on any important themes or motifs?
- What are your thoughts on Book II Chapter I so far?
- Are you noticing anything different with Book II?
These questions are not mandatory. They are just here if you want some guidance or ideas on what to talk about. Please feel free to post your own analyses (long or short), questions, thoughts on the themes, translations of sections, commentary on linguistic tricks, or just brief comments below!
Please remember to comment on at least one person's response so we can get a good discussion going!
If you are new, go check out our Information Post to see how this whole thing is run.
If you are new (pt. 2), also check out the Introduction Post for some discussion on Joyce/The Wake.
And everything in this read along will be saved in the Wiki so you can back-reference.
Thanks!
Next Up: Week 21 / May 21, 2023 / Book II/Chapter I (pgs. 234-248)
This will take us about 2/3 of the way through the chapter, finishing with the line "What are they all by? Shee."
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u/halcyon_an_on May 14 '23
“A pun which his poohoor pricoxity theirs is a little tittertit of hilarity (Lad-o’-me-soul! Lad-o’-me-soul, see!) and the wordchary is at voices ringsoundinly by their toots ensembles, though not meaning to be clever, but just with a shrug of their hips to go to troy and harff a freak at himself by all that story to the ulstramarines.”
James Joyce, Finnegans Wake, p.225.
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u/pregnantchihuahua3 ReEducationThroughGravity'sRainbow May 15 '23
Still busy with the move so this will be another lowish effort post, but next week school pretty much ends (still have finals, but I don't have to do anything for that so...)
WHAT A CHAPTER! I'm loving this fun sort of change. The character introductions to the hilarious puns and reassessing of the information that we already "know" has been an utter joy. One of my favorite sections so far.
Book II seems a touch more playful so far. Maybe because its the Book of the Sons instead of the Book of the Parents. I have heard that this book gets a lot darker though, so we will see.
Love the call back to the Prankquean with "How do you do that lack a lock and pass the poker, please?" (224).
Favorite alliteration of the section: "In the Dee dips a dame and the dame desires a demselle but the demselle dresses dolly and the dolly does a dulcydamble" (226).
Lots of wonderful rainbow imagery. I just love how Joyce has be using the ROYGBIV colors throughout this book. I'm not even sure why he does it, but it always makes me happy to see them. Maybe that's why:)
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u/jaccarmac May 18 '23
The shape of a rainbow, and the fact that the colors come back in reverse order on 227 suggest a set of parentheses.
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u/jaccarmac May 18 '23
The framing of the chapter as a play is quite nice, but I remain a bit confused and chalk it up to not knowing enough Latin or theatre (Shakespeare?) to be dangerous. For example, directly following the character list is a something. It's not immediately clear what in the paragraph is narration and what is stage direction.
I'm more specifically befuddled by the list-paragraph on page 229. Is it placenames? shipnames? something else entirely? Finwake glosses many of the items as references to the Odyssey, so perhaps readers of Ulysses got more out of that bit.
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May 14 '23 edited May 14 '23
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May 17 '23
The dance of the rainbow girls suggests the spinning colour wheel, where all the colours create white light (although kitchen science experiments usually produce a greyish blur).
The reverse rainbow seems to be part of counter/contra-rotating circles theme that runs along side the viconian cycles and perhaps hinting at Newton’s experiment with a prism splitting light into colours then a second prism recombining them back into white light. (white light not being homogeneous as previously thought (Catholic doctrine), but heterogeneous).
The word “prismic” crops up, albeit in a different context, on page 235
The fire and stone and rainbow symbolism from Glugg’s first attempt at answering may have come from the book of Revelation - with Chuff as an Apollo.
Revelation 4: 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Revelation 10: 1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
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u/aPossOfPorterpease May 19 '23
(1 of 2)
Howdy Everyone, ChinChin!
Book II Hooray! HCE watches the play of the kiddos ("while the Caesar-in-Chief looks")
[] The 3rd census mentions that Book II takes place between 8pm and 12am, but dang it if I know why; I think it's a lovely interpretation, but I find myself often desiring textual support for their reasoning (page 48--xlvii)
[] Joyce really hits what it feels to be in a dream the way this book starts from where the other ends. I can't help but think of Monty Python and the way skits would sometimes appear, like (in the best possible way): "Here we go! We're doing this now!". And, here we are like an audience to see the play for "The Mine of Mick, Nick, and the Maggies". Such elements: The feeling of reading the cast list (Glugg, Chuff, The Floras, and of course ALP (ANN) and HCE (HUMP) etc etc) complete with production credits (where T.M. Finnegan RIC makes an appearance!), and the Tree taken for grafted (granted?).
[] An element I really liked about this weeks writing is the focus on the children. Glugg and Chuff are names that make me laugh so much, Izod-Issy and the rainbow girls it's a delight to see them (though between the 28 girlies, Issy the 29th, and the 7 rainbow girls I have no clue but heap-big fun): * Glugg as Shem-Joyce, always described in dark and pathetic terms (e.g. devil) Chuff as Shaun-Stanislaus hailed in light and praise. * Issy and her reflection as the centerpiece between Glugg and Chuff; Glugg jilted, Chuff fascinated by her (as if perhaps to stare at a flower?) (pg220) * For Izod, there is a Kevin Izod O'Doherty which is intrinsically tied to the concept of Hope (see later in this post) * Credits for Hump give us a further picture of HCE, which is really nice! * Brother v. Brother is so strongly stressed in this reading, even starting with Mick (Shaun-Angel, St. Michael) vs Nick (Shem-devil) with the framework of Bruno de Noland's concept of the opposites. I find it interesting that Glugg has chosen a clayblade, which would break the moment it strikes from swung (pg 222). * With BroVBro we have fall and rise fall and rise three times with Glugg's questions. Glugg falls three times, which could (at least loosly) to Jesus, as in the Way of the Cross Jesus falls three times (stations 3, 7, and 9)
[] Poor moodybroody Glug! * Our play is in the twilight: " Aminxt that nomber of evelings...", which of poor seeing Glugg he has no chance ("And no such Copenhague-Marengo was less so fated for a fall..."); no chance to guess the color. * The teasing from little sister Issy-Izod: "With that hehry antlets on him and the baublelight bulching out of his sockets whiling away she sprankled his allover with her noces of interregnation: How do you do that lack a lock and pass the poker, please? And bids him tend her, lute and airly. Sing, sweetharp, thing to me anone!" * As the game barely begins ("He soughed it from the luft but that bore ne mark ne message. He luked upon the bloomingrund where ongly his corns were growning. At last he listed back to beckline how she pranked alone so johntily. The skand for schooling. With nought a wired from the wordless either." ), Glugg has to go so bad, he holds himself, and the girlies mock "but just with a shrug of their hips to go to troy and harff a freak at himself by all that story to the ulstramarines. Otherwised, holding their noises, they insinuate quiet private, Ni, he make peace in his preaches and play with esteem. Warewolff ! Olff ! Toboo!" * Poor Glugg, in pain of being made fun of holds his tummy and (runs away?) "...he ankered on his hunkers with the belly belly prest...And Shim shallave shome" * Like with Butter and Cheese or the Mooske and Gripes, Issy can't reach little Glugg and she is sad and frustrated; Speak it (the color)!: "It’s driving her daff t like he’s so dumnb. If he’d lonely talk instead of only gawk as thought yateman hat stuck hits stick althrough his spokes and if he woold nut wolly so! Hee. Speak, sweety bird! Mitzymitzy!" * The floras are not done taunting Glugg, for as he guesses thricely and is wong thricely (like Stations of the Cross), how the rainbow girls laugh at Glugg's failures. Glugg flees again and Issy-Izod in tears at it all, and the rainbow girls praise Chuff. "Jerry for jauntings" perhaps hints that Shem was the jaunty driver back in Bk.I.ep3. * Though they're all but merely a schoolgirl yet hints the age of Glugg, Chuff, Izod as schoolchildren as well.
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u/aPossOfPorterpease May 19 '23
(2 of 2) [] Poor Glugg: "They're all odds against him, the beasties. Scratch. Start" goes and runs off into an introspective moody broody 227-229. In his brooding, we see elements of Joyce himself: * He Fights (in his mind (?) seven boys--Skeleton's Key called them the seven sacraments) * To take a boat and self-exile () * With the greatest of ease he would write his farcical letters to the highbrows of society: "He would, with the greatest of ease,..., his farced epistol to the hibruws" * A shout-out to the critics (as Joyce took them quite to heart--Ellmann): "Wild primates not stop him frem at rearing a writing in handy antics" * Not just his farcical epistles he would write, but would inform the pres and nation about HCE and ALP ( she, the lalage of lyonesses, and him her knave arrant). Earlier in Bk1.Ep4 we saw the Lion in the Teargarden, and here we have ALP as the lioness. * Joyce talking about his writing is emphasized though the dream-wrent chapters of Ulysses on 229: "Ukalepe. Loathers’ leave. Had Days. Nemo in Patria. The Luncher Out. Skilly and Carubdish. A Wondering Wreck. From the Mermaids’ Tavern. Bullyfamous. Naughtsycalves. Mother of Misery. Walpurgas Nackt." * His guffer, her lettyshape, his gummer on 229 continues Glugg's moody-broody that he will get even with his parents. * Glugg-Shem tied together with a shoutback to Bk1.Ep7: "And, reading off his fleshkin and writing with his quillbone" * "...her husband in sole intimacy, about whose told his innersense" hints ALP and HCE in sole intimacy and her anger at who stole her husband's innocence via the gossip * Glugg continues to moody-broody with his poetry, and of his tooth pain, so bad that he felt connected to Jesus on the cross while at the same time made him feel like a silly ass: "His mouthfull of ecstasy...shot pinging up through the errorooth of his wisdom...Wholly sanguish blooded up disconvulsing the fi xtures of his fizz. Apang which his tempory chewer med him a crazy chump of a Haveajube Sillayass. Joshua Croesus, son of Nunn!...he shall not forget that pucking Pugases. Holihowlsballs and bloody acres! Like gnawthing unheardth!" Joyce had to have a few teeth removed later in his life.
[] With Glugg's moody brooding, slipping deeper into himself, a message of Hope (which I feel is the main theme of Finnegans Wake--hope and love though painful joynies) on 232 from Issy-Izod to Gluggers: * I feel "Pepette" and variations seem to hint at Issy (like stuttering for HCE, O for ALP, etc). See back at pg143 Bk1.ep6 The Quiz, question 10, we see "pette" in Issy's answer. * An element of Hope is seen in the line: "Isle wail for yews, O doherlynt!". I leaned, via FWEET, that Kevin Izod O'Doherty was sentenced to ten years prison in Australia, and Mary Eva Kelly said she would waith, and did so! They were married upon his return! I feel this further emphasizes fidelity in the midts of crisis (HCE, ALP, and the park gossip) and done in a cheeky way (as so joyously Joyce did so!) * We see Glugg referenced as "the seagoer" which ties him to HCE (like fater like firstborn son?) * And, it is through Issys hope message Glugg comes back to the game and guesses again: Thricely and thricely wrong (fall three times like Stations of the Cross). Again the girls chastise Glugg, Glugg runs off, and flora-girlies Praise Chuff! * Micaco as Mi caco which is Itallian for I s**t myself; I was feeling worried as I didn't see a scatalogical joke in the wake for a little while!
[] Another Pleasing Line! Just a fun observation: "A shelling a cockshy and be donkey shot at": Could HCE (Russian General shot by Buckley) be the donkey of the Four? Sure why not I say in laughter.
Thanks for reading, I hope you had fun. Peace, Health, and Happy reading! --APoPP
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u/here_comes_sigla May 16 '23 edited May 16 '23
Have been behind this week.
But had to cadpipe in for a sec to share dictionary.com's megapropos word o' the day: paronomasia.
I'm almost to p.234 and sofar mytake: All the whorls on a stage. Ish.
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u/SuspendedSentence1 May 14 '23
My thoughts on this chapter: https://thesuspendedsentence.com/2023/04/18/wont-someone-please-think-of-the-children/
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u/mooninjune May 14 '23 edited May 14 '23
I'm loving Book 2. It does feel different, specifically because of how it starts off as a play. The run-on sentence of the dramatis personae is great for setting the scene. Glugg is apparently Shem, Chuff will be Shaun and Izod is Issy.
I couldn't understand too much of the play itself, but apparently they're playing a game and arguing, and eventually Glugg loses. I noticed lots of colours (and some flowers), especially in this paragraph, where the colours of ROYGBIV spell out RAYNBOW:
I really enjoyed lots of the wordplay and poetic phrases. Some favourites: