(351.5-353.5) Butt's defense continues in a very undefensive tone. Instead of lamenting or justifying his past actions, he revels in them. He looks back on those "hellscyown days for our fellows" and recalls how "our woos with the wenches went wined for a song" as their chaplain plied everyone with cigarettes. Butt's thoughts turn toward the prostitutes he encountered while a soldier. He "did not give one humpenny dump" for the cheaper prostitutes, the "thusengaged slavey generales of Tanah Kornalls, the meelisha's deelishas." Instead, he says, he frequented the high-class brothels, such as "my respectables soeurs assistershood off Lyndhurst Terrace, the puttih Misses Celana Dalems" (McHugh notes that Lyndhurst Terrace was a Hong Kong brothel area) and "His Herinesss, my respeaktoble medams culonelle on Mellay Street, Lightnints Gundhr Sawabs" (Malay Street, McHugh adds, was a Singapore brothel area).
This revelry went on until the Russian General ("his urrsian gemenal") appeared on the scene and stole the prostitutes' attentions: "and how they gave love to him and how he took the ward from us." "[M]y oreland for a rolvever," Butt declared, arming himself. "We insurrectioned," he says, "and, be the procuratress of the hory synnotts, before he could tell pullyirragun to parrylewis, I shuttm, missus, like a wide sleever! Hump to dump! Tumbleheaver!" So, Butt and his fellow soldiers revolted against the Russian General, and before he had a chance to pull his own gun, Butt shot him.
Taff, recognizing the dangerous nature of Butt, delivers praise for his counterpart's exploits. That praise, however, has hints of mockery: "Oholy rasher, I'm believer! And Oho bullyclaver of ye, bragadore-gunneral!"
Butt loves this slightly-mocking praise. "The buckbeshottered!" he shouts. "He'll umbozzle no more graves nor horne nor haunder . . . ."
Today's passage ends with Taff, a half-hearted sinner himself, expressing awe and slight disbelief that Butt did the deed: "In sobber sooth and in souber civiles? And to the dirtiment of the curtailment of his all of man? Notshoh?" Butt's response, and the conclusion of the Butt-Taff dialogue, will come in our next reading.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
"tastefully taut guranium satin"
(349.6-351.5) The Butt-Taff dialogue is interrupted at the start of today's reading with the third televised diversion. In fact, this bit is even more explicitly televised, for McHugh notes that Joyce includes lots of language about the workings of early TV's (e.g., "scanning firespot" references the "scanning spot" of early models, which, McHugh explains in Joycean language, traversed "the picture in parallel lines slightly sloped"). The story "teleframe[d]" on the "bairboard bombardment screen" is the "charge of a light barricade," or the Charge of the Light Brigade.
Of note, this broadcast appears "following a fade of transformed Tuff and . . . a metenergic reglow of beaming Batt," indicating that the Butt-Taff dialogue could actually be televised (and that this is an interruption of that television program). For the moment, however, I'm reading it as a televised program that's interrupting the live action Butt-Taff play, which has been reflected up to this moment on the previously blank television screen that had displayed the mirrored images of Butt and Taff. We know that the images were mirrored because their names are types of mirrored (or distorted) images of themselves.
Amid the images depicting the Charge of the Light Brigade, we eventually see one figure who assumes prominence on the screen: "Popey O'Donoshough, the jesuneral of the russuates," or the Russian General. The Russian General, depicted with all the seals or medals of his uniform, makes a confession, which Campbell and Robinson and McHugh note corresponds with the Catholic sacrament of Last Rights (featuring the anointing of the eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet). Campbell and Robinson write that this indicates the Russian General's imminent death, and we learn that "[t]here will be a hen collection of him after avensung on the field of Hanar."
The narrative shifts back to the Butt-Taff dialogue, and all of my secondary sources point out that Butt now appears as an Oscar Wilde figure ("Mr Lhugewhite Cadderpollard with sunflawered beautonhole pulled up point blanck by mailbag mundaynism at Oldbally Court"). Butt announces to the courtroom crowd that he will now make a defense "in every circumstancias" of his "deboutcheries." He begins this defense by acknowledging that he's "had my billyfell" of the soldier's spoils of war. He and his fellow soldiers fought for "Father Petrie Spence of Parishmoslattary" and routed the heretical "huguenottes" and "allbegeneses." Overall, he enjoyed these campaigns, and he recalls "all the fun I had in that fanagan's week."
Butt's defense (which appears to take up more than two full pages of text) will continue tomorrow.
Of note, this broadcast appears "following a fade of transformed Tuff and . . . a metenergic reglow of beaming Batt," indicating that the Butt-Taff dialogue could actually be televised (and that this is an interruption of that television program). For the moment, however, I'm reading it as a televised program that's interrupting the live action Butt-Taff play, which has been reflected up to this moment on the previously blank television screen that had displayed the mirrored images of Butt and Taff. We know that the images were mirrored because their names are types of mirrored (or distorted) images of themselves.
Amid the images depicting the Charge of the Light Brigade, we eventually see one figure who assumes prominence on the screen: "Popey O'Donoshough, the jesuneral of the russuates," or the Russian General. The Russian General, depicted with all the seals or medals of his uniform, makes a confession, which Campbell and Robinson and McHugh note corresponds with the Catholic sacrament of Last Rights (featuring the anointing of the eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet). Campbell and Robinson write that this indicates the Russian General's imminent death, and we learn that "[t]here will be a hen collection of him after avensung on the field of Hanar."
The narrative shifts back to the Butt-Taff dialogue, and all of my secondary sources point out that Butt now appears as an Oscar Wilde figure ("Mr Lhugewhite Cadderpollard with sunflawered beautonhole pulled up point blanck by mailbag mundaynism at Oldbally Court"). Butt announces to the courtroom crowd that he will now make a defense "in every circumstancias" of his "deboutcheries." He begins this defense by acknowledging that he's "had my billyfell" of the soldier's spoils of war. He and his fellow soldiers fought for "Father Petrie Spence of Parishmoslattary" and routed the heretical "huguenottes" and "allbegeneses." Overall, he enjoyed these campaigns, and he recalls "all the fun I had in that fanagan's week."
Butt's defense (which appears to take up more than two full pages of text) will continue tomorrow.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
"Freetime's free! Up Lancesters! Anathem!"
(347.34-349.5) Today's passage is a shorter one, thanks to the long passage I read yesterday. It also seemed a bit easier to get through, perhaps because today's passage was set up by yesterday's and lacks any interruptions.
Taff, after hearing Butt's account of his military history, lights a cigarette and asks whether Butt was an aide-de-camp. Butt, who is a bit drunk now (on account of the libation we saw him drinking before the interruption yesterday), doesn't answer Taff's question directly, but instead laments that he has "a boodle full of maimeries in me buzzim" (a bundle of memories -- or mammaries! -- in his bosom). Butt grows sentimental -- "medears runs sloze" -- as he laments "all them old boyars that's now boomaringing in wualholler, me alma marthyrs." He's remembering his lost compatriots, but he's also lamenting the Russians he defeated, for as McHugh notes, "boyars" was a rank of the Russian aristocracy. Butt drinks to these lost souls, these "bycorn spirits fuselaiding," even if that drink is condensed water with absinthe and vermouth.
Butt goes on to remember his associates, three soldiers named Cedric said Gormleyson, Danno O'Dunnochoo, and Conno O'Cannochar. These three -- who represent the three soldiers who witnessed HCE's sin in Phoenix Park -- were classmates of Butt at "Kong Gores Wood," which recalls Clongowes Wood College, which a young Joyce (and Stephen Dedalus in Portrait) attended. Butt and his three soldiers fraternized with "those khakireinettes, our miladies in their toileries, the twum plumyumnietcies," or the two young women in the park. Recalling these good ol' times, Butt shouts, "Hulp, hulp, huzzars! Raise ras tryracy! Freetime's free! Up Lancesters! Anathem!"
Hearing of the two temptresses, Taff (in the stage directions) recalls certain female spies who stole his wallet amid the bustle in Bakerloo Station. He in turn shouts, "The rib, the rib, the quean of oldbrydes, Sinya Sonyavitches!" He's on a misogynistic track, viewing the young women, and all daughters of Eve, as wily temptresses at best, and whores at worst. Butt says that these women are "raday to embrace our ruddy inflamtry world!" Infantry soldiers will mingle with these women until "they've kinks in their tringers and boils on their taws," or, in other words, until their genitalia is deformed by sexually transmitted diseases. Disgraced, these soldiers will face either court martial or gonorrhea.
Taff, after hearing Butt's account of his military history, lights a cigarette and asks whether Butt was an aide-de-camp. Butt, who is a bit drunk now (on account of the libation we saw him drinking before the interruption yesterday), doesn't answer Taff's question directly, but instead laments that he has "a boodle full of maimeries in me buzzim" (a bundle of memories -- or mammaries! -- in his bosom). Butt grows sentimental -- "medears runs sloze" -- as he laments "all them old boyars that's now boomaringing in wualholler, me alma marthyrs." He's remembering his lost compatriots, but he's also lamenting the Russians he defeated, for as McHugh notes, "boyars" was a rank of the Russian aristocracy. Butt drinks to these lost souls, these "bycorn spirits fuselaiding," even if that drink is condensed water with absinthe and vermouth.
Butt goes on to remember his associates, three soldiers named Cedric said Gormleyson, Danno O'Dunnochoo, and Conno O'Cannochar. These three -- who represent the three soldiers who witnessed HCE's sin in Phoenix Park -- were classmates of Butt at "Kong Gores Wood," which recalls Clongowes Wood College, which a young Joyce (and Stephen Dedalus in Portrait) attended. Butt and his three soldiers fraternized with "those khakireinettes, our miladies in their toileries, the twum plumyumnietcies," or the two young women in the park. Recalling these good ol' times, Butt shouts, "Hulp, hulp, huzzars! Raise ras tryracy! Freetime's free! Up Lancesters! Anathem!"
Hearing of the two temptresses, Taff (in the stage directions) recalls certain female spies who stole his wallet amid the bustle in Bakerloo Station. He in turn shouts, "The rib, the rib, the quean of oldbrydes, Sinya Sonyavitches!" He's on a misogynistic track, viewing the young women, and all daughters of Eve, as wily temptresses at best, and whores at worst. Butt says that these women are "raday to embrace our ruddy inflamtry world!" Infantry soldiers will mingle with these women until "they've kinks in their tringers and boils on their taws," or, in other words, until their genitalia is deformed by sexually transmitted diseases. Disgraced, these soldiers will face either court martial or gonorrhea.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
"ever fondlinger of his pimple spurk"
(345.16-347.33) I went a bit longer than two full pages for today's reading in order to avoid breaking up the long paragraph that takes up most of page 347. The longer reading was a bit of a challenge, since the passage is a tougher one in which Butt and Taff's banter is broken up by another televised interruption. We start off with Taff giving some (perhaps mocking) encouragement to Butt by offering him a drink. (The stage directions hit that the drink is a Guinness ("another guidness"), but Taff's words indicate that the drink is some kind of liquor.) Butt takes the drink, which the stage directions treat as a form of the Roman Catholic communion rite, and remarks that it's like a "boeson fiend," meaning either (or both) a bosom friend or vile enemy.
The second televised interruption of the Butt and Taff routine now appears. This "teilweisioned" interruption narrates seemingly random events in Mullingar (which, notably, is where Mr. Bloom's daughter, Milly, is living and working during Ulysses). The topics covered include fashion and farming. The interruption ends with references to Buckley and the Russian General ("Burkeley's Show's a ructiongetherall") and Finnegan's wake and resurrection ("Phone for Phineal toomellow aftermorn and your phumeral's a roselixion.").
Taff resumes the play by once again attempting to turn the audience's attention back toward Butt's stroy. "Since you are on for versingrhetorish say your piece!" he says to Butt. "How Buccleuch shocked the rosing girnirilles." (This last bit could imply Buckley merging with HCE, since it could be read as Buckley shocking the rose girls, or the two young women in Phoenix Park.) Butt tells Taft to get out of the dumps ("And don't live out the sad of tearfs, piddyawhick!") before suggesting that he make a "rpnice pschange" of subject and discuss "whattinghim," or Butt's time under Wellington.
Butt eagerly complies with this last request. "As said as would," he says. He goes on to trace his time in the military. First, he discusses the year 1132, in which "on the plain of Khorason" he was in "the Reilly Oirish Krzerszonese Milesia" under "Sirdarthar Woolwichleagues." He kind of rambles on about his doings during this period of his life, such as his time in the "Crimealian wall samewhere in Ayerland" (the wall in Phoenix Park?) and the time when he (perhaps lustily) wept "over the freshprosts of Eastchept and the dangling garters of Marrowbone."
Eventually, Butt goes back to the story of the Russian General: "But Icantenue." Butt and his compatriots had taken off after the Russians. He formed a plan on how to evade their attack and then go on the offensive. The plan is apparently successful, and Butt soon has the Russians "orussheying and patronning, out all over Crummwiliam wall." He ends today's passage saying "why it was me who . . . " but breaks off this thought by laughing: "haw haw."
The second televised interruption of the Butt and Taff routine now appears. This "teilweisioned" interruption narrates seemingly random events in Mullingar (which, notably, is where Mr. Bloom's daughter, Milly, is living and working during Ulysses). The topics covered include fashion and farming. The interruption ends with references to Buckley and the Russian General ("Burkeley's Show's a ructiongetherall") and Finnegan's wake and resurrection ("Phone for Phineal toomellow aftermorn and your phumeral's a roselixion.").
Taff resumes the play by once again attempting to turn the audience's attention back toward Butt's stroy. "Since you are on for versingrhetorish say your piece!" he says to Butt. "How Buccleuch shocked the rosing girnirilles." (This last bit could imply Buckley merging with HCE, since it could be read as Buckley shocking the rose girls, or the two young women in Phoenix Park.) Butt tells Taft to get out of the dumps ("And don't live out the sad of tearfs, piddyawhick!") before suggesting that he make a "rpnice pschange" of subject and discuss "whattinghim," or Butt's time under Wellington.
Butt eagerly complies with this last request. "As said as would," he says. He goes on to trace his time in the military. First, he discusses the year 1132, in which "on the plain of Khorason" he was in "the Reilly Oirish Krzerszonese Milesia" under "Sirdarthar Woolwichleagues." He kind of rambles on about his doings during this period of his life, such as his time in the "Crimealian wall samewhere in Ayerland" (the wall in Phoenix Park?) and the time when he (perhaps lustily) wept "over the freshprosts of Eastchept and the dangling garters of Marrowbone."
Eventually, Butt goes back to the story of the Russian General: "But Icantenue." Butt and his compatriots had taken off after the Russians. He formed a plan on how to evade their attack and then go on the offensive. The plan is apparently successful, and Butt soon has the Russians "orussheying and patronning, out all over Crummwiliam wall." He ends today's passage saying "why it was me who . . . " but breaks off this thought by laughing: "haw haw."
Thursday, April 2, 2015
"I adn't the arts to."
(343.13-345.15) After adjusting his coat in the beginning of today's passage, Butt resumes his story. In response to Taff's request that he admit his involvement in the shooting of the Russian General, Butt says, "I don't think I did not, pojr." He then proceeds to discuss his involvement. Butt followed the General for a bit, then noticed that he seemed to be searching for a place to defecate: "he was . . . lyoking for a stooleazy for to nemesisplotsch allafranka and for to salubrate himself with an ultradungs heavenly mass." Here, Joyce is close to his maximum sacrilegious level, as the General could easily be preparing to defecate or preparing to recite prayers. Regardless, after observing the General, Butt could no longer bear the sight, and was "bibbering with vear."
Taff, as could be expected, has little sympathy for Butt's plight. He mocks his counterpart, saying, "Weepon, weeponder, song of sorrowman!" Disgusted with Butt's cowering conduct, Taff strikes him, saying, "Take the cawraidd's blow! Yia! Your partridge's last!"
Butt, "in acknuckledownedgment of this cumulikick" (as explained in the stage directions), drops down to his knees. His uniform suddenly changes, as does his bodily appearance. According to the stage directions, "his face glows green, his hair greys white, his bleyes bcome broon to suite his cultic twalette." In this state of agony, Butt explains that, while continuing to observe the General, it seemed as if the General was "recovering breadth from some herdsquatters beyond the carcasses." Perhaps this means that the General was finishing up, but when Butt got a better view under the "veereyed lights of the stormtrooping clouds," it was clear that the General was still in mid-defecation. It was too much for Butt, who wanted to shoot the General, but "adn't the arts to."
Once again, Taff mocks Butt, saying, "You hidn't the hurts? Vott Fonn!"
At this point, an interesting stage direction appears as Butt is beginning to speak again. We read that Butt hears "somrother sudly give twothree peevish sniff snuff snoores like govalise falseleep" and that Butt "waitawhishts to see might he stirs." On one level, this means that at this point in the play (and this supports my "live action" theory), one of the patrons in the pub has fallen asleep and begun to snore. The actor playing Butt waits a moment to see if the patron is going to wake up before he proceeds. In the Skeleton Key, Campbell and Robinson go to another level in their analysis. They propose that this is Butt hearing HCE snoring as he is dreaming the Wake. This would mean that HCE is dangerously close at this point to waking himself up and causing the book to end prematurely.
Fortunately for us, HCE doesn't wake up, and the narrative continues. Today's reading concludes with Butt bemoaning the fact that he was too late in trying to shoot the General. "My fate!" he says. "O hate! Fairwail! Fearwealing of the groan!" If he had caught the General pre-defecation, Butt might've taken his shot. But we do know that the General eventually is shot, so we'll continue to read on to see what happens.
Taff, as could be expected, has little sympathy for Butt's plight. He mocks his counterpart, saying, "Weepon, weeponder, song of sorrowman!" Disgusted with Butt's cowering conduct, Taff strikes him, saying, "Take the cawraidd's blow! Yia! Your partridge's last!"
Butt, "in acknuckledownedgment of this cumulikick" (as explained in the stage directions), drops down to his knees. His uniform suddenly changes, as does his bodily appearance. According to the stage directions, "his face glows green, his hair greys white, his bleyes bcome broon to suite his cultic twalette." In this state of agony, Butt explains that, while continuing to observe the General, it seemed as if the General was "recovering breadth from some herdsquatters beyond the carcasses." Perhaps this means that the General was finishing up, but when Butt got a better view under the "veereyed lights of the stormtrooping clouds," it was clear that the General was still in mid-defecation. It was too much for Butt, who wanted to shoot the General, but "adn't the arts to."
Once again, Taff mocks Butt, saying, "You hidn't the hurts? Vott Fonn!"
At this point, an interesting stage direction appears as Butt is beginning to speak again. We read that Butt hears "somrother sudly give twothree peevish sniff snuff snoores like govalise falseleep" and that Butt "waitawhishts to see might he stirs." On one level, this means that at this point in the play (and this supports my "live action" theory), one of the patrons in the pub has fallen asleep and begun to snore. The actor playing Butt waits a moment to see if the patron is going to wake up before he proceeds. In the Skeleton Key, Campbell and Robinson go to another level in their analysis. They propose that this is Butt hearing HCE snoring as he is dreaming the Wake. This would mean that HCE is dangerously close at this point to waking himself up and causing the book to end prematurely.
Fortunately for us, HCE doesn't wake up, and the narrative continues. Today's reading concludes with Butt bemoaning the fact that he was too late in trying to shoot the General. "My fate!" he says. "O hate! Fairwail! Fearwealing of the groan!" If he had caught the General pre-defecation, Butt might've taken his shot. But we do know that the General eventually is shot, so we'll continue to read on to see what happens.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
"Luckluckluckluckluckluckluck!"
(341.18-343.12) The bulk of today's reading consists of an interruption to the Butt and Taff play. The interruption comes in the form of a broadcast reporting on horse racing results. Once again, the form of the broadcast isn't entirely clear, but it has to come from either the radio or the television. It's a "verbivocovisual presentement" (I'm following Joyce's use of the italics for the text of this broadcast), meaning that it includes words, voice, and visual elements. That would make it seem like it's a television broadcast, but as was noted during the discussion of Monday's reading, the television hasn't apparently been turned on yet, so maybe this is just a very visually descriptive radio broadcast.
Anyway, the report is given by "The Irish Race and World," indicating that there's probably a broader significance to the results and descriptions given here. "The huddled and aliven stablecrashers have shared fleetfooted enthusiasm . . . while the mews was combing ground," implying that both the race attendees and the patrons of the pub are particularly interested in these results. In language recalling the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation or confession, we see a "Mr Twomass Noholan" recounting the results of the "worldrenownced Caerholme Event," (which McHugh notes references the Carholme race track) to "the Verily Roverend Father Epiphanes." Apparently a horse named "Backlegs" won that event, and the priest guffaws at hearing of the horse's "absolutionally romptyhompty successfulness." We see poor orphans moving about looking for spare change, as well as gamblers in various states.
A loud noise is heard ("Pamjab! Gross Jumpiter, whud was thud?") signaling the coming results of another race, the "Lipperfull Slipver Cup" (the Liverpool Summer Cup, as noted by McHugh). The gamblers/patrons are wishing for the best: "Luckluckluckluckluckluckluck!" In a surprising turn of events, the horse "Emancipator" (whose owner is "Major Hermyn C. Entwhistle") wins, beating three "buy geldings" as well as "Furstin II and The Other Girl . . . too early spring dabbles." These last two horses "are showing a clean pairofhids to Immensipater." The results of this second race thus recall, once again, the events in Phoenix Park. Emancipator/Immensipater (HCE, the invading leader and father, or "pater") is ogling the legs of the two female horses (the two young women in the park) while the three male horses (the three soldiers) are present. The results of this race leave the Lord Mayor ("lorkmakor") "proformly annuysed," meaning either annoyed or amused (or both). A final word during the interruption informs us that this "eeriedreme" was brought to us by "Bett" and "Tipp," meaning either some big-shot bettors and tippers, or Butt and Taff.
The passage for today concludes with Taff resuming their vaudville act. After this first report of the sporting events is corroborated by a second sports flash, Taff shifts the direction of the proceedings back toward the Russian General. He suspects that Butt was in league with the three soldiers, for he had been marching with other soldiers through the nearby battlefields. He demands that Butt "[t]ell the coldspell's terroth!" The "forward movement" of Butt's story will continue tomorrow.
Anyway, the report is given by "The Irish Race and World," indicating that there's probably a broader significance to the results and descriptions given here. "The huddled and aliven stablecrashers have shared fleetfooted enthusiasm . . . while the mews was combing ground," implying that both the race attendees and the patrons of the pub are particularly interested in these results. In language recalling the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation or confession, we see a "Mr Twomass Noholan" recounting the results of the "worldrenownced Caerholme Event," (which McHugh notes references the Carholme race track) to "the Verily Roverend Father Epiphanes." Apparently a horse named "Backlegs" won that event, and the priest guffaws at hearing of the horse's "absolutionally romptyhompty successfulness." We see poor orphans moving about looking for spare change, as well as gamblers in various states.
A loud noise is heard ("Pamjab! Gross Jumpiter, whud was thud?") signaling the coming results of another race, the "Lipperfull Slipver Cup" (the Liverpool Summer Cup, as noted by McHugh). The gamblers/patrons are wishing for the best: "Luckluckluckluckluckluckluck!" In a surprising turn of events, the horse "Emancipator" (whose owner is "Major Hermyn C. Entwhistle") wins, beating three "buy geldings" as well as "Furstin II and The Other Girl . . . too early spring dabbles." These last two horses "are showing a clean pairofhids to Immensipater." The results of this second race thus recall, once again, the events in Phoenix Park. Emancipator/Immensipater (HCE, the invading leader and father, or "pater") is ogling the legs of the two female horses (the two young women in the park) while the three male horses (the three soldiers) are present. The results of this race leave the Lord Mayor ("lorkmakor") "proformly annuysed," meaning either annoyed or amused (or both). A final word during the interruption informs us that this "eeriedreme" was brought to us by "Bett" and "Tipp," meaning either some big-shot bettors and tippers, or Butt and Taff.
The passage for today concludes with Taff resuming their vaudville act. After this first report of the sporting events is corroborated by a second sports flash, Taff shifts the direction of the proceedings back toward the Russian General. He suspects that Butt was in league with the three soldiers, for he had been marching with other soldiers through the nearby battlefields. He demands that Butt "[t]ell the coldspell's terroth!" The "forward movement" of Butt's story will continue tomorrow.
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