A Nutter Moment of Arrest and Remembrandts

(400-402)  As I did after completing Book I of Finnegans Wake (more than eight months and nearly 200 pages ago), I am going to spend today's time in the Wake doing a quick recap of where I've been as I've made my way through this challenging section of Joyce's book.

In the first chapter, we see HCE's children engaged at play in a loose type of theatrical, or play, format.  The chapter presents, once again, the struggle between the two sons, here Chuff and Glugg.  Glugg repeatedly makes a fool out of himself as he tries to prove his worthiness to Chuff, Izod, and the chorus of Floras.  Eventually, HCE comes out to call the children into the house, and a tentative peace is reached as Glugg (Shem) acquiesces to Chuff (Shaun).

The Book's second chapter keeps its focus on the children.  This time, we're presented with a sort of inside look as the children do their school work, with running commentary from Shaun, Shem, and Isabel appearing in the margins and footnotes of the text.  This challenging chapter culminates in a geometry lesson of sorts in which the family dynamic is presented in a diagram that demonstrates how the brothers' opposed natures resolve themselves into one, with their mother, ALP, representing the vessel through which their life springs forth.

With the children in bed after their studies, the third chapter of Book II returns our focus to HCE, who is presiding over the rowdy crowd in his pub.  This chapter's also a challenging one, with multiple digressions appearing in the form of radio ads, television plays, and interruptions from the pub patrons.  The running stories, told variously by HCE and the patrons, include the tales of the Norwegian Captain and the Russian General, both of which are types of HCE.  The chapter moves toward a kind of haphazard trial that results in HCE being convicted for his sins.  HCE gives an impassioned defense of his life during the trial, but ends up alone in his pub, downing the remnants of the drinks left over by the patrons and ultimately passing out drunk on the floor.

With HCE down for the count, the fourth and final chapter of the book consists of HCE's dream of Tristan and Iseult as they consummate their love while on a ship traveling away from Ireland.  The four old men, who in one incarnation sat as judges over HCE, feature prominently throughout the chapter, spying on the two lovers and going into long digressions about their past.  It ends on a positive note, with Tristan and Iseult affirming their love for each other.

Personally it's been a long odyssey getting through Book II.  As I mentioned, I took more than eight months to read this one Book, and I originally set out to read the entire Wake in a year.  I've been getting better at being more disciplined about this project in recent weeks, though, so I'm optimistic that I'll be able to finish the book before the year's done.  With this renewed sense of mission, I'm excited about diving into Book III tomorrow.