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Reading, Smashing, and Playing Ulysses
Sternlieb, Lisa. "Molly Bloom: Acting Natural." ELH 65, no. 3 (October 1, 1998): 757–78.
Related topics:
Language and Linguistics
Sexuality
Sports and Competition
Translation
Yes and No
Link to citation page: https://www.worldcat.org/title/molly-bloom-acting-natural/oclc/361486302&referer=brief_results
Link to full text: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30030202
Sternlieb begins her article by proposing that the emphasis "on Molly's artlessness is curious in light of Molly's progenitor—Penelope, [who is] one of the greatest artificers in Western literature" (757).The article goes on to uncover the connections between the mythical, clever Penelope and the mundane, contradictory Molly. In particular, Sternlieb uses "Penelope"'s (U 18) contradictions to argue that "Penelope's four-year ruse"—where she weaves and unweaves a tapestry to keep suitors at bay—"is reflected in the artifice of both the language and structure of Molly's narrative" (758).
The article reviews the different versions of Penelope's story. Sternlieb argues that Molly's infidelities are not a break from Penelope's mythology, but rather a conscious choice to use a well-respected version of the character. Although some critics see Molly as an actress acting out different Penelope-possibilities, or even performing Penelope as a sort of drag, Sternlieb believes Joyce uses the figure of Penelope seriously, to conservatively "weav[e] and unweav[e] language in order to preserve marriage" (759).
Marriage is not the only topic Molly's monologue (un)weaves. Episode 18's allusions to much in earlier Ulysses can also be seen as an (un)weaving of the proceeding pages. According to Sternlieb, her lack of punctuation is a syntactic weaving and unweaving, which allows Molly to pun words while failing to grammatically write anything at all. For Molly, even her fidelity must come through an unweaving of adultery. In the end, Sternlieb concludes, Molly's "yeses" are simply another indication of how quickly her "fabric" is coming apart (766).
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