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Attridge, Derek. "Molly’s Flow: The Writing of" Penelope" and the Question of Women’s Language." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 35, no. 3 (1989): 543–65.

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Link to citation page: http://www.worldcat.org/title/mollys-flow-the-writing-of-penelope-and-the-question-of-womens-language/oclc/4896335148&referer=brief_results

Link to full text: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/modern_fiction_studies/v035/35.3.attridge.html

Attridge argues against the dominant reading of "Penelope" (U 18) as a chapter characterized primarily by narrative "flow" (543). He points out that, despite sparse punctuation, Molly's narration follows the conventional grammatical patterns of casual speech to create short, "syntactically defined" sentences (547). Thus, Penelope stands in contrast with other chapters like "Cyclops" and "Oxen of the Sun," where the language flow is a-syntactic. Finally, Joyce connects Molly with earth rather than water, calling her "Gea-Tellus" (544).

The essay continues by discussing how the sense of "flow" that readers notice in "Penelope" may stem from the "visual presentation" of the text (548). Attridge posits that, while the missing punctuation and sporadic use of capitalization affects the reader, it does not necessarily reflect confusion or irregularity in Molly's own thinking. Instead, Molly is free to think while readers must "[work] to recover ["Penelope"'s] lost signs" (548). Attridge believes that Penelope's style reflects Molly's own writing (although this doesn't mean that the narration is written as if from inside Molly's head). He argues that Joyce is revealing Molly twice over, once through her thoughts, and again by employing her style of writing. This style of writing, uneducated and associated with women, might imply that Joyce, and therefore Ulysses, uphold oppressive or condescending patriarchal views. However, Attridge is quick to point out that this was an "accurate reflection of [the] social and economic inequality" of women during 1904, and may be more neutral than problematic (551).

Finally, Attridge examines feminist responses to the trope of "flowing" in "Penelope". He notes that Cixous embraces the idea of a "flowing" female narrative as a flowing of female possibility over the structural barriers of patriarchy. In contrast, Gilbert and Gubar believe Joyce and Ulysses stylistically uphold patriarchal attitudes about women. Attridge distances himself from both theories, arguing instead for the concept of a "female language" and the understanding that in Ulysses Joyce reinforces sexist stereotypes, but for potentially critical, progressive purposes. He hopes that Ulysses will be read as "a questioning of the boundaries that structure [...] Western [...] language" and linguistically hold "two sexes in fixed and unproductive opposition" (562).

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