In the first six episodes of Ulysses, references to Sports and Competition have come in small bursts, with occasional remarks scattered about the text. So far, examples of sports/competition have fallen into two major camps: the first being the explicit mentioning of sports, both watching and participating in sports, and the second camp serving as more minor hints of a competitive spirit between characters. While the two may exist separately, it seems as if the more overt references to sport, such as the “shouts [that] rang shrill from the boys’ playfield” (313) or the multiple comments about cricket and racing make the reader more aware to a subtle competitive nature on a societal level.

This less obvious notion of competition is often most salient in reference on a relational level. For example, when Martha not-so-subtley inquires about Molly’s perfume, Bloom moments later remarks on their affair as a “love scrimmage,” with “scrimmage” being a common word used for an informal sports competition (271).  There is a sense, in this moment and others, of needing to “one up” others and create a notion of hierarchy or ranking, that reiterates this competitive spirit.  Just as Martha seems to need to compete with Bloom’s wife, Bloom feels a similar need to “beat” Blazes Boylan.

While Joyce makes references to sports and competition a consistent part of the text so far, it has always seemed to play a less prominent role, but is nonetheless present at most moments in some form. In thinking about this mixture of clear references to sport/competition alongside the less obvious examples, what might this engrained sense of needing to win or beat others inform us about Irish society or relationships as we continue through the text?