While episodes 11 and 12 were not necessarily filled with overt examples of and allusions to beginnings and endings, there were certainly moments in which they came about subtly and importantly. One such example occurs very early in “Sirens,” at the end of the chaotic assortment of words and phrases that starts off the episode. Although it is not completely evident why this section of the episode would end with “Begin!” (11.63), it seems important due to its attention-calling nature. One inclination would be to assume that this moment indicates to readers the beginning of a more familiar version of writing that follows, however it should not be overlooked that it is attached to the first section, not the more simplified language of the second. Moreover, this moment is doubly interesting for the study of beginnings and endings due to the word that directly precedes it: “Done” (11.62). Within the short span of two lines, moreover, two words, Joyce has both indicated an ending and called for a beginning.
Another moment that complicates the distinction between beginning and ending comes slightly later in Episode 11 in the form of song lyrics: “The bright stars fade…[…]…the morn is breaking” (11.320-22). Although such an image is not exactly out of the ordinary, it is simply night turning into day, the phrasing indicates how one ending sparks a beginning. This trend reappears throughout the novel, the convergence of beginning and endings.
Beginnings and endings in Episode 12 are even less overt than those of Episode 11. However, there is a more general theme that relates to beginnings throughout “Cyclops,” that comes in the form of origins. Characters are often speaking to their own, that of others, and the importance it carries, all aspects that emphasize the importance of where they (or their predecessors) are simply born. When discussing Bloom’s origins, the other men are seen frustratedly (and rudely) examining his background: “Is he a jew or gentile or holy Roman or a swaddler or what the hell is he?” (12.1631-32). While this novel can often be quite political, this moment points to the ways in which one’s beginning can make those politics quite personal.
An examination of beginnings and endings in today’s reading would not be complete without at least bringing up the end of Episode 12. The last image of the reading depicts Bloom as he starts to “ascend to heaven” (12.1911) as “Elijah”(12.1914), in a scene that can only be described as angelic. While this ending does not necessarily deviate from the images and references to religion we get both heavily throughout this episode (and the book in general), it seems important to recognize that this is not only the way Bloom is leaving this scene, but also how the episode is ending.
