The central narrative of episode twelve is told in first person by an unnamed individual who gives us an outside (of Bloom’s head) perspective on Bloom. While the specific identity of the narrator remains unknown, we gather throughout the episode that the individual is extremely nationalistic and xenophobic, especially when it comes to his opinions on Irish relations with the English. In witnessing this narrator interact with Bloom, we see a tension slowly develop between the rigid nationalistic ideals held by many Irishmen (I am taking the unnamed narrator to embody, like the unnamed “citizen” also in this episode, popular Irish belief regarding nationhood) and the more open and accepting ideals of Bloom.
Bloom’s insertions into the xenophobic conversation among the narrator, the citizen, and the men at the bar are all quite “gentle” (Blamires). The tension mounts slowly, and at first Bloom only disagrees with the men on issues of alcohol intake (257) and sports (260). Soon, however, we see the tension escalate as talk turns to international relations and Bloom tries to mediate the predominantly xenophobic discussion by saying, “isn’t discipline the same everywhere” (270), and arguing that “I belong to a race too … that is hated and persecuted” (271).
We have gathered thus far in the narrative that Bloom is slightly out of touch with those around him (he is often ignored during group interactions with these other men), and this tension between opposing ideologies on nationhood, exposed by the new narrator, helps us understand why. The men do not accept Bloom’s relatively loose definition of nationhood, that is “the same people living in the same place” (272), and as the narrator sits on the toilet at the end of the episode, he mocks Bloom’s own identification as an Irishman, saying “Ireland my nation says he (hoik! Phthook!) never be up to those bloody (there’s the last of it) Jerusalem (ah!) cockoos!” (275). Similarly, the citizen says, “By Jesus, I’ll crucify him so I will” (280) when Bloom stands up for his Jewish identity.
While the narrator and the citizen are separate characters in this episode, the line between the two unnamed identities blurs as the narrative voice in the chapter shifts between first person (the narrator) to third person narration in which the same narrator describes interactions between Bloom and the citizen. The above passage in which the narrator aligns his own xenophobic views on nationhood with those of the citizen strengthens the notion that Bloom is severely outnumbered regarding his own more liberal views – two unnamed “citizens” of Ireland who seemingly hold no prior knowledge of Bloom both, in this episode, narrate extreme hatred toward Bloom and his own origins. The “I” narration scattered throughout the episode, therefore, could perhaps be seen as a personification of the voice of Irish nationalism.
