Osteen, Mark. The Economy of Ulysses: Making Both Ends Meet. 1st ed. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 1995. Print.

The Economy of Ulysses employs Joyce’s personal biography to draw conclusions about the way money operates within Ulysses, specifically how Joyce’s upbringing and life contributed to certain representations of exchange within Ulysses. “He retained the self-image of a gentleman and the Victorian attitude that a Gentleman do not work but coupled it with an inability to hold on to the jobs or money that might actually have permitted such gentility” (7).  First, Osteen fixes many of the prominent aspects of Ulysses critiques within an economic framework by evaluating language, plot, and psychoanalysis with an eye to “Exchange”, reciprocity, and currency. Every element within the novel can be distinguished as an “asset” belonging to some pertinent party and so an “economy” is established in which certain characters incur debt or earn some value from every exchange within the novel. Osteen then interprets every chapter through this viewpoint, and maintains an active count of who benefits (always noting their ethnicity and class in comparison with Joyce’s experiences) asserting throughout the novel that these transactions reveal underlying power structures in Ulysses and can reveal individual character’s communal power relative to others. In this manner, he tallies “the economy of souls”, differentiates Irish, English, and Jewish economic habits, discusses an economy of language, an economy of errors, and the pertinence of gambling/prostitution within the context of these larger economies, although Osteen clarifies that not every interaction in the novel perfectly fits his theoretical lens.

References:

Ellmann, Richard. Selected Letters of James Joyce. London: Viking, 1966. Print.

Joyce, James. Finegans Wake. 1st ed. Vol. 3. New York: Viking, 1953. Print.

Obsession and Themes:

Consumption and Spending

Numbers and Numerology

Religion

Sexualities

Creation and Making

“The soul is in a manner all that is: the soul is the form of form. Tranquility sudden, vast, candescent form of forms.” (U 2, 1245). This early quote by Talbot in Nestor frames Joyce’s use of the “soul” throughout the novel as being the “inherent quality” of a person place or thing. Used sixty-six times within the novel and in every single chapter of the book, “soul” encapsulates Joyce’s concern with the ever-evolving self and essence of being. Instead of drawing from a plurality of vastly differing definitions, Joyce uses repetition and juxtaposition to compare slightly different definitions of the word soul. Joyce connects different characters’ extremely personalized definition of the phrase with the more traditional and ecclesiastical definition of soul by placing these conflicting concepts within jarring proximity to one another. (U3 2165, 2366). The inherent uncertainty surrounding identity throughout the plot is exemplified through these slightly varying takes on what should be a concrete concept. If the soul is the unchangeable inherent quality of an individual, then the treatment of the word in the text reveals the ways in which Joyce attempt to undermine this uncertainty.

The intersectionality of many characters further complicates the word’s use, as exemplified by Bloom’s joint Judaic and Catholic identity. The discrepancies between these two religions should have ramifications on the soul, per both belief systems, an irony the repetition exacerbates. “Now he’s really what they call a dirty jew… And may the Lord have mercy on your soul” (U 8 8681).
In addition to complicating preconceived notions of what the soul is, Joyce is interested in taking these canonical interpretations of the word “soul” and complicating the matter through related terms like “metempsychosis”. Defined as “the supposed transmigration at death of the soul of a human being or animal into a new body of the same or a different species”, this frequently recurring word reflects the structure of the novel; particularly in sections like Circe where the inanimate, animal, and “distinctly human” become indistinguishable. The “inherent quality”of characters is lost through Joyce’s deconstruction of the text itself, assigning dialogue to unexpected speakers or burying a speaker’s identity within the text. These occasionally sacrilegious overtones that permeate throughout the text align with the obfuscation of what a “soul” truly is. Even the definition provided by Talbot unravels in later chapters.The frequency with which we encounter the word normalizes what is traditionally considered extraordinary, and allows Joyce to play with the concept of a “soul” through both his shifting characterization and varied modes of storytelling, despite its well-established traditional definitions and connotations.

1. Soul, noun.(OED 2) An essential principle or attribute of life, and related senses; animate existence; this viewed as a possession of which one is deprived by death. death.

• “The soul has been stricken mortally, a poison poured into the porch of a sleeping ear”(U 9411-9412)

1. (OED 2c) Without article, contrasted with body, life (in early use also †licham), regarding the separation between a person’s immaterial or spiritual attributes and his or her physical form or existence

• “The soul is the manner of all that is: the soul is the form of forms”(U1245-1246)
• (OED3a) The seat of a person’s emotions, feelings, or thoughts; the moral or emotional part of a person’s nature; the central or inmost part of a person’s being.
• “A hesitating soul takes arms against a sea of troubles, torn by conflicting doubts, as in real life” (U8742-8743)

1. (OED3b) As a mass noun. Strength of character; strongly developed intellectual, moral, or aesthetic qualities; spiritual or emotional power or intensity; (also) deep feeling, sensitivity.

• “Most trenchant rendition of that ballad, upon my soul and honor it is”(I14007-14008)

1. (OED2a) The principle of intelligence, thought, or action in a person (or occas. an animal), typically regarded as an entity distinct from the body; the essential, immaterial, or spiritual part of a person or animal, as opposed to the physical.

• You as a good catholic, he observed, talking of body and soul, believe in the soul. Or do you mean the intelligence, the brain power as such, as distinct from any outside object.

My obsession, “consumption and spending”, gave me a tenuous grip on Ulysses that was frequently expounded upon through other peoples’ related topics. The concepts of spending and consumption were entangled with sexuality, morality, and pertinent world events through repetitive association and clever allusions. Bloom’s seedcakes, Stephen’s poverty, and Dublin generally (through seedy bars or unruly landlords) paints a morbid picture of overconsumption. British imperialism (“The British Hyenas”), the catholic church (“free money, free rent, free lay”), Irish politicians and citizens, prostitutes, and many more are all critiqued for obsessing over money. While the text stops short of completely disavowing capitalism, the novel solidly places obsessive money grubbing as a major cause of conflict.

This relatively straightforward reading of consumption in the novel is complicated by the constant entanglements that surround the concept. Bloom in particular has a strange relationship with consumption, taking great relish in course and barbaric seeming meals, while experiencing revulsion when others eat around him. Interestingly, his discourse around consumption reflects many of his other attitudes surrounding the people around him. His relative outsider status is reflected in his personalized approach to eating, while the conflation between food and sex is reflected in his inconclusive response to Molly’s fidelity. Does he truly resent Molly and Boylan, when he actively facilitates their relationship?

Bloom’s relationship with prostitutes, who Joyce frequently metaphorizes as uncommitted adultery or enticing quasi-consumption reveals more about the role of consumption and spending in the plot. Bloom’s “saving” of Stephen from the whore-house unites the two characters and underlines how consumption is something to be protected from. In this way consumption is placed on either side of a diametrically opposed divide. On the one hand consumption is necessary to life; on the other overconsumption leads to lethargy, corruption, and death. In this way Joyce establishes another seemingly contradictory concept, in which a balance must be established between over and under consumption.

“The soul is in a manner all that is: the soul is the form of form. Tranquility sudden, vast, candescent form of forms.” (U 2, 1245). This early quote by Talbot in Nestor frames Joyce’s use of the “soul” throughout the novel as being the “inherent quality” of a person place or thing. Used sixty-six times within the novel and in every single chapter of the book, “soul” encapsulates Joyce’s concern with the ever-evolving self and essence of being. Through repetition and juxtaposition, Joyce connects this extremely personalized definition with the more traditional and ecclesiastical definition of the soul by placing these conflicting concepts within jarring proximity to one another. (U3 2165, 2366). The intersectionality of identities embodied by many of the characters also complicates the word’s use, as exemplified by Bloom’s joint Judaic and Catholic identity. The discrepancies between these two religions should have ramifications on the soul, per both belief systems, an irony the repetition exacerbates. “Now he’s really what they call a dirty jew… And may the Lord have mercy on your soul” (U 8 8681).
In addition to complicating preconceived notions of what the soul is, Joyce is interested with the idea of taking these canonical interpretations of the word “soul” and complicating the matter through related terms like “metempsychosis”. Defined as “the supposed transmigration at death of the soul of a human being or animal into a new body of the same or a different species”, this constantly recurring word reflects the structure of the novel; particularly the relative uncertainty surrounding the identities of certain characters. The “inherent quality “of characters is lost through Joyce’s deconstruction of the text itself, and the sacrilegious overtones that permeate throughout the text seem to align with the obfuscation of what a “soul” truly is. The frequency with which we encounter the word normalizes what is traditionally considered extraordinary, and allows Joyce to play with the concept of a “soul” through both his shifting characterization and varied modes of storytelling, despite its well-established traditional definitions and connotations.

“Bone them young so they metamspychosis. That we live after death. Our souls. That a man’s soul after he dies. Dignam’s soul … ”

I. Soul, noun. An essential principle or attribute of life, and related senses; animate existence; this viewed as a possession of which one is deprived by death. death.
II. Without article, contrasted with body, life (in early use also †licham), regarding the separation between a person’s immaterial or spiritual attributes and his or her physical form or existence
III. The seat of a person’s emotions, feelings, or thoughts; the moral or emotional part of a person’s nature; the central or inmost part of a person’s being.
IV. Philos. and Metaphysics. The immaterial or spiritual essence of a living organism divided into one of a number of multiple elements (usually three), based on those distinguished in Platonic philosophy, as rational, sensitive, and appetitive, or human, animal, and vegetable, etc
V. As a mass noun. Strength of character; strongly developed intellectual, moral, or aesthetic qualities; spiritual or emotional power or intensity; (also) deep feeling, sensitivity
VI. The principle of intelligence, thought, or action in a person (or occas. an animal), typically regarded as an entity distinct from the body; the essential, immaterial, or spiritual part of a person or animal, as opposed to the physical.

The section of the text hat stood out most to me was on pg. 517 when Stephen and Bloom discuss the sick-looking prostitute whom Bloom just barely sees out of the corner of his eye. This scene in particular interested me because it combined elements of my both my lexicon entry “soul”, as well as an opaque conversation about selling ones body. “In this country people sell much more than she ever had and do a roaring trade”. On the one the one hand the section reaffirms the humanity of prostitutes (frequently encountered throughout the text) through Stephen’s perspective while highlighting Bloom’s relative conservatism, in non-personal matters. Stephen points tot he morally bereft nature of a large portion of merchantism, while bemoaning the personal cost of such a transaction (“not power to buy the soul”). Juxtaposed with the previous begging scene, consumption and spending becomes a double ended sword, with both vendor and buyer becoming physically ailed by the transaction despite the fact that Stephen establishes that this particular transaction is no worse than many of the common ones frequently occurring. In this manner prostitution becomes an implicit critique of consumption and spending in general, without the “proper authorities”, medical, spiritual, or otherwise.

“The soul is in a manner all that is: the soul is the form of form. Tranquility sudden, vast, candescent form of forms.” This early quote by Talbot in the 2^nd chapter, frames Joyce’s use of the “soul” throughout the novel as being the inherent “quality” of a person place or thing. Used in every single chapter of the book, “soul” encapsulates Joyce’s concern with the ever evolving self and essence of being. Joyce also connects this extremely personal definition and oftentimes conflates it with the more traditional and ecclesiastical definition of the soul. In addition, Joyce is interested with the idea of taking these canonical, almost knee-jerk interpretations of the word “soul” and complicating the matter through related terms like “metempsychosis”, which reflects the structure of the novel; particularly in the relative uncertainty surrounding the identities of certain characters and sacrilegious overtones that permeate throughout the text. The frequency with which we encounter the word normalizes what is traditionally considered extraordinary, and allows Joyce to play with the concept of a “soul” through both his shifting characterization and varied modes of storytelling.

I.                 Soul, noun. An essential principle or attribute of life, and related senses; animate existence; this viewed as a possession of which one is deprived by death. death.

 Bone them young so they metamspychosis. That we live after death. Our souls. That a man’s soul after he dies. Dignam’s soul … 

II.               The principle of intelligence, thought, or action in a person (or occas. an animal), typically regarded as an entity distinct from the body; the essential, immaterial, or spiritual part of a person or animal, as opposed to the physical.

And in my mind’s darkness a sloth of the underworld, reluctant, shy of brightness, shifting her dragon scaly folds. Thought is the thought of the thought. Tranquil Brightness. The soul in a manner all that is: the soul is the form of forms.

I’m primarily interested in the word “soul” because of the gravity often associated with related matters. Aside from signalling death, souls are often viewed as being the unique intangible “essence”, which imbues consciousness, life, and all manner of existence. There are also many folktales and parables about he dangers of betting, selling, or negotiating with one’s soul results in a “lessening” of a person’s being. There’s also a lack of consensus as to whether the soul is unique to humanity or also present in animals. I primarily interested in this word because of the frequency and occasionally, flippancy which with Joyce refers to the concept.  Appearing frequently throughout multiple chapters of the text, particularly religious sections.

OED:

“An essential principle or attribute of life, and related senses”

“The condition or attribute of life in humans or animals; animate existence; this viewed as a possesion of which one is deprived by death”

“the principle of intelligence, thought, or action in a person(or occas. an animal), typically regarded as an entity distinct from the body; the essential, immaterial or spiritual part of a person or animal, as opposed to the physical”

“Without article, contrasted with body, life(in early use also licham), with reference to the separation between a person’s immaterial or spiritual atributes and his or her physical form or existence.

“The seat of a person’s emotion, feelings, or thoughts; the moral or emotional part of a person’s nature; the central or inmost part of a person’s being.”

“As a mass noun. Strength of character; strongly developed intellectual, moral, or aesthetic qualities; spiritual or emotional power or intensity; (also) deep feeling, sensitivity.”

“The fellow ramming a knifeful of cabbage down as if his life depended on i. Good stroke. Give me the fidgets to look. Tear to eat his three hands. Tear it limb from limb. Second nature to him. Born with a silver knife in his mouth… Out I hate dirty eaters.”

In Lestrygonians on pg. 139 we receive a 3^rd person close perspective to Mr. Bloom that is quite at odds with our earliest impression of him. That opening passage is rife with symbolism that might be considered “dirty eat(ing)”, but Bloom is so disgusted by people taking pleasure at a simple meal that he feels the need to leave. Aside from his consumption of animal’s innards, described great relish, his behavior within the restaurant reveals an underlining hypocrisy within Bloom’s attitude, which manifests itself in his inability to connect with his peers (as demonstrated in ch.7). In this way consumption highlights some of Bloom’s social anxieties; he can enjoy in food while others eating is disgusting.

Katherine Mullin’s piece on Joyce through the Little Magazines has given me a renewed perspective on how context can affect the reading of texts. When reading our 4^th or 5^th edition books, it is easy to forget the social and physical context into which works were published, but Mullin’s discussion of the Egoist and Little Review meaningfully grounds the work. I’d be particularly interested in seeing some of the “interactive” ads and columns from some of the little magazine’s readers, in order to peruse their responses to Joyce and the opinion pieces within the piece. Personally, I believe that both the magazine’s and Joyce’s place within either high or low modernism would be clarified by identifying the language, opinions, and identity of the magazines’ readership. Considering these magazines small audiences, one opinion or response wouldn’t be completely indicative of the magazines readership, but taken holistically some general conclusions about their class or education could be ascertained. Who was Joyce writing for? He enjoyed popularity among the publishers, but how did his primary audience initially respond to his text, which as Mullin pointed out, subtly fit into the different magazines’ stated agendas?

Well it’s seven mornings a pint at two pence is at four pence is a shilling and two pence over and these three mornings a quart at four pence is three quarts is a shilling. That’s a shilling and one and two is two and two, sir. ” pg. 13

The first major mention of spending occurs during this transaction between Buck Mulligan and “the old woman”. The passage complicates the simplicity of a transaction through a combination of convoluted phrasing, lack of punctuation, and unrelated variables(mornings). During the following interaction, which ends when Buck shorts the woman two pence, the relatively straightforward 3rd person dialogue is interrupted with Italics.

-Ask nothing more of me, sweet.
All I can give you I give.

And

-Heart of my heart, were it more,
More would be laid at your feet

Mulligan’s responses to the old woman encapsulate his own comfortable familiarity with poverty as well an acceptance of incomprehensible finance. He buys the bread without skipping a beat, despite incurring a minor debt attached. This is the first example of similarly linked recurring themes throughout the first 3 chapters like mishandled money(25) and saving(25). There are also allusions to “moral spending”, whether that be by selling ones soul to the devil or being made a servant by the “Imperial British State”(17) moral bankruptcy(34).