Apart from the section regarding the consumption of plums, chapter 8 was largely bereft of any mention of food. However, chapter 9 continuously mentions food as Bloom’s hunger seems to drive the plot. His thoughts tend to wander towards food, yet despite his hunger, Bloom is unable to satiate himself and continues to think of the odd things people eat. When food, or the consumption of food, is mentioned it is generally described as being repulsive.

After concerning himself with Dilly Dedalus’ food security, Bloom purchases some bread so that he can feed “those poor birds.” However, the simple joy of feeding animals falls flat when the birds do not show Bloom gratitude for tossing bread. Even in leisure, food fails to provide Bloom with satisfaction. Bloom begins to think of Jewish restrictions on food and then turns his mind towards the notion of a Christmas dinner and all the tradition that accompanies it. Bloom enters the Burton restaurant which is described in a sort of primal, barnyard manner. Bloom sees men “wolfing gobfuls of sloppy food,” which immediately evokes animal imagery, particularly after Bloom says, “see the animals feed,” (8, 651). This environment is too much for Bloom to handle, causing him to try Davy Byrne’s for a meal. Although Bloom is less hostile to the atmosphere of Byrne’s, his food is described as similarly unsavory. He orders a sandwich with “relish of disgust pungent mustard” and “the feety savour of green cheese,” (8, 819). However, despite the unappealing description, Bloom enjoys his meal. Bloom’s bizarre resentment of food is further compounded after a lengthy rant about the unpleasantness of Oysters. He seems to be more concerned with the critique of, or curiosity with other people’s food and their consumption habits.

I believe that the word, cross, could be a useful lexicon word to unpack for Ulysses. Cross has three different meanings and is a prime word for the use of double entendres. Firstly, cross can mean the intersection of lines, often connoting the religious symbol. It can simultaneously mean angry or annoyed. The last definition refers to the extension or the movement beyond a demarcated space. The theme of religion throughout Ulysses makes Cross all the more important. We have seen Buck Mulligan cross his razor and his mirror; an obvious allusion to the religious cross. There has also been significant discussion of cross-dressing, which employs the latter definition of the word. Men and women extend their clothing (sometimes their identity) beyond the space they are expected to occupy. I suspect that this word may be used by Joyce to obscure or challenge the conception of religion in Ulysses.

I also considered core/corpse/corps and bottom as potential words. These are both more bodily in nature which leads me to think that Joyce might use these sorts of words to elicit double meanings in reference to the body. Bottom means both the butt and the lowest which could be conceivably used interchangeably while still invoking meaningful ambiguity. Corpse refers to the dead body. This definition can be relational to the definition of corps which means a branch of the armed services which leads one to think of death. Core refers to the center or most important part of something, which one could decipher as the body. It will be entertaining to see how Joyce employs semantic complexity and double entendres throughout Ulysses.

The Little Review’s self-presentation immediately interested me upon reading “Joyce through the Little Magazines” because it seemed to be so full of irony and contradiction. The Little Review’s self declaration as, “THE MAGAZINE WHICH IS READ BY THOSE WHO WRITE THE OTHERS,” evokes a sense of elitism. However, the magazine retains a playful irony through its self parody by flaunting and ridiculing “its own intellectual and aesthetic aspirations,” (380). I think this is most readily apparent in the magazine’s use of advertisements. Advertisements represent a step away from intellectualism and the academic while simultaneously condoning consumerism. Advertising disrupts The Little Review’s identity as being hostile to mass culture, thereby building upon that sense of irony and contradiction. I found the conjunction of high and low culture to be particularly fascinating, particularly within the context of Ulysses which also intersects high and low culture. It is for this reason that I am most excited about seeing the advertisements present in The Little Review. 

Throughout the first three chapters, there are relatively few instances of cooking or food. Rather, there seems to be an emphasis on drinking; whether it be tea, milk, or beer. There is the scene in which Stephen, Haines, and Buck are sitting down for breakfast that Buck had prepared which consists of bread, eggs, tea, and sugar. The milklady arrives and Buck arranges an order with her for milk. Stephen views the milklady as a symbol of the poor and subjected Irishwoman, an identity of Ireland that Stephen seems to rebuke. Ironically, is is Stephen’s friend Buck who is unable to afford his entire tab and must send the lady on her way.

Another instance of food appears in chapter 3 while Stephen pictures himself at his Aunt Sarah and Uncle Richie’s house. Richie offers up some food consisting of “rasher fried with a herring,” (33). However, Richie rescinds the offer, stating that all they have is backache pills. I presume Richie’s joke to be a slight towards Stephen, revealing a class distinction. Although I cannot attest to the availability of bacon and herring in Ireland at the time, it seems as if those foods might be reserved for special occasions. This scene is a projection of Stephen’s so it can be seen as a reflection of his attitudes toward his family. How might this projection inform us of his relationship to Richie and Aunt Sarah?

Upon reading the Pecora and Norris articles, I began to think about the role in which Gabriel plays and his relationship with Joyce’s notion of Irish identity. Gabriel exists as more than a character with a singular expression and singular representation. Pecora’s interpretation of “The Dead,” involved Gabriel imbibing in a passive acceptance of “political and cultural stereotypes that Joyce thought were the product of Ireland’s political and cultural victimization,” (347). Gabriel is clearly identified as a symbol of a sort of Irish victimhood that has been reified through culture.

Norris examines the peculiarities of Gabriel’s perception of reality. Norris includes the Possible Worlds theory to explain Gabriel’s inability to focus on one world which prevents him from being able to fully separate reality from wish-world. His knowledge world is full of holes that are patched with aspects of his wish-world, preventing clarity. Norris provides a more psychological oriented examination of Gabriel which is useful in explaining Pecora’s prescription of Gabriel’s victimhood.

I applied Norris’ Possible Worlds theory in conjunction with Pecora’s interpretation, attempting to reconcile Gabriel’s role as a symbol with his delusion. If Joyce was actually attempting to explicate the relationship between the Irish identity and reality in terms of culture and victimhood, what is the implication of Gabriel’s character? Can he be seen as a representation of Irish identity? I would be curious as to know if Joyce would endorse Norris’ application of the Possible Worlds theory if it were to be applied more broadly to the Irish people as a whole. If Pecora has identified Gabriel as a sort of symbol, can Norris’ psychological assessment be seen as ubiquitously applied towards the Irish?