Chapter 13: Nausicaa

Chapter 13 Nausicaa full sized photos

CHAPTER 13: NAUSICAA

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In this chapter, Bloom has a cerebral and physical sensual experience.

He and Gerty MacDowell mutually masturbate on the the self-same beach where Stephen has peed his signature.

TECHNIQUE: Tumescence and de-tumescence (Gifford 384)

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(under bicycle postcard)

Dear Gerty MacDowell,

I understand your fascination with bicycles; to me, they represent a form of liberation, not only in the transportation sense, but also as women's issues. Bicycles can be ridden by courtesans whose feet are bound. They represent escape, mobility and the languid-paced day dream. They have two wheels: cycle like a sestina, like two 'os', like the occular, like nostrils. Plus they give the opportunity to give a free peek at your marvelous and freshly-laundered BLOOMERS.

FOUND AT PROCTOR HALL TERRACE, MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 2016

(Under beach babe postcard)

Homeric parallel! Like dawn's rosy fingers.

[13 ]

'The summer evening had begun to fold the world in its mysterious embrace. Far away in the west the sun was setting and the last glow of all too fleeting day lingered lovingly on sea and strand, on the proud promontory of dear old Howth guarding as ever the waters of the bay, on the weedgrown rocks along Sandymount shore and, last but not least, on the'

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The description of Gerty resembles Maria Cummings the Lamplighter. The diction is reminiscent of womyn's magazines. Gerty is a romantic.

'Her shoes were the newest thing in footwear (Edy Boardman prided herself that she was very petite but she never had a foot like Gerty MacDowell, a five, and never would ash, oak or elm) with patent toecaps and just one smart buckle over her higharched instep. Her wellturned ankle displayed its perfect proportions beneath her skirt and just the proper amount and no more of her shapely limbs encased in finespun hose with highspliced heels and wide garter tops. '

I

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ROMANCE IS ON

PANTIES THIS CUTE SHOULD NEVER BE A SECRET

Clean clothing connects Gerty to Nausicaa.

'As for undies they were Gerty’s chief care and who that knows the fluttering hopes and fears of sweet seventeen (though Gerty would never see seventeen again) can find it in his heart to blame her? She had four dinky sets with awfully pretty stitchery, three garments and nighties extra, and each set slotted with different coloured ribbons, rosepink, pale blue, mauve and peagreen, and she aired them herself and blued them when they came home from the wash and ironed them and she had a'

(Under the 'see inside' postcard)

O, Os, Oh, the circle, the cycle (period)

the rimmed images represent the sensual '0' in the text: the nostril, the eyes, harken the reader to the gaping 'os' of Tantalus, (See John Hamilton Soliciting Darkness) the hunger, the apple.

The circular advertisement reminds the reader of Gerty 'Nausicaa''s complete objectification. She desires and is mute (mouthless), agentless, cannot cycle away, immobile, tee hee, "l'objet desire".

'Why have women such eyes of witchery? Gerty’s were of the bluest Irish blue, set off by lustrous lashes and dark expressive brows. Time was when those brows were not so silkily seductive. It was Madame Vera Verity, directress of the Woman Beautiful page of the Princess Novelette, who had first advised her to try eyebrowleine which gave that haunting expression to the eyes, so becoming in leaders of fashion, and she had never regretted it. Then there was blushing scientifically cured and how to be tall increase your height and you have a beautiful face but your nose? That would suit Mrs Dignam because she had a button one.' (342)

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LOVE AND LAUNDRY: IN OTHER WORDS FIT TO BE [TIDE].

In the Homer, Nausicaa is a princess, daughter of Arete (excellence) and Alcinoos (Shining-mind), who in fact get Odysseus back to Ithaca. She is washing her wedding dress when she encounters Odysseus. Gerty MacDowell is equally fit to be tide: the text extols her many virtues.

BICYCLING IS CLOSE TO EXHIBITIONISM

BLOOMERS WERE INVENTED SO THAT WOMEN COULD RIDE. BLOOMERS WERE THEREFORE AN EXPRESSION OF WOMEN'S LIBERATION.

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THE NARRATOR DEPICTS GERTY AS THE SOUL OF PROPRIETY.

"For an instant she was silent with rather sad downcast eyes. She was about to retort but something checked the words on her tongue. Inclination prompted her to speak out: dignity told her to be silent. The pretty lips pouted awhile but then she glanced up and broke out into a joyous little laugh which had in it all the freshness of a young May morning. "

WE FIND OUT THAT THE 'CITIZEN' IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER IS GERTY'S GRANDFATHER.

Gerty loves the boy who rides the bicycle (Chapter 12), she also loves Owen Garry. She has a framed photograph of the dog. This lends validity to Garry Owen being mild-mannered. Bloom says (of Athos) that the dogs of old men usually are. (Chapter 6).

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A look of longing, or sadness. Gerty is romanced that Bloom is in mourner's weeds. Her romantic spirit, her location on the beach, her virgin innocence, all lend to her compliance in the mutual masturbation with Bloom. She builds him up as a sad and needy husband figure. Their imagined fantasy seems mutual. She gazes at him, and she at her.

'And yet and yet! That strained look on her face! A gnawing sorrow is there all the time. Her very soul is in her eyes and she would give worlds to be in the privacy of her own familiar chamber where, giving way to tears, she could have a good cry and relieve her pentup feelings though not too much because she knew how to cry nicely before the mirror. You are lovely, Gerty, it said. The paly light of evening falls upon a face infinitely sad and wistful. Gerty MacDowell yearns'

They both seem to find the exchange spectacular.

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DOES BLOOM CHEAT ON HIS WIFE? DOES BLOOM VIOLATE GERTY? IF SO, JOYCE WOULD TELL US SO.

'love was waiting, waiting with little white hands stretched out, with blue appealing eyes. Heart of mine! She would follow, her dream of love, the dictates of her heart that told her he was her all in all, the only man in all the world for her for love was the master guide. Nothing else mattered. Come what might she would be wild, untrammelled, free. '

IT IS FIREWORKS. THEY ARE BOTH INTERESTED AND AROUSED. HOWEVER, GERTY'S SECRET REVEALS ITSELF AT HER EXIT.

(hidden by postcard)

'Slowly, without looking back she went down the uneven strand to Cissy, to Edy to Jacky and Tommy Caffrey, to little baby Boardman. It was darker now and there were stones and bits of wood on the strand and slippy seaweed. She walked with a certain quiet dignity characteristic of her but with care and very slowly because—because Gerty MacDowell was...

Tight boots? No. She’s lame! O!

Mr Bloom watched her as she limped away. Poor girl!'

POOR DIGHNAM. POOR PAPA. POOR ATHOS. POOR DOGSBODY. POOR GIRL.

However, the character is revisited in chapter 15, giving a definitive answer about Gerty's consent.

GERTY: (To Bloom.) When you saw all the secrets of my bottom drawer. (She paws his sleeve, slobbering.) Dirty married man! I love you for doing that to me.

Classmate Gretchen likes to draw attention to Bloom's association with body fluids. (Blood and semen)

*Bloom father of thousands (Chapter 5) in tub

*Bloom father of Milly (Chapter 17)

• Bloo-Me? No (Chapter 8)
• Bloom tries to see if the Venus statue has an excreting orifice (Chapter 9)Body fluid is well-represented. Nosey Flynn and Stephen have snot. The bookseller and the citizen expectorate. Tears, bile, vomit, belong to Mary Dedalus. Bloom let's things pass through him. Bloom and Boylan are associated with sperm, and Molly notes Bloom has more spunk in him in Chapter 18, where she gets her period and uses the Latin vocative direct discourse to her creator (James Joyce), "Oh Jamesy get me up out of this pooh." This dialogue after discovering her effluence reminds me of Daniel Kehlmann's novel Ruhm/Fame in which a chapter "Rosalie Geht Sterben/ Rosalie goes to die" the main character fights with her author. Why did he make her to die? Why does she have to be old? etc