47 (U340.1174)

However, as a matter of fact though, the preposterous surmise about him

47th cast. page 340, line 1174.

 

　However, as a matter of fact though, the preposterous surmise about him being in some description of a doldrums or other or mesmerised which was entirely due to a misconception of the shallowest character, was not the case at all. The individual whose visual organs while the above was going on were at this juncture commencing to exhibit symptoms of animation was as astute if not astuter than any man living and anybody that conjectured the contrary would have found themselves pretty speedily in the wrong shop.

 

Episode 14. The location is the lounge of the National Maternity Hospital. Stephen, Mr Bloom and medical students are eating, drinking and chatting.

 

Episode14 traces the stylistic history of English prose from the past to the present in a stylistic parody. This section is said to be written in the style of the English historian and politician, Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800 - 1859), author of The History of England.

 

This is just a roundabout way of saying that "Mr. Bloom appeared to be in a haze, but in fact he was clearly conscious".

 

The original meaning of “Doldrums” is tropical windless zone or windless conditions over the equatorial seas, but it can also mean a dull, listless, depressed mood.

 

“Mesmerize” is a term derived from Franz Anton Mesmer (1734 - 1815), meaning “to hypnotise”. Mesmer was a German physician and proponent of the animal magnetism theory. His theory was the basis for the development of hypnosis.

 

Gifford notes that “Doldrums” is a word associated with the story of The Odyssey, on which the motif of Ulysses is based. I see. If so, “Mesmerize” is also related to The Odyssey, as it evokes the Sirens, sea demons who seduce voyagers with their singing voices.

 

The words “sleepwalking” and “hypnotise” occur many times in the novel. (see 17th issues of the blog)

 

Mr. Bloom is staring at the red triangle on the Bass brand of beer when he seemed to go into a haze. What was he thinking? I think the Bass reminded Mr. Bloom of his wife Molly's reference to fat Ben Dollard's voice as bass barreltone. This theme appears in (U126.117-120), (U222.559 - mentioned in 19th issue of the blog), (U232,1011), (U425.2610) and (U636.1285),  

 

Mr. Bloom is not asleep but noticed that Lenehan is urging him to pour a beer into his glass.

 

I searched online and looked for long and wiggly passages from Macaulay‘s writings, such as the passages featured in this issue of blog. This is something similar in a way:

 

If the change of Pitt's sentiments attracted peculiar notice, it was not because he changed more than his neighbours; for in fact he changed less than most of them; but because his position was far more conspicuous than theirs, because he was, till Bonaparte appeared, the individual who filled the greatest space in the eyes of the inhabitants of the civilised world.    William Pitt, (1859)

 

Macaulay‘s writings seem to be more readable than one might expect, although sentences are sometimes long, and not as far-fetched as Joyce's parody.

Thomas Macaulay

File:John Watson Gordon (1788-1864) - Thomas Babington (1800–1859), 1st Baron Macaulay, Historian and Statesman - PG 1585 - National Galleries of Scotland.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The method of this blog ⇒ Here