54 (U77.249)

They passed under the hugecloaked Liberator’s form.

54th cast. page 77, line 249.

 

　They passed under the hugecloaked Liberator’s form.

　Martin Cunningham nudged Mr Power.

　—Of the tribe of Reuben, he said.

　A tall blackbearded figure, bent on a stick, stumping round the corner of Elvery’s Elephant house, showed them a curved hand open on his spine.

Episode 6. At about 11:00 am. Mr Bloom is travelling by horse-drawn carriage across the city from the Dygnam's house in the south-east of Dublin to Glasnevin Cemetery on the north-west edge of the city to attend the funeral of Mr Dignam. In the carriage are Stephen's father Simon Dedalus, Jack Power, who works for the police force, Martin Cunningham, who works for the Irish Governor-General's office, and Mr Bloom.

 

This section is just before the 35th entry of the blog. I have already touched on this section there.

 

The Liberator is Daniel O'Connell (1775 - 1847), leader of the Irish Liberation Movement, who as a member of the British House of Commons worked to achieve Irish independence through Parliament, including the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Act. The main street in Dublin where the statue stands was called Sackville Street at the time of the novel (1904) but is now called O'Connell Street.

"File:O'Connell Monument top closeup 1.jpg" by Oliver Gargan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

 In the 49th entry of the blog, I wrote "The four are seated facing each other. Towards the direction of travel, Simon is thought to be sitting backwards at the front left, Mr Cunningham next to him, Mr Power facing forwards opposite Mr Power, and Mr Bloom next to Mr Cunningham”.  This means as shown in the figure below.　　　　　　 

　

                                   

In this issue, I would like to examine how this could be so.

 

Now, let us start with some prerequisite information.

• The carriage seats four people.
• Two sit facing backward and two face forward.
• There is one door on each side of the carriage, with the hinges on the back and the handles on the front. (See figure below).
• The road runs on the left.
• Episode 6 is told primarily from Mr. Bloom's point of view.  

"Coach - State Landau, Hooper & Co, London, 1897" by Photographer: Michelle Stevenson is licensed under CC BY 4.0

  

(1) Cunningham, Power, Simon Dedalus, and Bloom ride in the carriage in that order.

 

I am not sure whether the four entered from the left or the right. However, the first person to board usually sits at the far end of the room from the entrance., so Cunningham and Mr Bloom are not facing each other directly. The same is true for Power and Simon.

 

　Martin Cunningham, first, poked his silkhatted head into the creaking carriage and, entering deftly, seated himself. Mr Power stepped in after him, curving his height with care.

　—Come on, Simon.

　—After you, Mr Bloom said.

（U74.1-）

 

(2) Bloom finds Stephen (Simon's son) walking down Watery lane. Since Watery lane is to the left of the direction of travel, Mr. Bloom is most likely sitting on the left side. Since Simon is ”stretching over across”, he seems to be on the right side.

 

　The carriage swerved from the tramtrack to the smoother road past Watery lane. Mr Bloom at gaze saw a lithe young man, clad in mourning, a wide hat.

 　—There’s a friend of yours gone by, Dedalus, he said.

 　—Who is that?

　 —Your son and heir.

 　—Where is he? Mr Dedalus said, stretching over across.

 （U73.38-）

(3) Bloom shifts his gaze from the moustache of the angry Simon to the face of Power and the eyes and beard of Cunningham. They are most likely lined up in this order.

He ceased. Mr Bloom glanced from his angry moustache to Mr Power’s mild face and Martin Cunningham’s eyes and beard, gravely shaking.

 （U73.72-）

(4) National school, Meade’s yard and the hazard, all of which are on the left side of the direction of travel. Mr. Bloom is most likely on the left side because of the detailed description of the hazard.

National school. Meade’s yard. The hazard. Only two there now. Nodding. Full as a tick. Too much bone in their skulls. The other trotting round with a fare. An hour ago I was passing there. The jarvies raised their hats.

（U76.171-）

 

The Queen's theater is also on the left. The poster's depiction is detailed, so Mr Bloom is most likely on the left side.

They went past the bleak pulpit of saint Mark’s, under the railway bridge, past the Queen’s theatre: in silence. Hoardings: Eugene Stratton, Mrs Bandmann Palmer. Could I go to see Leah tonight, I wonder. I said I. Or the Lily of Killarney? Elster Grimes Opera Company. Big powerful change. Wet bright bills for next week. Fun on the Bristol. 

（U76.183-）

 

(5) Cunningham notices Boylan in front of the Red Bank restaurant (on the right side of the travel direction). Cunningham is most likely on the right side. Simon “bents across” and greets him, so Simon seems to be on the left side.

 

　—How do you do? Martin Cunningham said, raising his palm to his brow in salute.

　—He doesn’t see us, Mr Power said. Yes, he does. How do you do?

　—Who? Mr Dedalus asked.

　—Blazes Boylan, Mr Power said. There he is airing his quiff.

… 

　Mr Dedalus bent across to salute. From the door of the Red Bank the white disc of a straw hat flashed reply: spruce figure: passed.

 (U76.193)

 

(6) The land agent's office and other buildings that Bloom refers to by saying " Dead side of the street this " are all on the left side of the street. Mr. Bloom is considered to be on the left. 

Dead side of the street this. Dull business by day, land agents, temperance hotel, Falconer’s railway guide, civil service college, Gill’s, catholic club, the industrious blind. Why? Some reason.

(U79.316)

  

(7) Bloom sees white horses coming around the corner in front of the Rotunda (front left) and passing him. Mr. Bloom is believed to be in the back seat.

 

White horses with white frontlet plumes came round the Rotunda corner, galloping. A tiny coffin flashed by.

（U79.321-）

 

(8) Bloom looks into Cunningham's eyes. Cunningham looks away. Cunningham is most likely on the opposite side of Bloom.

 

　—It is not for us to judge, Martin Cunningham said.

 　Mr Bloom, about to speak, closed his lips again. Martin Cunningham’s large eyes. Looking away now.

（U79.342-）

 

(9) Power announces to everyone that when the carriage turns the corner, it's Dunphy's corner. Power is most likely sitting in the back seat.

 

　—Dunphy’s, Mr Power announced as the carriage turned right. 

（U81.427）

  

(10) Cunningham, Power, Simon, and Bloom get off in that order. This means that they are getting out of the carriage from the opposite side from when they got in. Cunningham wrenches back the handle and shoves the door open with his knee. This action suggests that he is sitting in front.

The felly harshed against the curbstone: stopped. Martin Cunningham put out his arm and, wrenching back the handle, shoved the door open with his knee. He stepped out. Mr Power and Mr Dedalus followed.

（U83.490）

 

Taking all of the above together, toward the direction of travel, Simon is sitting backward on the left front, Cunningham is next to him, Power is facing frontward across from him, and Mr. Bloom is sitting next to him. We believe this is the correct answer.

If Simon is opposite side of Bloom, Simon is on the left side, so Simon's action in (2), "Mr Dedalus said, stretching over across," doesn't seem to make sense. I think "across" means through the window frame of the carriage, not over the person. The carriage window is open.

 

He passed an arm through the armstrap and looked seriously from the open carriagewindow at the lowered blinds of the avenue. 

（U72.10-） “He” is Bloom.

 

Paragraph (3) seems to be not consistent. However, I think the most consistent is the above seating arrangement.

 

Now, what does it mean that Cunningham "nudges" Power in the passage of this issue? "Nudge" usually means to poke with the elbow. Since Cunningham and Power are not side by side, Cunningham can't poke with his elbow. I'm puzzled.

 

However, the dictionary said,

nudge To touch gently, as with the elbow; give a hint or signal to by a covert touch with the hand, elbow, or foot. 

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

 

I see, poking with the foot is also called nudge. Cunningham poked Power facing each other with his foot.

 The method of this blog ⇒ Here