Hades

The sixth episode of James Joyce’s Ulysses is based around Leopold Bloom’s thoughts and actions throughout the time before, during, and shortly after the funeral of Paddy Dignam. In R.M Adams’ essay, “Hades: Bloom Alone”, he discusses a “great hollow resonance” (96) that is present when reading this episode and Adams claims “that is the real development of this chapter, the sounding of that resonance, the deepening and darkening in Bloom’s mind of an immense emptiness.” (96,97) Throughout the episode, it is clear to see the isolation between Bloom and the rest of the characters presented. On the carriage ride to the funeral, Joyce makes it clear that the thoughts of Cunningham, Power, and Simon Dedalus are completely different from the thoughts of Bloom. Adams writes that Bloom’s “matter-of-factness often serves to set him apart from his companions.” (98) This is clear when Bloom speaks out that he would rather prefer a quick death than a slow death. Bloom, being Jewish, does not seem to take into account that Catholics fear a quick death as it does not offer a chance to repent. This conversation leads into Mr. Power, unaware of the suicide of Bloom’s father, speaking about the disgrace of having a suicide in the family. It is obvious to see that Bloom is not close to these people and that they have no intentions of being so. However, Adams writes that “Deeper than any of these on-the-whole trivial misadventures, there is the gloomy emptiness of Bloom’s encounter with the raw fact of death, unrelieved by religious consolation of any sort.” (98) This is apparent during the service where Bloom’s mind is clearly absent.

Works Cited

Adams, R.M. “Bloom Alone.” James Joyce’s Ulysses: Critical Essays. Eds. Clive Hart, David Hayman. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1974.