Poetry Cafe: Joyce’s ‚Ulysses‘ (1922) – Molly’s Solliloquy

Molly Bloom’s inner monologue on her womanhood, femininity, and sexuality….emancipated as she is! Her soliloquy is racy, raunchy….and even beautifully obscene in places.
James Joyce’s ‚Ulysses was published in Paris 100 years ago in February 1922. The final part of his epic novel is a 50-page soliloquy inner monologue) by Molly Bloom. From her ’stream of consciousness‘ we learn about her womanhood, sexuality and relations with previous lovers, as well as with her husband! Her racy, raunchy account, beautifully obscene in places, reflects her emancipated nature.

Texts read and music played:

Tennyson, from the poem Ulysses

T.S. Eliot on Joyce’s Ulysses

Joyce: last 12 lines of Penelope (from Ulysses)

Anthony Burgess, from Here Comes Everybody (on Joyce)

John McCormack: Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair

Review of Strick’s film of Ulysses, in Aien (St Andrews University newspaper)

Molly’s song: Just a Song at Twilight

Joyce: penultimate part of Molly’s soliloquy in Penelope ( about 18 mins)

Joyce on Penelope (‘the clou of the book’)

C.G. Jung, letter to Joyce

Nora on her husband about his knowledge of women

Joyce: last part of Molly’s soliloquy in Penelope (about 3 ½ minutes)

John McCormack: Down by the Sally Gardens

John McCormack: O Mary Dear

John McCormack: When Irish Eyes are Smiling

Macher*innen: Andrew und Sandra Milne-Skinner