Finnegans Wake Notes

169-70: A portrait of Shem 

170: The first riddle of the universe 

170-75: On Shem's lowness 

175: Football match song 

175-76: The Games 

176-77: Shem's cowardice during war and insurrection 

177-78: Shem's boasting about his literary ability while drunk 

178-79: Shem, venturing out after the war, finds himself facing a gun Shem as a tenor 

180-82: His career as a forger in various European capitals, booted out as foul 

182-84: Shem's place of residence 

184: Shem cooks eggs in his kitchen 

185-86: Shem ma'kes ink from his excrement in order to write his books 

186-87: Shem arrested by Constable Sackerson in order to save him from the mob 

187-93: Justius [Shaun) berates Shem 193-95: Mercius [Shem) defends himself 

Analysis of Page 169 of Finnegans Wake

Summary

Page 169 delves into the character of Shem the Penman, portraying him as a grotesque, comedic, and exaggerated figure whose physical description and reputation are shaped by layers of myth, mockery, and societal judgment. Joyce paints Shem as a symbolic artist figure, embodying outsider status and creative rebellion. The page employs Hiberno-English, playful innuendo, and humour, while referencing Irish culture, history, and biblical figures to craft a complex portrait of Shem's identity.

Detailed Line-by-Line Analysis

169.01-169.02: "Shem is as short for Shemus as Jem is joky for Jacob."

• Shem's name is linked to the Irish Shemus (James), grounding him in Irish linguistic traditions. The comparison to Jacob (a biblical patriarch) introduces themes of lineage and conflict, as Jacob's story involves deceit and sibling rivalry, which echo Shem's relationship with his brother Shaun.

169.02-169.04: "A few toughnecks are still getatable who pretend that aboriginally he was of respectable stemming..."

• The phrase "respectable stemming" mocks the notion of pure lineage, suggesting Shem's dubious or hybrid origins.
• References to "Ragonar Blaubarb" (Ragnar Bluebeard) and "Horrild Hairwire" merge Norse sagas and cartoonish names, parodying heroic genealogies.

169.04-169.05: "...an inlaw to Capt. the Hon. and Rev. Mr Bbyrdwood de Trop Blogg..."

• This absurdly elongated title lampoons social pretensions and pseudo-aristocratic heritage. Joyce mocks the idea of Shem being tied to respectability by presenting a ridiculous lineage.

169.06-169.08: "...every honest to goodness man in the land of the space of today knows that his back life will not stand being written about..."

• This hints at Shem's tarnished reputation and the danger of writing about one's private life. It reflects the tension between the artist (Shem as Joyce's alter ego) and societal morality.

169.09-169.10: "Putting truth and untruth together a shot may be made at what this hybrid actually was like to look at."

• The term "hybrid" underscores Shem's multiplicity, encompassing both his grotesque physicality and his role as an artist combining disparate elements.

Shem’s Physical Description (169.11-169.20)

Joyce offers a surreal, exaggerated catalogue of Shem's physical attributes, blending humour, pathos, and metaphor.

169.11: "Shem's bodily getup, it seems, included an adze of a skull..."

• The "adze" (a cutting tool) suggests both deformity and creativity, tying Shem's head to the tools of craftsmanship.

169.12: "...an eight of a larkseye..."

• The "larkseye" conveys partial vision, symbolising Shem's limited yet poetic perspective.

169.13-169.14: "...fortytwo hairs off his uncrown, eighteen to his mock lip..."

• This grotesque detail caricatures Shem as physically sparse and laughably incomplete.

169.15: "...the wrong shoulder higher than the right, all ears..."

• Shem’s uneven shoulders and hyperbolic "all ears" signal sensitivity to sound, a nod to his auditory creativity.

169.16-169.17: "...an artificial tongue with a natural curl, not a foot to stand on..."

• The "artificial tongue" suggests Shem's playful manipulation of language. The phrase "not a foot to stand on" reflects both his physical deformity and precarious social position.

169.18-169.20: "...eelsblood in his cold toes, a bladder tristended..."

• These images further dehumanise Shem, depicting him as a grotesque, cobbled-together entity. The "eelsblood" aligns him with water and Irish riverine imagery.

Contextual and Thematic References

Irish Culture and Language

• "Griefotrofio, at Phig Streat III Shuvlin" (169.23): This corrupted place name reflects Dublin street names, merging phonetic mimicry with humour. "Griefotrofio" (a play on "orphanage") hints at Shem's outsider status.

Biblical and Mythological Allusions

• Shem’s lineage recalls the biblical Shem, son of Noah, emphasising notions of inheritance and survival. Yet Joyce grotesquely undermines this association through Shem's exaggerated defects.

Grotesque Humour

• The description of Shem's physicality is steeped in absurdity, from his "handful of thumbs" to "eelsblood." This ridicule reflects societal disdain for the unconventional artist.

Playful Innuendo

• "A manroot of all evil" (169.18): This phallic pun ties Shem’s body to temptation and transgression, parodying the biblical concept of original sin.
• "Salmonkelt's thinskin" (169.19): Likening Shem to a salmon connects him to Irish rivers and myths while suggesting fragility.

Artistic Identity

• The description reflects the burdens and eccentricities of the creative individual. Shem is portrayed as a figure of ridicule but also as a misunderstood genius.

Conclusion

Page 169 of Finnegans Wake offers a grotesque yet playful portrait of Shem the Penman, combining exaggerated physicality with rich allusions to history, myth, and culture. Joyce’s linguistic innovation and humour cast Shem as a symbol of the artist's alienation, resilience, and creativity, blending Irish vernacular, grotesque comedy, and universal archetypes into a densely layered narrative.