555-59: Night in the Porter house—parents disturbed by Jerry's
cry
in his sleep
559-63: Matt's view of the parents in bed: First Position of Harmony
564-82: Mark's view: Second Position of Discordance (includes: the court
trials, 572-76)
582-90: Luke's view: Third Position of Concord: unsuccessful union disturbed
by the crowing of cock at dawn
590: John's view: Fourth Position of Solution
Detailed Analysis of Page 555 of Finnegans Wake
Summary
Page 555 takes the reader into a liminal space of memory and reflection, with echoes of childhood and contrasting imagery of innocence and decay. The narrative shifts between pastoral nostalgia and dark humour, employing playful language and recursive motifs to blur distinctions between characters and timelines. Hiberno-English phrases, Irish placenames, and mythic undercurrents anchor the text in Irish cultural and historical contexts.
Line-by-Line Analysis
555.01-555.02
"What was thaas? Fog was whaas? Too mult sleepth. Let sleepth."
- The opening lines mimic a half-conscious state, evoking the hazy logic of dreams.
- The repetitive sounds and questioning tone reflect the cyclical nature of Finnegans Wake, with "Fog" as a metaphor for obscured meaning or memory.
- "Too mult sleepth" suggests a conflation of sleep and death, resonating with the Irish wake tradition where the boundaries of life and afterlife are blurred.
555.03-555.04
"But really now whenabouts? Expatiate then how much times we live in. Yes?"
- The rhetorical question plays with temporal dislocation, a central theme in Finnegans Wake.
- "How much times we live in" suggests a layered concept of time, where past, present, and future coexist.
555.05-555.06
"So, nat by night by naught by naket, in those good old lousy days gone by, the days, shall we say? of Whom shall we say?"
- This line parodies nostalgia, with "good old lousy days" undercutting sentimental longing with irony.
- The use of "naught" and "naket" hints at biblical innocence (Eden) or existential emptiness, aligning with the recurring theme of cyclical fall and redemption.
555.07-555.10
"While kinderwardens minded their twinsbed, therenow they stood, the sycomores, all four of them, in their quartan agues..."
- "Kinderwardens" evokes images of childhood, surveillance, and guardianship, suggesting a protective yet controlling presence.
- The "sycomores" (sycamores) might symbolize rootedness and growth, but their "quartan agues" introduce a sense of sickness or rhythmical decay, paralleling human fragility.
- The four sycamores may also reference the four provinces of Ireland, grounding the imagery in a national context.
555.11-555.12
"That old time pallyollogass, playing copers fearsome, with Gus Walker, the cuddy, and his poor old dying boosy cough..."
- The "pallyollogass" recalls oral traditions or tales told around a fire, blending camaraderie and myth.
- "Cuddy" (a donkey, or a simpleton in Hiberno-English) and "boosy cough" evoke the drunken, fading figure of Irish folklore or rural life, tinged with humour and pathos.
555.13-555.15
"Esker, newcsle, saggard, crumlin, dell me, donk, the way to wumblin. Follow me beeline and you're bumblin..."
- The sequence of Irish placenames (Esker, Newcastle, Saggart, Crumlin) establishes a geographical framework, situating the narrative in a recognisably Irish setting.
- The playful alliteration and rhyme ("beeline," "bumblin") reflect Joyce’s love for sound patterns and linguistic texture.
555.16-555.19
"So gladdied up when nicechild Kevin Mary... irishsmiled in his milky way of cream dwibble and onage tustard and dessed tabbage..."
- Kevin Mary is an angelic figure, embodying innocence and purity, with "irishsmiled" emphasising national pride.
- The imagery of "milky way," "cream dwibble," and "dessed tabbage" combines childlike sweetness with the surreal, perhaps parodying traditional depictions of idyllic childhood.
555.20-555.24
"Frighted out when badbrat Jerry Godolphing... furrinfrowned down his wrinkly waste of methylated spirits, ick, and lemoncholy lees, ick, and pulverised rhubarbarorum, icky;"
- The contrast between "nicechild Kevin Mary" and "badbrat Jerry Godolphing" explores duality and the interplay of innocence and corruption.
- Jerry’s association with "methylated spirits" and "lemoncholy lees" (melancholy dregs) paints a grim portrait of degradation and addiction, undercut by the humorous "icky."
- The exaggerated description of "rhubarbarorum" adds absurdity, playing with the phonetic pleasures of language.
Themes and Motifs
Childhood and Innocence
- The juxtaposition of Kevin Mary and Jerry Godolphing reflects the duality of human nature, a central theme in Finnegans Wake.
- Childhood imagery, from "kinderwardens" to "twinsbed," highlights cycles of care, growth, and inevitable loss.
Irish Geography and Identity
- Placenames like Esker, Newcastle, Saggart, and Crumlin ground the text in Ireland, reflecting Joyce’s integration of local geography into his universal narrative.
Humour and Parody
- The playful depiction of Jerry’s degradation ("icky," "lemoncholy lees") and the absurd alliterations ("beeline and bumblin") exemplify Joyce’s use of humour to engage readers.
Cycles of Time and Memory
- The text’s fragmented temporality ("good old lousy days," "how much times we live in") reinforces the cyclical structure of the Wake, where past and present blur into one.
Orality and Musicality
- The rhythm and wordplay in lines like "Follow me beeline and you're bumblin" mimic the oral tradition of Irish storytelling, inviting readers to listen as much as read.
Conclusion
Page 555 showcases Joyce’s mastery of linguistic play, combining Hiberno-English, Irish cultural references, and surreal imagery to explore themes of innocence, memory, and decay. The interplay of humour, pathos, and musicality invites readers into a dreamlike world where language itself becomes the primary actor. Joyce’s evocation of Irish placenames and childhood nostalgia serves as a testament to the enduring vitality of cultural memory, even within the fragmented narrative of Finnegans Wake.