Finnegans Wake Notes

104-7: Invocation and list of suggested names for ALP's untitled mamafesta 

107-25: A scrutinization of the Document, including: Cautioning against impatience (108) Regarding the envelope (109) Citing the place where it was found (110) Regarding Biddy the finder (110-111) Contents of the letter, Condition of the letter (111-112) Various types of analyses of the letter: historical, textual, Freudian, Marxist, etc. (114-16) The Book of Kells (119-24)

Analysis of Page 104 of Finnegans Wake

Summary

Page 104 introduces Anna Livia Plurabelle, the maternal figure in Finnegans Wake, characterised as a personification of the River Liffey and a symbol of eternal femininity. Her fluid identity is reflected in her many names, which Joyce presents as a cascade of puns, cultural references, and playful titles. The passage blends reverence for Anna with the absurdity of human attempts to define or contain her essence. Joyce employs Hiberno-English, Irish mythology, and linguistic inventiveness to explore themes of identity, transformation, and continuity.

Detailed Line-by-Line Analysis

104.01-03: "In the name of Annah the Allmaziful, the Everliving, the Bringer of Plurabilities, haloed be her eve..."

• The invocation of Anna Livia echoes religious prayer, underscoring her sacred, mythic role. Titles like "Allmaziful" (merciful) and "Everliving" highlight her eternal, cyclical nature, akin to rivers and motherhood.
• "Bringer of Plurabilities" suggests linguistic and existential multiplicity, encapsulating the flowing, multifaceted identity of Anna as the Liffey.
• "Her singtime sung, her rill be run" uses assonance and rhythmic phrasing to mimic the natural movement of water, emphasising fluidity and the inevitability of cycles.

104.04-05: "Her untitled mamafesta memorialising the Mosthighest has gone by many names at disjointed times."

• "Mamafesta" (manifesto + mama) positions Anna as a foundational, maternal force. The neologism merges political and maternal power.
• The phrase "memorialising the Mosthighest" suggests a sacred duty to record or honour divine or natural truths, linking Anna to spiritual traditions.

104.06-09: "Thus we hear of, The Augusta Angustissimost for Old Seabeastius' Salvation..."

• The cascade of names for Anna reflects her protean nature and humanity’s attempts to categorise the ineffable.
• "Augusta Angustissimost" plays on the Latin augustus (majestic) and angustus (narrow), evoking the duality of her power and vulnerability as a river constrained by human structures.
• "Rockabill Booby in the Wave Trough" references Rockabill (a pair of islands off the Irish coast) and the booby (a seabird), blending geographical and natural imagery to emphasise Anna’s ties to the sea and land.

104.10-12: "Anna Stessa's Rise to Notice, Knickle Down Duddy Gunne and Arishe Sir Cannon..."

• "Anna Stessa" (Italian for "Anna herself") reinforces her self-contained nature.
• "Duddy Gunne" and "Arishe Sir Cannon" reference Irish folk history and military imagery, linking Anna to Ireland's historical struggles and victories.

104.13-15: "...My Golden One and My Selver Wedding, Amoury Treestam and Icy Siseule..."

• These names play on romantic and mythical tropes. "Golden One" and "Selver Wedding" reference matrimonial celebrations, framing Anna as both bride and eternal partner.
• "Amoury Treestam" and "Icy Siseule" evoke Arthurian romance, linking her to the mythic tradition.

104.16-18: "...Peter Peopler Picked a Plot to Pitch his Poppolin..."

• The phrase mimics a nursery rhyme, imbuing the text with playful, childlike energy. This contrasts with the deeper themes of Anna’s enduring presence and her role in Ireland's mythic identity.

104.19-20: "...My Hoonsbood Hansbaad's a Journey to Porthergill gone and He Never Has the Hour..."

• This line humorously laments male absence or neglect, satirising Anna’s symbolic "husband" as unreliable. The fluid wordplay suggests the interplay of male and female roles in the text’s cosmic structure.

104.21-22: "...Cleopater's Nedlework Ficturing Aldborougham on the Sahara with the Coombing of the Cammmels..."

• "Cleopater" merges Cleopatra with maternal imagery. This name reflects Anna’s dual role as seductive queen and nurturing mother.
• The blending of Egyptian imagery ("Nedlework...Sahara") with Irish placenames (Aldborough House on Portland Row) underscores Joyce’s fusion of global and local myths.

104.23-24: "...A New Cure for an Old Clap, Where Portentos they'd Grow Gonder how I'd Wish I Woose a Geese..."

• "A New Cure for an Old Clap" juxtaposes bawdy humour (a reference to venereal disease) with renewal, reflecting Anna’s dual nature as both seductive and restorative.
• The playful phrase "I Woose a Geese" highlights linguistic whimsy while echoing themes of transformation and longing.

Key Themes and Techniques

Hiberno-English and Irish Identity:

• The interplay of Hiberno-English expressions with mythological allusions anchors Anna Livia in Ireland’s cultural and linguistic identity.

Multilingual Wordplay:

• References like "Anna Stessa" and "Cleopater" incorporate Italian and global cultural touchpoints, emphasising the universality of Anna’s symbolism.

Religious and Mythological Undertones:

• Anna’s invocation echoes Catholic prayers and positions her as a riverine deity akin to Isis, blending Christian and pagan traditions.

Sexual Innuendo and Humour:

• Titles like "A New Cure for an Old Clap" showcase Joyce’s bawdy humour, while "Peter Peopler Picked a Plot" adds a playful, irreverent tone.

Fluidity and Transformation:

• The multiplicity of Anna’s names and identities reflects the text’s central themes of change, movement, and renewal.

Page 104 exemplifies Joyce’s masterful use of language to weave myth, history, and humour into a tapestry that celebrates the cyclical, eternal nature of Anna Livia Plurabelle. Her identity, as revealed through these names, encompasses both local Irish roots and universal archetypes, establishing her as a cornerstone of Finnegans Wake’s exploration of time, identity, and renewal.