Ulysses · Chapter
V explained
Leopold Bloom goes about his morning errands, retrieving a letter from his secret correspondent Martha Clifford at the post office, attending a Catholic mass, and reflecting on his past, his marriage, and the nature of religious ritual.
What happens
Leopold Bloom goes about his morning errands, retrieving a letter from his secret correspondent Martha Clifford at the post office, attending a Catholic mass, and reflecting on his past, his marriage, and the nature of religious ritual.
Themes in this chapter
Alienation and Belonging
Bloom feels detached from the Catholic mass and the community, observing rituals from the outside.
The Body and Sensuality
Bloom's thoughts on Martha's letter, perfume, and physical desires intertwine with his observations of the mass.
Mortality and Grief
Bloom reflects on his father's death and the funeral he is about to attend.
Characters to notice
- Leopold Bloom
Main perspective; reads Martha's letter, attends mass, muses on his father's death and his wife Molly.
- Martha Clifford
Bloom's secret correspondent; her letter is read and contemplated.
- Molly Bloom
Referenced in Bloom's thoughts about her perfume and her singing at a past mass.
- M'Coy
Mentioned as someone Bloom wishes he hadn't met earlier.
- Corny Kelleher
Thought to have secured a funeral job for O'Neill's.
- Tom Kernan
Bloom thinks of getting tea from him but decides not to ask at a funeral.
- Rudolph Bloom
Bloom's father; remembered in the opening lines as having died of grief.
- Major Tweedy
Molly's father; Bloom recalls his old regiment while looking at a recruiting poster.
Key passages
“Poor papa! Poor man! I’m glad. I didn’t go into the room to look at his face.”
Bloom recalls his father's death with a mix of sorrow and relief that he avoided seeing the corpse.
Reflects Bloom's complicated feelings about his father's suicide.
“Dear Henry, I got your last letter to me and thank you very much for it. I am sorry you did not like my last letter. Why did you enclose the stamps?”
Martha's letter to Bloom (under the pseudonym Henry Flower) expresses frustration and longing.
Reveals Bloom's secret correspondence and his flirtatious relationship with Martha.
“Language of flowers. They like it because no-one can hear. Or a poison bouquet to strike him down.”
Bloom muses on the hidden meanings in flowers, comparing them to secret messages.
Connects to the theme of secret communication and the ambiguity of symbols.
“Wonderful organisation certainly, goes like clockwork. Confession. Everyone wants to. Then I will tell you all. Penance. Punish me, please. Great weapon in their hands.”
Bloom observes the Catholic Church's structured rituals and the power of confession.
Highlights Bloom's critical view of religious institutions and their control over individuals.