Ulysses · Chapter
Nausicaa explained
Leopold Bloom rests on Sandymount Strand as evening falls, observing the nearby girls including Gerty MacDowell.
What happens
Leopold Bloom rests on Sandymount Strand as evening falls, observing the nearby girls including Gerty MacDowell. Gerty, a young woman conscious of her appearance and romantic hopes, daydreams about a potential suitor. Bloom, tired and reflective, muses on memory, desire, and the passage of time. The chapter culminates in a silent, charged encounter between Bloom and Gerty, after which she departs and Bloom realizes she is lame. He then writes a message in the sand before drifting into a half-dream.
Themes in this chapter
The Body and Sensuality
Bloom's observations of Gerty's body and his own physical sensations, as well as Gerty's awareness of her own appearance and allure, highlight the theme of sensuality and bodily experience.
Memory and History
Bloom's reflections on past loves, the return of seasons, and the cyclical nature of life ('History repeats itself') emphasize the theme of memory and personal history.
Alienation and Belonging
Bloom's sense of being an outsider, his musings on loneliness and the transient nature of connection, and Gerty's longing for love both illustrate feelings of alienation and the desire for belonging.
Characters to notice
- Leopold Bloom
Rests on the strand, observes Gerty and the other girls, reflects on memory and desire, writes in the sand, and falls into a half-dream.
- Gerty MacDowell
A young woman on the strand, conscious of her appearance and romantic hopes, daydreams about a potential suitor and shares a silent encounter with Bloom.
- Edy Boardman
Gerty's companion on the strand, who teases Gerty about a boy with a bicycle.
- Cissy Caffrey
Another girl on the strand, interacts with the children and the group.
- Tommy Caffrey
A young child on the strand, part of the group with Cissy and Jacky.
- Jacky Caffrey
A young child on the strand, twin of Tommy.
Key passages
“See ourselves as others see us. So long as women don’t mock what matter? That’s the way to find out. Ask yourself who is he now. The Mystery Man on the Beach , prize titbit story by Mr Leopold Bloom.”
Bloom reflects on self-perception and imagines himself as a mysterious figure worthy of a newspaper story.
Bloom's internal monologue about identity and how he is perceived by others.
“History repeats itself. Ye crags and peaks I’m with you once again. Life, love, voyage round your own little world. And now?”
Bloom muses on the cyclical nature of life and love, feeling both connected to and distant from his past.
Bloom's meditation on memory and the passage of time.
“She knew right well, no-one better, what made squinty Edy say that because of him cooling in his attentions when it was simply a lover’s quarrel.”
Gerty understands that Edy's teasing stems from jealousy over a boy who has been paying attention to Gerty instead of Edy.
Gerty's internal perspective on the dynamics among the girls and her romantic hopes.
“Mr Bloom with his stick gently vexed the thick sand at his foot. Write a message for her. Might remain. What? I. Some flatfoot tramp on it in the morning. Useless. Washed away.”
Bloom considers writing a message in the sand but realizes it will be erased by the tide or trampled.
Bloom's fleeting desire to leave a mark and his acceptance of impermanence.