Finnegans Wake Notes

Briefing Document: "Finnegans Wake" Chapter 5 pages 104 - 106 - Annah's Manifold Manifestations

Core Theme: The central theme of this excerpt is the multiplicity and fluid identity of a feminine archetype, "Annah," whose "mamafesta" (manifesto/memoir) is presented through an extensive and seemingly chaotic list of alternative titles. This list serves to demonstrate the multifaceted nature of her influence, experiences, and perception within the narrative.

Key Ideas & Facts:

• Annah the Allmaziful, Everliving, Bringer of Plurabilities: The opening establishes Annah as a powerful, benevolent, and generative force, associated with abundance and diversity. Her being is described as "unhemmed as it is uneven," suggesting a wild, untamed, and unconventional nature.
• Quote: "In the name of Annah the Allmaziful, the Everliving, the Bringer of Plurabilities, haloed be her eve, her singtime sung, her rill be run, unhemmed as it is uneven!"
• The "Mamafesta" and its Myriad Names: The core of the excerpt is a sprawling list of over 100 "names" or "titles" for Annah's "mamafesta memorialising the Mosthighest." This is not a simple list of synonyms but a highly condensed, fragmented, and often nonsensical compilation of phrases, proverbs, misremembered historical events, song titles, character names, and puns.
• Quote: "Her untitled mamafesta memorialising the Mosthighest has gone by many names at disjointed times."
• Fragmentation and Polysemy: The sheer volume and disparate nature of the titles highlight a key characteristic of Finnegans Wake: fragmentation of meaning and extreme polysemy. Each title, however brief, offers a potential glimpse into a different facet of Annah's character or a specific event, but these glimpses are often contradictory or obscure. For example:
  • "Rockabill Booby in the Wave Trough" suggests a vulnerable or foolish aspect.
  • "Anna Stessa's Rise to Notice" points to a moment of recognition or prominence.
  • "Cleopater's Nedlework Ficturing Aldborougham on the Sahara" is an absurd juxtaposition, hinting at a blend of history, myth, and personal narrative.
  • "A New Cure for an Old Clap" introduces a vulgar, earthly, and perhaps ironic element.
  • "He Gave me a Thou so I serve Him with Thee" implies a transactional or subservient role.
  • "I Ask You to Believe I was his Mistress" suggests a hidden, scandalous, or intimate history.
  • "His is the House that Malt Made" could be a reference to a pub, a family legacy, or even a metaphorical foundation built on consumption.
• Linguistic Play and Puns: The excerpt is rife with Joyce's characteristic linguistic inventiveness, employing puns, portmanteau words, and phonetic distortions. This makes a literal interpretation impossible and encourages a multi-layered, auditory, and associative reading. Examples include:
  • "Plurabilities" (plurality + possibilities)
  • "Mosthighest" (highest + most)
  • "mamafesta" (mama + manifesto + festa/feast)
  • "Hoebegunne the Hebrewer Hit Waterman the Brayned" (a phonetic play on "How Began the Brewer Hit the Water man the Brainy")
  • "Lumptytumtumpty had a Big Fall" (Humpty Dumpty)
  • "My Skin Appeals to Three Senses and My Curly Lips Demand Columbkisses" (sensual and playful description)
• Historical and Cultural Allusions (Obscured): While specific allusions are difficult to pinpoint without extensive scholarship, the names hint at a vast array of historical figures, mythological references, literary works, and common phrases. This reflects Joyce's ambition to encapsulate all human experience within the Wake. The blend of high culture ("Oremunds Queue Visits Amen Mart") and low culture ("Cock in the Pot for Father") is characteristic.
• The Elusive Nature of Truth and Identity: The endless list of names, often contradictory or absurd, suggests that Annah's true identity, and indeed any "truth," is not singular or fixed but rather a constantly shifting, fluid construct. It challenges the reader to embrace ambiguity and the impossibility of a definitive interpretation.
• The "Woman of the World" as Narrator/Source: The concluding lines introduce a potential "narrator" or "source" for some of this information: "by a Woman of the World who only can Tell Naked Truths about a Dear Man and all his Conspirators how they all Tried to Fall him Putting it all around Lucalizod about Privates Earwicker and a Pair of Sloppy Sluts plainly Showing all the Unmentionability falsely Accusing about the Raincoats." This suggests scandal, gossip, and the subjective nature of "truth," particularly concerning the male figure of "Earwicker" and associated female figures. This ending points to a narrative of accusation, conspiracy, and the revelation of "unmentionable" details, framing the preceding list of names as potentially stemming from or contributing to such a complex, scandalous history.

In Summary: This excerpt is a prime example of Joyce's experimental prose, where meaning is generated through a dizzying accumulation of linguistic fragments rather than linear narrative. It portrays Annah as a protean figure, her identity and story refracted through countless, often contradictory, "titles." The "mamafesta" becomes a metaphor for the vast, untidy, and endlessly interpretable nature of human experience and memory.