Finnegans Wake Notes

This briefing document outlines the key themes, characters, and narrative elements present in the provided excerpts from "Finnegans Wake," Chapter 9. The text, a challenging and multi-layered work, defies simple linear interpretation, instead operating through a rich tapestry of linguistic play, mythical allusions, and dream logic.

I. Core Thematic Concerns:

• Performance and Spectacle: The entire excerpt is framed as a theatrical performance or "perfumance" at "Feenichts Playhouse." This meta-narrative suggests that life itself is a staged event, with "nightly redistribution of parts and players" and "daily dubbing of ghosters." The presence of a "puppetry producer" further reinforces the idea of a controlled, perhaps predetermined, show.
• Conflict and Rivalry: A central conflict is established between "GLUGG," the "bold bad bleak boy," and "CHUFF," the "fine frank fairhaired fellow." Their struggle is described as wrestling "for tophole," with an underlying sense of cyclical, recurring opposition ("until they adumbrace a pattern of somebody else or other"). This rivalry appears to be a fundamental, perhaps primordial, element of existence.
• Transformation and Rebirth (Cyclical Nature): The title of the play, "The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies," itself hints at a cyclical narrative. The concluding "Magnificent Transformation Scene showing the Radium Wedding of Neid and Moorning and the Dawn of Peace, Pure, Perfect and Perpetual, Waking the Weary of the World" strongly suggests themes of renewal, resolution, and a new beginning after conflict and weariness. The opening phrase "While fern may cald us until firn make cold" also implies an ongoing cycle of decay and rebirth.
• Language and Communication as Central but Obscured: Joyce's characteristic linguistic innovation is paramount. The text is "wordloosed over seven seas crowdblast in cellelleneteutoslavzendlatinsoundscript." This highlights the universal and fragmented nature of language, which is simultaneously a vehicle for meaning and a source of confusion. Glugg's inability to understand Izod ("what she meaned he could not can") and the emphasis on "wordless" communication (e.g., "With nought a wired from the wordless either") underscore the difficulty of true understanding.
• Mythological and Historical Allusion: The text is rife with allusions, both overt and subtle. Characters' names (Genesius Archimimus, Hyrcan and Haristobulus, King Ericus of Schweden) and place names (Findrias, Murias, Gorias and Falias, Adelphi, Annapolis) ground the fantastical narrative in a rich, if fragmented, historical and mythological context. "The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies" is "adopted from the Ballymooney Bloodriddon Murther by Bluechin Blackdillain (authorways 'Big Storey')," suggesting a reinterpretation of pre-existing narratives.

II. Key Characters and Their Dynamics:

• GLUGG (Mr Seumas McQuillad): The "bold bad bleak boy of the storybooks," characterized by his intellectual shortcomings ("knew to mutch," "lost-to-lurning") and his "sulfur" nature ("the duvlin sulph was in Glugger"). He is depicted as struggling with rejection ("having jilted Glugg") and an inability to understand the desired object of his affection. His quest for understanding is met with frustration and confusion: "what she meaned he could not can." He is ultimately defeated, losing to Chuff.
• CHUFF (Mr Sean O'Mailey): The contrasting figure to Glugg, described as the "fine frank fairhaired fellow of the fairytales." He is presented as the victor in the rivalry for Izod's affection: "Chuffchuff's inners even. All's rice with their whorl!" He embodies a more traditional heroic archetype.
• IZOD (Miss Butys Pott): A "bewitching blonde who dimples delightfully," she is the object of both Glugg and Chuff's attention. Her beauty is so profound it is only approached by "her grateful sister reflection in a mirror." She "jilted Glugg" and is "being fatally fascinated by CHUFF." She is also linked to the "youngly delightsome frilles-in-pleyurs," suggesting a more collective female presence. Her departure ("Fled") signifies a shift in the narrative.
• THE FLORAS (Girl Scouts from St. Bride's Finishing Establishment): A group of "pretty maidens" who form a "guard for IZOD," suggesting a collective female presence and perhaps a protective or judgmental role towards Izod.
• ANN (Miss Corrie Corriendo): The "poor little old mother-in-lieu, who is woman of the house," playing a parental or nurturing role to Glugg and Chuff, who are brought home to be "well soaped, sponged and scrubbed again" by her.
• HUMP (Mr Makeall Gone): A figure of authority and trouble, the "cause of all our grievances, the whirl, the flash and the trouble." He is associated with "King Ericus of Schweden" and "the spirit's whispers in his magical helmet," hinting at a powerful, perhaps even mythical, presence. His partial recovery from "impeachment due to egg everlasting" suggests a resilient, if flawed, nature.
• THE CUSTOMERS (Components of the Afterhour Courses at St. Patricius' Academy for Grownup Gentlemen): A "bundle of a dozen of representative locomotive civics," representing a wider public or audience.
• SAUNDERSON (Mr Knut Oelsvinger): A "scherinsheiner and spoilcurate, unconcerned in the mystery but under the inflounce of the milldieuw," suggesting a peripheral, perhaps disruptive, character.
• KATE (Miss Rachel Lea Varian): A "kook-and-dishdrudge," who despite the chaos believes "the show must go on." She represents a resilient, practical, and perhaps cynical, perspective.

III. Narrative Structure and Poetic Devices:

• Dream Logic and Non-Linearity: The narrative eschews conventional plot progression, instead operating on a dream-like, associative logic. Events and character interactions are fragmented and symbolic rather than strictly causal.
• Portmanteau Words and Neologisms: Joyce's extensive use of portmanteau words (e.g., "perfumance," "childream's," "thugogmagog," "catastrophear") creates a dense, multi-layered linguistic experience, where multiple meanings and associations are compressed into single words. This requires the reader to actively participate in constructing meaning.
• Sound Play and Alliteration: The text is highly phonetic, with numerous instances of alliteration and assonance (e.g., "bold bad bleak boy," "fine frank fairhaired fellow," "shimmershake rather naightily"). This emphasizes the musicality of language and contributes to the dream-like atmosphere.
• Questions and Unanswered Queries: The frequent use of questions (e.g., "Who are you?," "What do you lack?," "What is that, O holytroopers?") underscores the pervasive sense of mystery and the elusive nature of definitive answers within the text.
• Shifting Perspectives: The narrative voice shifts frequently, offering glimpses into the thoughts and perceptions of various characters, often blurring the lines between objective description and subjective experience.

IV. Key Quotes and Their Significance:

• "Every evening at lighting up o'clock sharp and until further notice in Feenichts Playhouse." - Establishes the theatrical framework and the cyclical nature of the performance.
• "The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies, adopted from the Ballymooney Bloodriddon Murther by Bluechin Blackdillain (authorways 'Big Storey')." - Highlights the reinterpretation of pre-existing narratives and the central conflict.
• "GLUGG...the bold bad bleak boy of the storybooks, who, when the tabs go up, as we discover, because he knew to mutch, has been divorced into disgrace court..." - Introduces Glugg's flawed nature and his initial downfall.
• "CHUFF...the fine frank fairhaired fellow of the fairytales, who wrestles for tophole with the bold bad bleak boy Glugg,geminally about caps or puds or tog bags or bog gats or chuting rudskin gunerally or something,until they adumbrace a pattern of somebody else or other..." - Defines the central rivalry as a recurring, archetypal struggle.
• "IZOD...a bewitching blonde who dimples delightfully and is approached in loveliness only by her grateful sister reflection in a mirror, the cloud of the opal, who, having jilted Glugg, is being fatally fascinated by CHUFF..." - Describes Izod's captivating nature and her role as the object of desire.
• "And wordloosed over seven seas crowdblast in cellelleneteutoslavzendlatinsoundscript." - Emphasizes the global and fragmented nature of language and communication.
• "But the duvlin sulph was in Glugger, that lost-to-lurning." - Reinforces Glugg's inherent character flaws and his struggle with knowledge.
• "He has lost. Off to clutch, Glugg! Forwhat! Shape your reres, Glugg! Foreweal! Ring we round, Chuff! Fairwell! Chuffchuff's inners even. All's rice with their whorl!" - Declares Glugg's defeat and Chuff's triumph.
• "The whole thugogmagog...to be wound up for an afterenactment by a Magnificent Transformation Scene showing the Radium Wedding of Neid and Moorning and the Dawn of Peace, Pure, Perfect and Perpetual, Waking the Weary of the World." - Foreshadows the ultimate resolution and the theme of rebirth and peace.
• "But what is that which is one going to prehend? Seeks, buzzling is brains, the feinder." - Highlights the difficulty of comprehension and the constant search for meaning.
• "the show must go on." - Kate's pragmatic and resilient outlook on life's continuous performance.

In conclusion, these excerpts from "Finnegans Wake" Chapter 9 (page 219-225) present a complex and highly symbolic narrative of theatrical performance, eternal rivalry, and the cyclical nature of human experience. Through its innovative use of language and its rich tapestry of allusions, the text invites readers to engage with themes of communication, transformation, and the persistent human quest for meaning within a world that is both chaotic and profoundly ordered.

Themes and Ideas in "Finnegans Wake" Excerpts (Pages 226-230):

This briefing document reviews key themes and ideas present in the provided excerpts from "Finnegans Wake," Chapter 9, pages 226-230. The text, characteristic of Joyce's experimental style, presents a dense, multi-layered narrative that defies simple linear interpretation. Instead, it offers a rich tapestry of linguistic play, mythical allusions, and fragmented insights into the human condition.

Main Themes:

• Transformation and Cycles (Day/Night, Life/Death, Renewal):
  • The most prominent theme is the continuous cycle of transformation, particularly evident in the imagery of day fading into night and the promise of renewal. Isa's fading "like Journee's clothes so you can't see her now" is immediately followed by the reassurance that "Day the Dyer works, in dims and deeps and dusks and darks. And among the shades that Eve's now wearing she'll meet anew fiancy, tryst and trow." This suggests a cyclical nature of existence where endings are merely transitions to new beginnings.
  • The phrase "The same renew" further reinforces this idea, suggesting a perpetual process of reinvention and continuation, even in the face of loss or change. The description of "All run-away sheep bound back bopeep, trailing their teenes behind them" similarly evokes a sense of return and cyclical movement.
• Feminine Collective and Diversity:
  • A significant portion of the text focuses on a collective of women, often referred to as "the ingelles," "an angel's garland," or "the florals." They are depicted in various states and roles, from innocent "schoolgirl[s]" to more mature figures like "the grocer's bawd" and "the widow Megrievy."
  • Their descriptions are vivid and sensory, focusing on their attire ("Catchmire stockings, libertyed garters, shoddyshoes, quicked out with selver. Pennyfair caps on pinnyfore frocks and a ring on her fomefing finger") and their movements ("they leap so looply, looply, as they link to light. And they look so loovely, loovelit, noosed in a nuptious night").
  • The list of names (Winnie, Olive, Beatrice, Nelly, Ida, Amy, Rue; Rubretta, Arancia, Yilla, greeneriN, Boyblue, O, W) highlights their individuality within the collective, suggesting a vast array of feminine archetypes and experiences. The "many wiles of Winsure" also points to their diverse and often complex nature.
• Masculine Internal Conflict and Disgrace:
  • In stark contrast to the feminine collective, the male figure (implied to be H.C. Earwicker, or "He") is presented as experiencing profound internal turmoil and public humiliation. He is described as feeling "funny and floored for the cue" and experiencing "tornaments of complementary rages."
  • His physical and emotional reactions are exaggerated and self-destructive: "He dove his head into Wat Murrey, gave Stewart Ryall a puck on the plexus, wrestled a hurry-come-union with the Gillie Beg, wiped all his sinses... excremuncted as freely as any frothblower into MacIsaac." This section portrays a breakdown, a desperate attempt to purge or escape his predicament.
  • The "oathword science of his visible disgrace" suggests a public downfall, perhaps related to sexual transgression, as implied by lines like "if goosseys gazious would but fain smile him a smile he would be fondling a praise he ate some nice bit of fluff." He is "off colour" and "ambothed upon by the very spit of himself," indicating self-reproach and internal conflict manifested externally.
• Language and Storytelling as Creation and Redress:
  • A meta-narrative emerges around the act of writing and creating. The male figure, despite his disgrace, resolves to "jused sit it all write down just as he would jused set it up all writhefully rate in blotch and void." This suggests a desire to control his narrative, to transform chaos into a structured account, albeit a "writhefully rate" one.
  • He aims to "fillfull ninequires with it for his auditers, Caxton and Pollock, a most moraculous jeeremyhead sindbook for all the peoples." This highlights the ambition of the work itself – to be a comprehensive, perhaps even morally instructive, text for a wide audience.
  • The recurring motif of sending letters and writing ("his farced epistol to the hibruws," "rearing a writing in handy antics," "inform to the old sniggering publicking press") underscores the importance of communication and public record in his attempt to process or redeem himself. He is "the general," suggesting a strategic, perhaps even combative, approach to narrative.
• Memory, History, and Ancestry:
  • The concept of memory, both personal and collective, is deeply embedded. The "family histrionic" with "Avus and Avia" (grandfather and grandmother) and their descendants ("Nurus and Noverca," "nepotists") signifies a lineage, a chain of events and relationships stretching through time.
  • The "castle throwen? Ones propsperups treed, now stohong baroque" evokes a sense of decline from a glorious past, a ruined grandeur. The attempt to "trace me there title to where was a hovel not a havel (the first rattle of his juniverse)" suggests an archaeological excavation of personal and familial history, seeking origins and foundational moments.

Most Important Ideas/Facts:

• Cyclical Nature of Existence: "The same renew." This phrase is central to understanding the fluid, ever-changing reality presented in the text. Endings are always pregnant with new beginnings.
• Contrasting Gender Roles/States: The juxtaposition of the vibrant, diverse female collective with the tormented, disgraced male figure is a key dynamic. The women are associated with beauty, unity, and ongoing life, while the man grapples with shame, isolation, and a need for narrative control.
• The Power of Language and Storytelling: The male figure's resolve to "write down" his experiences, to create a "sindbook for all the peoples," underscores the text's own self-awareness as a narrative act. It suggests that through language, chaos can be ordered, disgrace addressed, and meaning created.
• Subversion of Conventional Narrative: The highly experimental language, with its portmanteau words, puns, and fragmented syntax, is not merely stylistic but thematic. It embodies the complex, often contradictory, nature of reality and consciousness. The reader is actively engaged in "connecting the succeeding" and deciphering meaning from the linguistic "blotch and void."
• Exploration of Guilt and Redemption: The male figure's "visible disgrace" and subsequent desire to write about it suggest a journey towards self-understanding or a form of atonement, even if the path is tortuous and the outcome uncertain. His actions ("He would split. He do big squeal like holy Trichepatte. Seek hells where from yank islanders the petriote's absolation") highlight a desperate plea for absolution.

In summary, these excerpts from "Finnegans Wake" Chapter 9 Page 226-230 offer a glimpse into a world where time and identity are fluid, where the feminine principle represents continuous renewal, and the masculine grapples with the weight of past actions through an intensely personal and often painful process of linguistic creation. The text itself becomes a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to reflect and reshape human experience.