Two Dactyls (4 of 783)

I had the blindingly obvious realization today that if I actually complete this literary odyssey, that this blog will have as many posts and Ulysses has pages (give/take the occasional blank page, etc.). That is a long slog itself, for anyone foolish enough to follow along. The only advantage to reading the blog is that punctuation is more frequently employed, but really, anyone reading this should pick up a copy of Ulysses and read it instead.

Joyce took 7 years to write Ulysses (you try writing/editing a three+ page sentence in less than a week). It was published in serial form from 1918 to 1920 in the The Little Review, an American literary magazine, so I feel there is some symmetry in reading and reviewing it in serial form.

Of course, the serialization ended when, according to Wikipedia, The Little Review was "shut down when its editors were convicted of publishing obscenity". There hasn't been anything purient, even by early 20th century standards, in the first two pages. But, given that this copy of Ulysses contains the text of a Supreme Court ruling on the subject of obscenity, it is a certainty that the novel twisted somebody's knickers and at least contributed to the conviction. I can only hope/fear that this blog attains the same notoriety.

But let's get back to Buck Mulligan, the plump prelate, and Stephen Dedalus, the jejune jesuit...

Buck starts his shave, and makes fun of his own name for consisting of two dactyls and sounding "Hellenic". Buck mentions taking a trip to Athens if he can get "20 quid" from the aunt. They discuss Haines, the crazy Englishman who is living in the tower as well. Dedalus says he was "raving all night about a black panther" and threatening to shoot it. Dedalus says he will leave if Haines stays on. Buck proclaims the nickname he has for Dedalus -- Kinch -- as Dadelus' "best name" and realizes that he has forgotten a rag to wipe his razor blade. He grabs Kinch's "noserag" from his pocket and wipes it "neatly" on a "dirty crumpled handkerchief".

Kinch, according to Buck, means "the knife blade." Why Buck feels the need to go on about names is not clear, nor is it apparent why Kinch is "the best" name for Dedalus. For people of a certain age and television viewing habits, the name Kinch will at least stir the memory of the character of the same nickname in "Hogan's Heroes". Was the show's creator, Albert S. Ruddy, a Joyce fan? Was the sitcom character, Sgt. James "Kinch" Kinchloe, an homage to Ruddy's favorite literary character? Something to ponder the next time I catch an episode.