Saturday 9 December 2017

Monday, 3 December 2017, Pages 433 - 434

We stopped at "... old cupiosity shape." (434.30)

The last three sentences we read today contain references to the works of William Thackeray (1811 - 63) and Charles Dickens (1812 - 70). They are Vanity flee and Verity fear, popularly known as Vanity Fair by Thackeray, your meetual fan (aka Our Mutual Friend), Doveeyed Covetfilles (which of course is David Copperfield) and old cupiosity shape (i.e., The Old Curiosity Shop) - all three by Charles Dickens. Because of these connections, I first thought Ulikah, who is mentioned here to be Uriah Heep - one of Dicken's most malevolent creations -  from David Copperfield. But what Joyce mentions here as Ulikah's wine refers most probably to the biblical character, Uriah the Hittite, whose wife Bathsheba became pregnant by King David while her husband was away.

The theme of these pages are the (20+) commandments that Juan (Shaun) preaches the leap year girls. These commandments are given in the paragraph starting with 'Never miss your lostsomewhere mass....'

Juan has some really interesting instructions for the girls:

- Never play lady's game for the Lord's stake. 
- Never lose your heart away till you win his diamond back.
- ... never kick up your rumpus over the scroll end of the sofas ...
- Never park your brief stays in the men's convenience.
- Never slip the silver key through your gate of golden age.
- First thou shalt not smile.
- Twice thou shalt not love.
- Lust, thou shalt not commix idolatry.

And also
- Collide with man, collude with money.

Compare the above with the Catholic Ten Commandments here.

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