NATHAN HALPER
445
word "Blott" suggests the French word for blotter, "Buvard:" which
suggests Flaubert's
Bouvard et Pecuchet:
which brings up Ezra Pound
who, in happier days, wrote
James Joyce et Pecuchet,
in praise of
Ulysses.
In itself, the allusion is not especially important. But it
has a purpose. It reintroduces, no matter how faintly , the theme of re–
jection. Furthermore, it gives us notice that, in coming moments, it will
be Ezra Pound, the wonder-wounder-worker, who takes the role
of Kev.
"Cain was very wroth (with his brother), and his countenance
fell." In Chapter Nine of
Finnegans Wake,
"each was wroth with his
other. And his continence fell." "His" refers to Shem. Here in Chapter
Ten it refers to Kev. " Kev was wreathed with his pother. " The second
half of the quotation will be found at the end of the next paragraph.
Meanwhile, he gave Dolph a " blast through his pergaman hit him
where he lived. "
Pergamus was the citadel of Troy. It is a trope for head. Perga–
mum, a city in Asia Minor, gave its name to parchment. In the context,
then , the word " pergaman " has two relevant meanings. Kev hit his
brother in the head. Pound hit him in the manuscript. He "hit him
where he lived."
Now the other half of the quotation: "And his countinghands
rose." In this chapter, they are at their lessons, Shaun is Kev and Shaun
is Dolph . In the room, a picture of two "wranglers" who are face to
face-each a mirror-image of the other. Opposite and equal-like two
capital F's. The short horizontal is a cocked fist; the long horizontal is
the pugilist's extended arm. "Wrangler" has another meaning-honor
student in mathematics. The themes are gathered. The hands he raises
are the hands of the "wrangler." He is using them for counting. (A self–
professed expert in currency and economics.) As a critic-he stands
above the fallen boxer. (The one that he has battered.) His hand is
counting. And-in Chapter Ten-it will go to "Ten."
There is a marginal comment. WITH EBONISER. The blow in
the "pergaman" gave Dolph a black eye. (The "susu" who sang like
Solomon is a sightless dolphin.) Moreover, it suggests-as we have also
noticed-the name Ebenezer. The stone of Ezra. The stone of help.
A last item. All through
Finnegans Wake,
beginning with the first
page, there are allusions to Tristan and Isolt. To the story and
sometimes to the opera. "Mild und leise," the first words in the love–
death aria are mentioned-and distorted-as early as p. 18. On p . 40, in
the second chapter-there is a vagrant called Mildew Lisa-It is used
again.
