Ulysses: Episode 2 - Nestor: Kif: 03/07/09
Last week I started off my eighteen post series on Ulysses with a comparision of episode one (Telamachus) to Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy. This week we look at Stephen's job as a teacher and perhaps his own self styled (but perhaps misguided) role as an elder statesman.

Stephen tries to keep his class entertained as he's giving the day's lesson. He doesn't have much luck. He tries a riddle on them but it is over their heads and further alienates him from his class. Frustrated by a failed day of teaching he goes to the headmaster for his pay. Instead of being able to slip in and slip out and be on his way, he has to listen to the headmaster go on about his hatred for Jews.

Although Stephen doesn't say much inresponse to his students or to the headmaster I could just hear him sighing in the way that Kif does whenever Zapp Brannigan opens his mouth. Now Brannigan isn't as hateful as headmaster Deasy but he is officious and boreish and completely convinced that he's right.

Episode two is called Nestor. He is an argonaut just as Kif is a member of the space crew in charge of policing the galaxy around Earth. Nestor is used as the voice or reason in The Odyssey but is also the butt of a number of jokes. Kif is clearly the smartest one on the ship but is nearly always humileated during a gag. He also more than anyone has to listen to Captain Brannigan's endless speachifying.

Next Saturday I'll discuss Episode Three: Proteus. If you want to read along, Ulysses is available online at Read Print. For more information about the novel, check out these wikipedia articles: Ulysses (novel) and Nestor.

books | fiction | James Joyce | 1918

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