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Stephen and the girls meanwhile continue the discussion of
theology and the clergy. Stephen metamorphoses himself into
the noble Cardinal Dedalus. Bella Cohen, the mistress of the
establishment, enters. Her powerful and massive appearance
reawakens BloomÂ’s perverted appetites. Partly in imagination,
partly in the spirited physical actions of the brothel, Bloom
performs a number of demeaning acts. He becomes in
imagination a feminine figure, punished for a variety of sins. In
the fantasy he mistakes Milly for Molly. He realizes his age and
feels himself totally rejected by Bella. He supposes himself
packed off to oblivion. Mysterious voices shout: "Bloom?
Never heard of him." So his new fantasy is quite opposed to his
earlier one of power and apotheosis. Recollections of a more
sexually innocent childhood follow. Bloom is aware of the
chatter of the brothel running in a stream through his
meditations. He is able to see the essential vulgarity and
ugliness of the situation and of Bella.
The men settle their bills. Bloom takes a direct hand in assisting
Stephen. He checks the payment of money and makes sure that
the younger man is not cheated. The group then move to the
pianola and begin a wild and chaotic dance. As the images
swirl, Stephen visualizes his mother among the dancers. In
despair and anguish, he strikes out with his stick, breaking the
chandelier. Bloom rushes to help, Bella calls for the police. A
general confusion follows. While Bloom soothes Bella, Stephen
and Lynch, outside at the corner of Beaver Street, run into
Private Compton and Private Carr. Stephen is still vivaciously
talking of philosophy and politics. To the drunken ears of the
English soldiers, he appears to have insulted the King. Edward
VII himself appears, supervising the execution of the Croppy
Boy to general applause. The soldiers and Stephen quarrel.
Lynch gets the girls away. Bloom tries to protect Stephen who
drops to the ground. The police appear. Corny Kelleher the
undertaker turns up just in time to persuade them not to arrest
Stephen, and the incident is over. The inhabitants of and visitors
to Nighttown drift away. Bloom is left alone. He stares down at
the peaceful and drunken Stephen. An idealized vision of Rudy
appears before him.
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