Molly thinks about the pork chop she had had with her cup of tea. Perhaps it was not fresh. The pork butcher is unreliable and her stomach is upset. She thinks of the morningÂ’s breakfast, and the food she has planned for the coming day, "IÂ’ll get a nice piece of God." Memories of boating and Mediterranean fishermen follow. Bloom has had all sorts of dreams about making money and having luxurious holidays in the Mediterranean. But they have never amounted to anything. Molly has to spend all her time lonely in this big, barracks-like house. It was more cheerful when Milly lived there. On the other hand, she feels some relief that Milly is away. She was beginning to be jealous of her daughterÂ’s maturity and sophistication. Her train of thoughts is interrupted by the sudden appearance of her menstrual period.

MollyÂ’s affirmation of life is one facet of a great complex whole wherein the forces of evil operate strongly too. The evil in Molly, as well as the evil in her environment, has already struck the reader, as dominant. Right now the good in Molly, and the real possible good in her environment seem to be dominant. Molly is as much a mystery as is reality. She has been fascinating, and she still is, and will always be a woman of infinite variety.

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