We are using the original 1922 First Printing by Shakespeare & Co. - section attached
"The doorway was darkened" - to - "More would be laid at your feet"
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Old Shrunken Paps
Buck Mulligan, delighted at the arrival of milk, welcomes an old milk woman into the tower. On the surface, this scene seems straightforward: a milk woman delivers milk, engages in a brief conversation with the men at the table, and leaves. But, as with everything in Joyce’s world, simplicity is just a veil for layered meanings.
Buck, ever the blasphemous provocateur, spares no one from his irreverent humor. During the brief exchange, the milk woman praises God, to which Buck cheekily replies:
'That's a lovely morning, sir, she said. Glory be to God. To whom? Mulligan said, glancing at her. Ah, to be sure.'
Buck’s mocking tone reveals his disdain for religious piety, which he flaunts regardless of his audience. He later explains to Haines that the lives of “the islanders” revolve around religion. But what are Buck’s intentions with this comment?
By calling the Irish “islanders,” Mulligan distances himself from his (possible) countrymen. His reference to the “collector of prepuces” is an audacious jab at religious practices, specifically alluding to circumcision in Jewish tradition and its ties to the Old Testament covenant. Mulligan’s irreverent humor critiques both religion and the state of Ireland, highlighting a tension between cultural identity, colonial influence, and modern skepticism.
The scene then shifts to Stephen’s inner dialogue, marked by the stream-of-consciousness style that defines Joyce’s narrative. We see Stephen observing the milk woman:
'He watched her pour into the measure and thence into the jug rich white milk, not hers. Old shrunken paps."
This moment brims with hidden references. Joyce frequently invokes the mother figure as a recurring theme throughout Ulysses. Here, as Stephen asks for a quart of milk, his thoughts connect milk to mothers and then to breasts (shrunken paps). This chain of associations—milk → mothers → breasts—offers an intimate glimpse into how the human mind wanders, linking the mundane with deeper, primal imagery.
The milk woman, as a symbol, embodies both the nurturing past and the decayed state of Ireland—“old shrunken paps” suggesting a nation past its prime, yet still sustaining its people. Through her, Joyce reflects on themes of identity, motherhood, and cultural decline, layering this simple scene with profound meaning.
Maybe a Messenger
Ambiguity deepens as we explore Stephen’s complex and introspective mind:
"Old and secret she has entered from a morning world, maybe a messenger."
The milk woman, described as “old and secret,” represents an Ireland that is ancient, mysterious, and steeped in tradition. Her entry “from a morning world” evokes a past era of purity and spirituality. As a “messenger,” she seems to carry a symbolic message about Ireland’s state—its decay, persistence, or its enduring role as a mother figure (aged but nurturing).
This description elevates the milk woman beyond her literal role, casting her as a bridge between two worlds: the ordinary (delivering milk) and the extraordinary (Ireland’s deeper cultural essence). Her “secret” nature suggests hidden wisdom or truths, not only about Ireland but also about the characters themselves.
The “morning world” might signify a new beginning, but here it feels more like a fading past—one that still shapes the present. The milk woman’s presence could symbolize the intrusion of old traditions into the modern, questioning world of Stephen and Mulligan.
If she is a messenger, what does she bring? Her aged appearance and the reference to “old shrunken paps” suggest decline, echoing Stephen’s and Mulligan’s critiques of Ireland. Yet, as a figure of nurture and continuity (delivering milk), she also represents resilience and survival.
Cuckquean
The next section of Stephen’s internal dialogue builds on Joyce’s symbolism and its relation to Ireland:
The milk woman is likened to a “wandering crone,” symbolizing Ireland as an aged and exploited figure. References to “Silk of the kine” (the mystical, beautiful cattle of Irish mythology) and “poor old woman” (an allegorical name for Ireland) connect her to Irish folklore and nationalist sentiment.
A cuckquean—a woman whose husband is unfaithful—becomes a poignant metaphor. Ireland (the milk woman) is metaphorically cuckolded by her “conqueror” (the British) and her “gay betrayer” (perhaps her own leaders or countrymen who failed her). She is doubly wronged—betrayed by both external forces and internal failings. This reflects Ireland’s colonial history under British rule and its struggles with internal divisions and political betrayals.
Thus, the milk woman, humble yet symbolically weighty, becomes a vehicle for exploring ideas of time, tradition, identity, and Ireland’s spiritual and cultural legacy. Is Ireland in irreversible decline? Or does she possess the strength to reclaim her cultural essence?
Living In A Bogswamp
We are released from the neuropaths of Stephens mind and back to the converstaion with the trio and milkwoman.
The milkwoman ask Buck to taste the milk in which he does and offers support for the good goods of the country. He insinuates that the diet of the country is poor in which they have rotten teeth and guts. Continuing the negative view on the country he describes the conditions of the times:
"Living in a bogswamp," eating cheap food and the streets paved with dust, horsedung and consumptives' spits."
Consumptives spits, meaning phlegm from the rampant tuberculosis of the times. She asks Buck if he is a medical student, which we learn he is, and we returnt to the neuropathways of Stephens mind.
While Buck confirms his chosen medical profession, Stephen obsserves the interaction and physical responsivness of the milkwoman. While wincing, Stephen observes her bowing her head, out of respect for the soon to be doctor representing the hierarchy of society, which stephen disagrees with, as she is giving Buck the attention and ignores Stephen.
"She bows her old head to a voice that speaks to her loudly, her bonesetter, her medicineman: me she slights"
This is an insight into Stephen or Joyce in his confidence of himself. He feels slighted by Buck and Ireland. There is respect for a doctor, but little worth is put into an intellectutal like himself.
"To the voice that will shrive and oil for the grave all there is of her but her woman's unclean loins"
Here, Stephen critiques the Catholic Church’s role in preparing the faithful for death (through sacraments like confession and anointing of the sick) while maintaining a judgmental attitude toward women’s bodies, viewing them as impure or sinful. The unclean loins reference reflects the Church’s historical views on women’s sexuality as sinful, shaped by religious doctrines about original sin and Eve as the “serpent’s prey.”
"To the voice that will shrive and oil for the grave all there is of her but her woman's unclean loins"
Stephen’s disdain intensifies as he contemplates humanity’s fallen nature, with women particularly positioned as “serpent’s prey” due to the biblical association of Eve and the Fall. This phrase critiques the doctrine that views human bodies as inherently sinful and flawed, especially those of women, who are often cast as temptresses.
I Thought It Was Irish
Once again, we are pulled from Stephen’s labyrinthine thoughts to the present moment. He asks the milk woman if she understands what Haines is saying. She doesn’t. Haines is speaking Irish—an ironic twist, given that he is English and not Irish. What does it mean that a British outsider speaks the ancestral language of Ireland, while an old Irish woman cannot?
"Sure we ought to, the old woman said, and I'm ashamed I don't"
This moment underscores the cultural erosion Ireland has endured under British rule. The milk woman, a symbol of the Irish people, expresses shame over her inability to speak Irish, reflecting a profound sense of loss and disconnection from her heritage. Meanwhile, Haines, a colonizer, has taken an academic interest in the language, his fluency serving as a reminder of how colonial power not only suppressed but also appropriated Irish culture.
This dynamic creates a paradox: the language that once united the Irish people is now more likely to be studied and spoken by outsiders, such as Haines, out of scholarly curiosity or exoticism, rather than by the Irish themselves.
Haines, as an Englishman, symbolizes the colonizer who has not only imposed control over Ireland politically and economically but has also appropriated its cultural symbols. His ability to speak Irish could be interpreted as a further extension of colonial power—taking ownership of a language while the native population is disconnected from it. This ironic inversion reflects the broader alienation felt by the Irish under British rule.
The milk woman’s inability to speak Irish isn’t merely a personal failing; it reflects a systemic suppression of the language. Under British rule, English dominated schools, governance, and daily life, leaving Irish to fade from common use. Her shame is poignant, a symbol of the collective guilt and helplessness of a people disconnected from their history.
Through this scene, Joyce critiques both the British for their role in suppressing Irish culture and the Irish for their inability—or unwillingness—to preserve it. The milk woman becomes a tragic figure, caught between a past she cannot reclaim and a present shaped by forces far beyond her control. Her admission of shame lingers as a quiet indictment of Ireland’s cultural struggles.
Pay Up and Look Pleasant
As the milk woman prepares to leave, it’s time to settle the bill. Who will pay? The hierarchical dynamic of the scene offers an answer.
Would it be Haines, the British elite, the usurper at the top of the colonial food chain? No.
Would it be Buck, the flamboyant medical student and self-proclaimed king of the tower? Again, no.
The burden falls on Stephen, the intellectual Irishman, who represents Joyce’s vision of Ireland’s plight: a people burdened by the weight of their colonial past and the complexities of their present.
This exchange subtly critiques the state of Ireland. Haines, the symbolic colonizer, takes from Ireland but bears no responsibility. Buck, irreverent and careless, mocks and indulges without contributing. Stephen, burdened by history and intellect, shoulders the cost, reflecting the unfair dynamics of cultural and economic exploitation.
As the milk woman departs, Buck serenades her:
"Heart of my heart, were it more,
More would be laid at your feet."
This chant, though mocking, is not without deeper significance. It parodies the romantic language often found in Irish poetry and song, where Ireland is personified as a beloved woman. In this context, the milk woman symbolizes a diminished Ireland—aged, exploited, and yet still nurturing. Buck’s exaggerated adoration underscores the tension between the idealized vision of Ireland and the stark reality of its decay.
At the same time, the chant carries a begrudging undertone of recognition. While Buck’s irreverent humor dominates, the act of serenading the milk woman suggests a reluctant acknowledgment of her symbolic weight. She leaves the tower as both a literal and figurative figure of Ireland—carrying with her the legacy of a nation that continues to give, even as it is taken for granted.
This brief but loaded interaction encapsulates Joyce’s critique of Ireland’s colonial and cultural struggles. The milk woman’s inability to speak Irish, her burden of shame, and her role as a caretaker all reflect a nation at odds with itself. Haines’s fluency in Irish highlights the appropriation of what has been lost, while Stephen’s payment and Buck’s mocking chant emphasize Ireland’s complex relationship with its own identity.
Through the milk woman’s humble exit, Joyce leaves us with an image of Ireland’s duality: nurturing yet diminished, revered yet overlooked, burdened by its history but still moving forward.
References:
Gifford, Don, and Robert J Seidman. Ulysses Annotated. Univ. California P., 1992
“The Joyce Project : Ulysses : Telemachus:. M.Joyceproject.Com, http://m.joyceproject.com/chatpers/telem.html.
