008.0 - The Martello Tower

We are using the original 1922 First Printing by Shakespeare & Co. - section attached

"Stephen, taking his ashplant" - to - "But ours is the omphalos"

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The Key

As the trio exits the tower they seem to be staying in, Stephen picks up his ashplant. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, as we were, it simply refers to a walking stick. But why does Stephen carry it? Is it out of necessity—perhaps an unseen ailment—or is it merely a part of his persona? As they descend the ladder and lock the iron door behind them, Stephen tucks the “huge key” into his pocket. Almost immediately, Buck asking if he remembered to bring it.

Keys, as we mentioned in our earlier posts, hold symbolic weight. They grant access, close off spaces, and can even represent power. What might this particular key signify in this moment? Is it a mundane object or something more symbolic within Joyce’s intricate narrative?

Do You Pay Rent?

Haines, the third member of the group, breaks in with a question: Do Stephen and Buck pay rent for the tower? This confirms our assumption—they are indeed staying there, not as owners but as renters. Interestingly, they’re paying rent to the Secretary of State for War. Why would they owe rent to such an official? This curious detail adds to the mystery of the tower’s history and significance.

Haines also remarks on the tower’s bleakness in winter, which gives us another clue: the season is winter. Piece by piece, the setting becomes clearer. And then Haines drops the name: “Martello, you call it?” The tower is a Martello tower, and we learn that it was constructed during the time of “Billy Pitt”—a reference to William Pitt the Younger. Buck adds his own flourish, calling the tower the “omphalos,” meaning “navel” in Greek, a word that suggests it’s a central or symbolic point.

Unpacking the Tower

This brief passage is bursting with historical and symbolic layers, so we’re breaking it down into three key topics for future exploration:

1. Martello Towers: What were they, and why were they built?

2. Billy Pitt and the French Threat: The historical context of their construction.

3. The Omphalos: Why does Buck refer to this specific tower as the “navel”?

Though short, this section has given us vital information about the setting and its context. Joyce’s cryptic style interweaves history, symbolism, and character dynamics, and we’re just beginning to untangle it. Let’s pause here and dive deeper into these subtopics next time.

References:

Gifford, Don, and Robert J Seidman. Ulysses Annotated. Univ. California P., 1992