011.0 - I’m the Übermensch

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

"Buck Mulligan sat down" - to - "Usurper."

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Redheaded Women Buck Like Goats

We begin this section with Buck Mulligan sitting on the rocks near the water, unlacing his boots and scrambling over stones, while Joyce’s prose captures the shimmering play of light on his body. Joyce’s use of the word “pate” suggests that the water is glistening on Buck’s bald or closely shaven head, with a “garland” of grey hair around it. This description gives the impression of a monk-like appearance, as he stands there in his sagging black underpants, water spilling from the fabric.

Buck, ever the blasphemer, doesn’t pause his mockery. Even while in the water, he makes the sign of the cross with his thumbnail on his forehead and chest while looking at Stephen and Haines, treating the gesture with his usual irreverence.

At this point, Buck runs into a “young man”—someone he may know casually. They chat about Seymour, an acquaintance who has quit medicine to join the army. Then comes an intriguing mention of a “red Carlisle girl” seen “spooning” with Seymour on the pier the night before.

This moment feels significant. Could this “red Carlisle girl” be the same “photo girl” mentioned earlier, whom Bannon described in his postcard? The young man adds that her father is “rotten with money”, which could imply that Seymour’s interest in her isn’t entirely romantic but possibly motivated by financial gain. And then there’s the offhand remark: “Is she up the pole?”—Buck’s crude way of asking if she’s pregnant.

Joyce subtly weaves in details that will resonate later. Should we keep an eye on this red-haired girl? I’d say yes.

“I’m the Übermensch”

Here we go, Buck is exhaustingly not letting up on his religious playful mocking. He randomly grabs his size pretending to be alarmed that his twelfth rib is missing. This could be a reference to Adam’s missing rib, tying into religious and creation myths. If Adam lost a rib to create Eve, maybe Mulligan is joking about being a new, independent creation. Which would warp into is second statement; "I'm the Übermensch". Buck is referencing Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea of the “superman”—an evolved being who creates his own values beyond religion and morality.

He then links himself with Stephen (“Toothless Kinch and I, the supermen.”), mockingly grouping them together as superior beings—though this is ironic because Stephen is not physically or mentally thriving.

Mulligan dramatically throws off his shirt and gets ready to jump into the water, reinforcing his carefree, physical, and life-loving persona. The young man (likely the same one from earlier) dives smoothly into the water, while Mulligan jokes about “making room in the bed,” comparing the sea to a shared sleeping space. Haines, in contrast, sits quietly on a rock smoking, staying separate from their lively antics. This shows his more reserved, outsider status—he watches rather than participates.

Give us that key, Kinch

Meanwhile, Stephen prepares to leave, making it clear he’s not lingering any longer than necessary. Before he goes, Mulligan demands the key to the tower, casually asserting control over their shared space. Stephen hands it over without protest, further emphasizing his passivity in contrast to Mulligan’s dominance. Stephen is still weak.

Then, as if asking for tribute, Mulligan requests two pennies “for a pint”—a small but telling moment that highlights both his confidence in extracting money from Stephen and Stephen’s resigned acceptance.

Standing tall, Mulligan delivers another of his theatrical pronouncements, blending religious parody with a Nietzschean reference:

“He who stealeth from the poor lendeth to the Lord. Thus spake Zarathustra.”

By invoking Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Mulligan once again positions himself as a parody of the Übermensch, treating both money and faith with irony.

This brief exchange reinforces the power dynamic between Stephen and Mulligan, setting the stage for Stephen’s departure and his deeper reflections on exile and independence.

The Call Of The Sea

As Stephen leaves, Buck Mulligan plunges into the water, fully embracing the physical, carefree world that Stephen remains detached from. Haines, still the detached observer, declines to swim, saying he won’t go in on his breakfast.

Mulligan reminds Stephen about meeting at The Ship pub at half twelve, and Stephen agrees before walking away.

As he moves up the path, Stephen begins chanting a Latin prayer, Liliata rutilantium—a line from the Office of the Dead. This moment reinforces his connection to death, ritual, and the lingering presence of his mother, whose death haunts him.

Then comes a moment of self-awareness:

“I will not sleep here tonight. Home also I cannot go.”

Stephen acknowledges that he belongs nowhere—he cannot return home, but he also does not see the Martello Tower as his place anymore. This solidifies his self-imposed exile from both family and friends.

Finally, as he rounds a curve, he hears a voice calling to him from the sea. When he turns and waves, a head emerges from the water—“a sleek brown head, a seal’s, far out on the water.”

What Does This Mean?

• The seal-like head could represent Buck Mulligan, still playing in the water, carefree and immersed in the physical world Stephen is leaving behind.

• Or, it could suggest something more mythical or symbolic, like the call of the sea or fate pulling at Stephen.

• His recitation of the prayer and his statement about having no place to go highlight his growing sense of exile and detachment.

With this, Stephen walks away, marking the end of “Telemachus” and his departure from the world of Mulligan and Haines.

References:

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Oxford UP, 1998.

Higgins, Kathleen M., and Robert C. Solomon. The Will to Power: The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The Teaching Company, 2001.

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.