I
consider
familiarity 10 be m.
McHugh-Roland-1976-The-Sigla-of-Finnegans-Wake
.
.
en" of 'Fi~l1(Ka~, W ak.
',' A Gaeh'c1~ri<""f",'Fi_aIU Wak.
','and A uxium of t~ G.
n=~ in 'H""'ZaIU Wako'.
"
Unfortunately, much puhlished exegesi. exhihita I dcpresoing indifference to context and continuity, which ","ults r""" the di,- proportiona. e acquaintance with the text po! lsessed by most exc- S"[. . . . Chap<<" I. . and 1,8, for example, are more familiar to mn"
"f u' than, . oy, the book II ehap[~u. T he cohesion <>f parts will be appreciated only whtn 'he reader has formulated canonl for diltil\3ui. hing them. I pn>p(>Se here to try to a? ? i,t him.
Ideally, we ,hould try to remain conscious of the dual function of e""ry word. Tltero i? ? linear function, a contribution to the 'ynIlCtic romplex in which the word "and,. We must be able tn account ro, the position nf any unit in FW . . ? tramifion hetwttn the uniu on either . ide of it. Secondly there i, a If'temic function, a contribution to the tone of the . ecti(>l), Very common word. are chiefly linear ill function; Ilames . uch a. the thounnd or . . , """'" m. nrioned in 1. 8 ar. chiefly if'. entic, in thi. case enhancing . h. wat~ry quality of tJut chapt(r. But . ""r)" word muSt bt allowed
i'~ e<>ntribution to texture. Jm' . . the eighteen chapteTS of UIy. . ts
' "1 Ad. ti"" GIHh<en << 9,6 ; oe<<>n<t edition, A S. . ",. J C. . ,. . " <I 'Fi. . . . . "'" W. . . . \ E. . nstOO, North_nun U. . . . . . i<)" Pr<M >96J~
'By ,. S. Arl><rt<>n (Londoo, Fab<r ond F. b<< >9'9)?
'ByM. . <t><wj,G,~"" . r. <! M. b<<P, Woo'h"'"""(NewV_,0:>1. . . . . . . ,. . U. . . . nity I'rno ! 959),
""bl~h<<I b y d > < T > < J - < m < " ' o f U << , . " " " U " ~ "Y o f R o K < ,
'Cu''''"'t.
'(Min""p>I". Uni""";<)" of M innft,)" Pt<>. r;>6) .
? By Doo. mi> BImi. ('J. ri" . . ni (I;:""""", S",h. . ,,<=> Uni"",,,. . Pr<M '1J6, ). ? By Bt<nd>n 0 H""~ (Ikri<d<r and l. oo A". . t<o. U. . . <ni<)" of Calif"",,", I'TU$
r;>61)?
,oB. Helmu, _ i m (Il<"'<I<y . "<l l. oo An",,,,", Uruve" "Y"",OtUforn;,, P " " ,
r;>61) .
? POO""' lr>divid. . . . . l . tyla, mood. and ItmO&pllercs, 00 each of ~ . . . ven<<<n FW chapten hQ ? private . . . . . . . II was ""'1' . . . . . . , (Dr Jora to t. . nsfer any panly-oompowd material r. . . . . . ont d>ipter to anocher. The only instana: of lOlly lmalh . . . hid> I can &:ivc: it m e p a . . . no p h 1 l ) . H - : l 2 4 - 0 7 , w h i c h i f r f l l i ne:d i n i l S o r i g U W p i a << would have Kpo. l'1ted )69-oS and 06. "
"J1>c: reader who has noo: rcc:ogniud chap,. . unification may u sume that, ,;nee a! most any pauise ind. . . d. . d>e main th=ea orob. . ,,,lon. of FW, I>e need only pick one: at random and admit e",,'1' aJJUlIQl'l ill word. can be a>nloncd 10 produce. "J1>c: Ulual COfIK(l. . . mcc It tcmp<>nry Iioocination folLowed by lou of me faculty for d"win& lines oradutlon, Iud". ,. '" conc:cprual ""er? load, P')'I:hi<: ' ' 'Ul'1tion.
I" d>? milia! . ,. . ,. than ~henlion. 10 reslrict lIIc: .
I consider familiarity 10 be m. ,. . , imPOflllll AltOOu&h in d>? I
01"".
h a " " a r o p y o f F W a l l > a n d whcne:~er . . . . i n , m itbo<:*. 1 amusilJ. &thefounhNioon (l. . . ondon, Fabcr and Faber 197~). ReferclkXSan:&:ivcninII<<Udana:. . iththco$}'$. em or(CJn- vmtiont adoptN in. ll Wa. t. Ntanli'ltr. An loc:atinna appear as fivc:-di,aiIIIl1,menQ, c. . . (0). 0. for the finl line: of le ll. Chapu:n an: COllllOl:ed by bo<:* and num""_, c. ? . 1. 1 (bool< I, chapter I). In I1. 11he righl and left m:lrain. al ROln and I"" foomotes arc ti""n
"Ilrl. ;'h. '01"",,,,,,A<J<I. MS~7. 1o,"Q,. ,7-1;. 7. ? 7. >"/,. )Q'.
"""" "-In!
II> tb< _ edi';"".
ImroductiQl'l 3
? 4 huroduc:tion
the I,me. . . R. L and F. I''''. . . . dina tht number of tht nole. I hove further adoflted Ihe prn:tio;e of Ippcnding a number 10 1. 6 referencct 10 indicat. the twelve question. into whieh {hi. chapter
~ divided: U . S for imlJlnOe refen 1O;t:s fifth quetrion. RefcrenttS to POi" of {he Buffalo r-:olebook. I re pr<<<ded by the nume. . . . 1VI and the approptil,. lcllcr. Thw VI. R I. ! ITICilru pig<: 1ofI1(I(tbooi<8. ? . In? ? mal. roes? ",r. renca'0p;tgelofmy
own boo! < an: pt<<<dcd by 'p. ' or 'pp. '.
The following abbrevialions arc used for work. f'N. qutrltly
referred ro:
AWN II W"-,,e NtWsli,u.
B~ 1. S. A. J>enoo,TiuBooJu",. IuW"-"~(London,
CG
JJ
~'''rt I C. . . . . . . . II
JI. ber and Fd. . :r 1959)
. . . . 1. icha. 1 H. Begn. . 1 and "'rilz &nn (ed? . ), II Con? up. ~"1 G. ,ith . 0 'FiN. . . . ,"'" W . . . . . ? (Univcnily Park and Lnndoo , f'cnno. ylvania Sta,e Univcnity
Prell 1974)
Richard Enmann,J". . . . . J~. (Oxford UnivenilY PretI poopcrbacl< 1966) S,uanGilben(cd. ),I. -lin,ofj"",. . joyu I(Lon- don, Fabtr and Faber '917)
Adali"" Gluh. . . . , II S<<tWId C -. . . . of 'F;"nq"'"
11". . . . . . ' (EVinston, Northwntern Univeniry Pres, 1963)
SMFW Qive Han, SlTIUl"'~ awl Mori] i" 'FillJOqaN W". \It' (London, Fiber and raber 196z)
G'
Brendan0 Hehir,IIGIU/;''. -xUcotf'"'F,''nt:t"", 11". . . . . . . (lkrk. 1ey and Los AII&"IrI. Univcnily 01
California Prn, '961)
? Chapter I m
The Structure of Fin_R"n" Wake
FW coru;'" offour books, defined by the Ihrot PM"" nfuniverSal hinory in Giambattista Vico's Prin~ipi di Scietiz~ NIWIJQ ITM New S"iena), to which i. anntxed ? transitional pha. . " Book I is the Al e of God$, tymptomized by birth and commencing with ? roll of thunder. Book II is rhe Age of Heroes and of m"maRt, boo! < I II d"'t of People, of <kmocratic institutions and of burial. Book IV, {be """"0, completc5 the cyde, the b " and first acr>-
len= of f'W being continuous.
The four books incorporate much Simple . nusion ,<> their
respective ages, but the s,ylistic differences are only partiaUy con- n=<tl with Vico. The . one of bool< I is one of reservation over the aCC\lI"tty nf iu contents. The narrators. ", IIsuaUy historian. engrossed by . narrowing Ip<:. :ulation (IVCr 'he irretrievable 1'''' event, they study. TowardS the dOli/: of the book their ocholarly tone fades: I,g is spoken by two washerwomen, but it. subject i. . . ill an unccn:ain antediluvian un,ure.
Book II i. k. . palpably ,. ,. ",,,. dand its <:011ce. "" He more sophist;C\lted and pSychologico. l thIn thost of booI< l. It edlibit$ greal solidity and self-sufficiency, and the languagt is part;rolarly complex. It is Ihe most difficult book and ccsa upon the lubstrate of boob I and II I, entangling their fabrics.
Unfortunately, much puhlished exegesi. exhihita I dcpresoing indifference to context and continuity, which ","ults r""" the di,- proportiona. e acquaintance with the text po! lsessed by most exc- S"[. . . . Chap<<" I. . and 1,8, for example, are more familiar to mn"
"f u' than, . oy, the book II ehap[~u. T he cohesion <>f parts will be appreciated only whtn 'he reader has formulated canonl for diltil\3ui. hing them. I pn>p(>Se here to try to a? ? i,t him.
Ideally, we ,hould try to remain conscious of the dual function of e""ry word. Tltero i? ? linear function, a contribution to the 'ynIlCtic romplex in which the word "and,. We must be able tn account ro, the position nf any unit in FW . . ? tramifion hetwttn the uniu on either . ide of it. Secondly there i, a If'temic function, a contribution to the tone of the . ecti(>l), Very common word. are chiefly linear ill function; Ilames . uch a. the thounnd or . . , """'" m. nrioned in 1. 8 ar. chiefly if'. entic, in thi. case enhancing . h. wat~ry quality of tJut chapt(r. But . ""r)" word muSt bt allowed
i'~ e<>ntribution to texture. Jm' . . the eighteen chapteTS of UIy. . ts
' "1 Ad. ti"" GIHh<en << 9,6 ; oe<<>n<t edition, A S. . ",. J C. . ,. . " <I 'Fi. . . . . "'" W. . . . \ E. . nstOO, North_nun U. . . . . . i<)" Pr<M >96J~
'By ,. S. Arl><rt<>n (Londoo, Fab<r ond F. b<< >9'9)?
'ByM. . <t><wj,G,~"" . r. <! M. b<<P, Woo'h"'"""(NewV_,0:>1. . . . . . . ,. . U. . . . nity I'rno ! 959),
""bl~h<<I b y d > < T > < J - < m < " ' o f U << , . " " " U " ~ "Y o f R o K < ,
'Cu''''"'t.
'(Min""p>I". Uni""";<)" of M innft,)" Pt<>. r;>6) .
? By Doo. mi> BImi. ('J. ri" . . ni (I;:""""", S",h. . ,,<=> Uni"",,,. . Pr<M '1J6, ). ? By Bt<nd>n 0 H""~ (Ikri<d<r and l. oo A". . t<o. U. . . <ni<)" of Calif"",,", I'TU$
r;>61)?
,oB. Helmu, _ i m (Il<"'<I<y . "<l l. oo An",,,,", Uruve" "Y"",OtUforn;,, P " " ,
r;>61) .
? POO""' lr>divid. . . . . l . tyla, mood. and ItmO&pllercs, 00 each of ~ . . . ven<<<n FW chapten hQ ? private . . . . . . . II was ""'1' . . . . . . , (Dr Jora to t. . nsfer any panly-oompowd material r. . . . . . ont d>ipter to anocher. The only instana: of lOlly lmalh . . . hid> I can &:ivc: it m e p a . . . no p h 1 l ) . H - : l 2 4 - 0 7 , w h i c h i f r f l l i ne:d i n i l S o r i g U W p i a << would have Kpo. l'1ted )69-oS and 06. "
"J1>c: reader who has noo: rcc:ogniud chap,. . unification may u sume that, ,;nee a! most any pauise ind. . . d. . d>e main th=ea orob. . ,,,lon. of FW, I>e need only pick one: at random and admit e",,'1' aJJUlIQl'l ill word. can be a>nloncd 10 produce. "J1>c: Ulual COfIK(l. . . mcc It tcmp<>nry Iioocination folLowed by lou of me faculty for d"win& lines oradutlon, Iud". ,. '" conc:cprual ""er? load, P')'I:hi<: ' ' 'Ul'1tion.
I" d>? milia! . ,. . ,. than ~henlion. 10 reslrict lIIc: .
I consider familiarity 10 be m. ,. . , imPOflllll AltOOu&h in d>? I
01"".
h a " " a r o p y o f F W a l l > a n d whcne:~er . . . . i n , m itbo<:*. 1 amusilJ. &thefounhNioon (l. . . ondon, Fabcr and Faber 197~). ReferclkXSan:&:ivcninII<<Udana:. . iththco$}'$. em or(CJn- vmtiont adoptN in. ll Wa. t. Ntanli'ltr. An loc:atinna appear as fivc:-di,aiIIIl1,menQ, c. . . (0). 0. for the finl line: of le ll. Chapu:n an: COllllOl:ed by bo<:* and num""_, c. ? . 1. 1 (bool< I, chapter I). In I1. 11he righl and left m:lrain. al ROln and I"" foomotes arc ti""n
"Ilrl. ;'h. '01"",,,,,,A<J<I. MS~7. 1o,"Q,. ,7-1;. 7. ? 7. >"/,. )Q'.
"""" "-In!
II> tb< _ edi';"".
ImroductiQl'l 3
? 4 huroduc:tion
the I,me. . . R. L and F. I''''. . . . dina tht number of tht nole. I hove further adoflted Ihe prn:tio;e of Ippcnding a number 10 1. 6 referencct 10 indicat. the twelve question. into whieh {hi. chapter
~ divided: U . S for imlJlnOe refen 1O;t:s fifth quetrion. RefcrenttS to POi" of {he Buffalo r-:olebook. I re pr<<<ded by the nume. . . . 1VI and the approptil,. lcllcr. Thw VI. R I. ! ITICilru pig<: 1ofI1(I(tbooi<8. ? . In? ? mal. roes? ",r. renca'0p;tgelofmy
own boo! < an: pt<<<dcd by 'p. ' or 'pp. '.
The following abbrevialions arc used for work. f'N. qutrltly
referred ro:
AWN II W"-,,e NtWsli,u.
B~ 1. S. A. J>enoo,TiuBooJu",. IuW"-"~(London,
CG
JJ
~'''rt I C. . . . . . . . II
JI. ber and Fd. . :r 1959)
. . . . 1. icha. 1 H. Begn. . 1 and "'rilz &nn (ed? . ), II Con? up. ~"1 G. ,ith . 0 'FiN. . . . ,"'" W . . . . . ? (Univcnily Park and Lnndoo , f'cnno. ylvania Sta,e Univcnity
Prell 1974)
Richard Enmann,J". . . . . J~. (Oxford UnivenilY PretI poopcrbacl< 1966) S,uanGilben(cd. ),I. -lin,ofj"",. . joyu I(Lon- don, Fabtr and Faber '917)
Adali"" Gluh. . . . , II S<<tWId C -. . . . of 'F;"nq"'"
11". . . . . . ' (EVinston, Northwntern Univeniry Pres, 1963)
SMFW Qive Han, SlTIUl"'~ awl Mori] i" 'FillJOqaN W". \It' (London, Fiber and raber 196z)
G'
Brendan0 Hehir,IIGIU/;''. -xUcotf'"'F,''nt:t"", 11". . . . . . . (lkrk. 1ey and Los AII&"IrI. Univcnily 01
California Prn, '961)
? Chapter I m
The Structure of Fin_R"n" Wake
FW coru;'" offour books, defined by the Ihrot PM"" nfuniverSal hinory in Giambattista Vico's Prin~ipi di Scietiz~ NIWIJQ ITM New S"iena), to which i. anntxed ? transitional pha. . " Book I is the Al e of God$, tymptomized by birth and commencing with ? roll of thunder. Book II is rhe Age of Heroes and of m"maRt, boo! < I II d"'t of People, of <kmocratic institutions and of burial. Book IV, {be """"0, completc5 the cyde, the b " and first acr>-
len= of f'W being continuous.
The four books incorporate much Simple . nusion ,<> their
respective ages, but the s,ylistic differences are only partiaUy con- n=<tl with Vico. The . one of bool< I is one of reservation over the aCC\lI"tty nf iu contents. The narrators. ", IIsuaUy historian. engrossed by . narrowing Ip<:. :ulation (IVCr 'he irretrievable 1'''' event, they study. TowardS the dOli/: of the book their ocholarly tone fades: I,g is spoken by two washerwomen, but it. subject i. . . ill an unccn:ain antediluvian un,ure.
Book II i. k. . palpably ,. ,. ",,,. dand its <:011ce. "" He more sophist;C\lted and pSychologico. l thIn thost of booI< l. It edlibit$ greal solidity and self-sufficiency, and the languagt is part;rolarly complex. It is Ihe most difficult book and ccsa upon the lubstrate of boob I and II I, entangling their fabrics.
