Ulysses · Chapter
II explained
Stephen Dedalus teaches a history lesson at Mr.
What happens
Stephen Dedalus teaches a history lesson at Mr. Deasy's school, grappling with his own thoughts on history, memory, and identity. After the lesson, Mr. Deasy pays him and gives him a letter to publish, while making anti-Semitic remarks about Ireland never persecuting Jews because they were never let in.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the protagonist’s psychological breaking point: his…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- History and Memory
Stephen reflects on history as a 'nightmare from which I am trying to awake,' and the lesson explores the weight of historical events and personal memory.
- Identity and Selfhood
Stephen sees his own childhood in the struggling student Sargent, and grapples with his role as a teacher and his own sense of self.
- Fatherhood and Filial Relations
Stephen's thoughts about his own mother and his distant relationship with his past evoke themes of parental care and filial bonds.
Characters to notice
- Stephen Dedalus
Teaches a history class, reflects on his own childhood and the nature of history, and receives payment from Mr. Deasy.
- Mr Deasy
The headmaster who pays Stephen, gives him a letter to publish, and makes anti-Semitic remarks.
- Sargent
A slow student who struggles with his sums, evoking Stephen's pity and memories of his own childhood.
- Armstrong
A student who gives a foolish answer about Pyrrhus, causing laughter in the class.
- Comyn
A student who eagerly asks to answer questions and requests a ghost story.
- Talbot
A student who recites lines from Milton's 'Lycidas' during the lesson.
Key passages
“History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
Stephen declares that history is a oppressive dream he struggles to escape.
This line captures Stephen's view of history as a burdensome, inescapable force.
“Because she never let them in, Mr Deasy said solemnly.”
Mr. Deasy claims Ireland never persecuted Jews because they were never allowed to enter the country.
This anti-Semitic remark reveals Mr. Deasy's narrow-mindedness and the prejudices of the time.
“Amor matris: subjective and objective genitive.”
Mother's love: both the love a mother feels and the love felt for a mother.
Stephen reflects on the dual meaning of maternal love, linking it to his own childhood and the student Sargent.
