Ulysses · Chapter
Penelope explained
Molly Bloom's soliloquy as she lies in bed, reflecting on her day, her marriage to Leopold Bloom, her affair with Blazes Boylan, memories of Gibraltar, and her thoughts on men, women, and life.
What happens
Molly Bloom's soliloquy as she lies in bed, reflecting on her day, her marriage to Leopold Bloom, her affair with Blazes Boylan, memories of Gibraltar, and her thoughts on men, women, and life. She considers the possibility of Stephen Dedalus staying with them and ends with an affirmative memory of Bloom's proposal.
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 Resolution.
- 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
- The Body and Sensuality
Molly's frank thoughts on sex, desire, and physical intimacy.
- Memory and History
Molly's recollections of Gibraltar, her youth, and past relationships.
- Alienation and Belonging
Molly's sense of isolation and her longing for connection and understanding.
Characters to notice
- Molly Bloom
Protagonist of the episode; her uninterrupted stream of consciousness.
- Leopold Bloom
Molly's husband; she reflects on his habits, their marriage, and his request for breakfast in bed.
- Stephen Dedalus
Young man Bloom brought home; Molly considers him staying and imagines teaching him Spanish.
- Blazes Boylan
Molly's lover; she recalls his visit and the letter he sent.
- Mrs Breen
Mentioned as Josie Powell; Molly recalls her and other acquaintances.
- Gerty MacDowell
Molly thinks of her as a young woman on the beach.
Key passages
“I suppose he was as shy as a boy he being so young hardly 20 of me in the next room”
Molly thinks Stephen Dedalus was shy because he is young, only about 20, while she was in the next room.
Molly reflects on Stephen's youth and shyness.
“Mulveys was the first when I was in bed that morning and Mrs Rubio brought it in with the coffee”
Molly recalls her first love letter from Mulvey, delivered by Mrs Rubio with her morning coffee.
Memory of her first romantic correspondence.
“he was the first man kissed me under the Moorish wall my sweetheart when a boy”
Mulvey was the first to kiss her, beneath the Moorish wall in Gibraltar.
Molly's first kiss and its setting.
“O thanks be to the great God I got somebody to give me what I badly wanted to put some heart up into me”
Molly is grateful for the sexual satisfaction she received, which lifted her spirits.
Molly's relief and pleasure after Boylan's visit.
“and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower”
Molly remembers accepting Bloom's marriage proposal, thinking one man is as good as another, and saying yes.
Climactic memory of Bloom's proposal and her acceptance.
