Difference between revisions of "Magic lyer"
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==Commentary== | ==Commentary== | ||
Charles Wheatstone's acoucryptophone appeared to play itself by picking up vibrations from a piano being played in another room; is Joyce suggesting that Miry Mitchel and Fiery Farrelly are similarly linked, the former only pretending to play the Jew's-harp while the latter is the real source of the music? | Charles Wheatstone's acoucryptophone appeared to play itself by picking up vibrations from a piano being played in another room; is Joyce suggesting that Miry Mitchel and Fiery Farrelly are similarly linked, the former only pretending to play the Jew's-harp while the latter is the real source of the music? | ||
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| + | Another potential meaning stems from Guinness beer, which prominently displays a harp on its insignia. Symbolic of the life blood of the Universe or the blood of Finnegan, Guinness is a recurring motif throughout the Wake. The tripartite reference to a harp suggests what Joyce goes on to state bluntly: "they will be pretumbling forover." They will be consuming the life blood beer forever in anticipation of the fall. | ||
Revision as of 10:20, 17 July 2011
- lyre: a musical instrument; Wheatstone's acoucrytophone resembled a lyre
- liar → Wheatstone's acoucryptophone only appeared to play itself → see Fake! and pretendant for other instances of deception in this section
- lier: one who lies down (like HCE in bed)
- magic eye: a miniature cathode-ray tube used as a tuning indicator on a radio receiver (Dbln. W. K. O. O.), or to indicate the correct adjustment of other electrical equipment
Commentary
Charles Wheatstone's acoucryptophone appeared to play itself by picking up vibrations from a piano being played in another room; is Joyce suggesting that Miry Mitchel and Fiery Farrelly are similarly linked, the former only pretending to play the Jew's-harp while the latter is the real source of the music?
Another potential meaning stems from Guinness beer, which prominently displays a harp on its insignia. Symbolic of the life blood of the Universe or the blood of Finnegan, Guinness is a recurring motif throughout the Wake. The tripartite reference to a harp suggests what Joyce goes on to state bluntly: "they will be pretumbling forover." They will be consuming the life blood beer forever in anticipation of the fall.
