Difference between revisions of "The last word"
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the end of all resistance") | the end of all resistance") | ||
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| + | the = tea = tay. Joyce believed that all fairy tale should begin "once upon a time" and end with everyone sitting down to a nice cup of tea. He managed to begin Portrait with the perfect beginning and end the Wake with the perfect end. | ||
Revision as of 19:21, 29 August 2008
Theos, Greek: God (It follows the word Diu which suggests L. Dieu: God) [I don't quite understand the annotation in brackets; what's meant by "follows"? can anyone explain?]
In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God [και θεος ην ο λογος]. (john 1:1) [as in the beginning so in the end]
F thé = tea; the river Liffey, being tea coloured (something joyce keeps stressing); joined with the article it's "le thé" or "Lethe", the underground river of oblivion in hades (greek mythology).
(and: "le" and "the", both being articles, bear as little significance as possible, and so are "unsubstantial" and virtually invisible - as the hidden meanings in the wake's night-language. cf. Joyce on Ulysses' "yes": "least forceful word [...] barely pronounced, which denotes
acquiescence,
self-abandon,
relaxation,
the end of all resistance")
the = tea = tay. Joyce believed that all fairy tale should begin "once upon a time" and end with everyone sitting down to a nice cup of tea. He managed to begin Portrait with the perfect beginning and end the Wake with the perfect end.
