Corley's Aspirations and Gumley's Dreams in "Eumaeus"

Abstract

Aspirations and Gumley's Dreams in 'Eumaeus' examines the narrative function and semiotic implications of John Corley's presence in Ulysses. Synthesizing a wide survey of criticism on Eumaeus, the essay grounds its analysis in Corley's location in Dublin and in his Homeric parallel with Melanthius, the goatherd disloyal to Odysseus. As he enters the novel situated between Dublin's red-light district and the cabman's shelter, Corley's raison d'etre becomes illuminated by several major themes in the episode established by previous criticism: deceptive signification, alienated labor, empty monetary value, and homoeroticism. Through this framework, I argue that may be working as a male prostitute or at least posing as one. The Dublin Castle scandal and Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885 provide historical context for male prostitution in the era, and analysis of Joyce's story Two Gallants links to the Ascendancy in the Castle and highlights the significance of his name. The essay uses Michael Riffaterre's theories of literary production to cast Corley as an emblematic name that assists in generating the plot of the episode, and analysis of linguistic and metaphorical aspects of Corley's name further inform his role in the novel. Understanding Corley's aspirations in this light also elucidates Gumley's narrative function and the bond between Bloom and Stephen.