The last page of Circe is dominated by two figures, Stephen Dedalus and the apparition of Rudy Bloom, Leopold Bloom's dead first-born son (Bloom himself seems to function as a kind of observer, ruminating on Stephen's inchoate murmurings and passively watching as Rudy passes him by: he only calls to his son inaudibly). Stephen and Rudy seem to be connected in an odd way; while Stephen is unconscious, Rudy appears, seemingly ex nihilo. The narrative, at this point, has become saturated with references to death: Stephen's swoon, brought on by a violent blow, is a state that can perhaps be characterized as deathlike; the words Stephen murmurs while unconscious are from "Who Goes with Fergus,î"the song he sang at his mother's deathbed; and, of course, the apparition Bloom sees is his dead son. In this atmosphere, Rudy's appearance takes on the character of a resurrection; and not only of a resurrection, but a kind of transference, which at least indicates the possibility that Stephen will become a kind of son for Bloom, the figurative Second Coming of Rudy.

That Rudy's appearance is a kind of Resurrection is indicated most strongly by his literal rise from the dead (literal, at least, within the mind of Bloom); but it is also concretized through the "white lambkin" Rudy carries in his pocket, which evokes a cluster of biblical passages. The lambkin acts, first of all, to mark Rudy; it is reminiscent of the lamb's blood that the captive Israelites smeared on their doorposts during the final plague, so that the angel of death would pass over their houses killing only first-born Egyptians. Ironically, Rudy, the first-born son, is marked not for life but for death. He thus becomes a kind of Christ-figure , the Paschal lamb, the sacrifice who died for the sins of others. It is significant that Bloom experiences his vision of Rudy after his own sins have been called forth by a host of phantom accusers. Rudy becomes a kind of vessel not only of Bloom's longing but also of his guilt, particularly the oft-repeated suspicion that he is somehow to blame for Rudy's death.

In Stephen, Bloom seems to see a chance for redemption. It seems clear that Bloom feels a kind of paternal affection for Stephen (or, perhaps on should say a somewhat maternal affection, given his recently articulated desire for motherhood) : He ministers to Stephen while he is unconscious, expresses a parental hope that Stephen has found a nice girl for himself (after mishearing the word "Fergus" from Stephen's song as "Ferguson," the surname of a presumed lady friend), and will ultimately offer Stephen a place in his home. The possibility that Stephen will become a metaphorical son to Bloom is made even more explicit by the numerous symbolic parallels between Stephen and Rudy that manifest themselves at this particular point in the text (the final page of Circe, lines 4935-4967).

The first parallel arises out of Rudy's clothing. Slightly dandyish and effeminate, it is appropriate both for a Jew and for the figure of the Artist that Stephen represents: he has "a delicate mauve face," wears a suit with diamond and ruby buttons, and carries "a slim ivory cane with a violet bowknotî(Joyce 15: 4965-6);though it should be said that, given Stephen's poverty and hygienic peculiarities, Rudy's appearance is perhaps more reminiscent of someone like Wilde. Rudy is also described as wearing an Eton suit, the kind that Stephen wore in Portrait of the Artist. Like Stephen's entry into the chapter, Rudy's exit out of it is characterized as a kind of religious processional; he holds a copy of the Torah, periodically kissing its pages (it should also be noted that Rudy's literal resurrection is followed by Stephen's metaphorical resurrection in the next chapter, as he arises from his swoon). This act of kissing, in addition to its ritualistic function, connects Rudy to Stephen in another way. "Kissing the book" is a euphemism for drinking alcohol; it figures prominently in The Tempest, where it is uttered by the drunken Stephano: "Come, swear to that, kiss the book: I will furnish/it anon with new contents.î" Stephen is, of course--like his Shakespearean namesake--drunk throughout this episode; and Rudy, as if in a stupor himself, looks, unseeing, right through his father.

It seems safe to say that these parallels at least establish the possibility of a filial/paternal relationship between Stephen and Bloom; but the text seems to hedge its bets, indicating that this possibility may never be actualized (or actualized fully). Rudy's appearance is preceded by a slight disturbance: a dog barking in the street. This may be a reference to Stephen's earlier desacralization of Aquinas, his claim that God is "a shout in the streetî"(U 2: 386). In keeping with the sinister character of Circe, God here becomes dog, a further desacralization. The God through whom Christ's resurrection is possible is here reduced to a yelping, random noise, perhaps signifying that Bloom's mystical vision, the resurrection of Rudy through Stephen, is too much to hope for. Stephen's later rejection of Bloomís housing offer seems to validate this interpretation. Yet still, some kind of relationship is forged between them, indicating that some kind of partial, mitigated resurrection might in fact be possible, achieved by human, rather than divine, agency.

Joyce, James. Ulysses. Vintage Books: New York, 1986, 15: 4967.

"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I will see the blood, I will pass over you." The Holy Bible: Authorized King James Version. Oxford University Press: London, 1933, Exodus 12:13.

Rudy's figuration as a kind of Christ, interestingly, is prefigured in a statement Bloom made in The Cyclops: "The Saviour was a jew and his father was a jew" What seemed to be a theological error on Bloom's part becomes, in retrospect, almost prophetic. U 12: 1805.

"O, I so want to be a mother."U 15: 1817.

"The deep low collar and Eton jacket made him feel queer and oldish." Joyce, James. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Viking Press: New York, 1964, 30.

Stephen enters Nighttown chanting "with joy the introit for paschal time,î"clearly connecting him to the Christ-like Rudy. U 15: 73-4.

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Oxford University Press: New York, 1987, 2.2, 136-37.