Penelope : Who is returning to whom?
The standard narrative of Ulysses has Bloom finally return home to Molly. He returns to Ithaca having reunited with Stephen, slayed the suitors and reclaimed his domain. The hero’s journey as it is often called mirrors the Odyssey’s Telemachia(d), Odyssey and Nostos. The titles Joyce uses in the various schemas for each episode suggest an equivalence to this approach.
As with most things Joyce, all is not what it appears at first glance. Upon closer inspection there are two Odyssean figures each on their own journey of return, Bloom a physical return and Molly a devotional one. So who is the real Odysseus?
I would suggest both.
Let’s investigate the evidence. Bloom is on a peripatetic journey around Dublin on June 16th 1904. Throughout his voyage he has to overcome the various opponents determined to halt his progress. Despite their best efforts Bloom vanquishes each in turn from Calypso through to Circe.
However, despite his variety of locations and confrontations his mind is focussed on only one thing, Molly. Indeed, he unsuccessfully spends all of episode 5 “Lotus Eaters” trying not to think of her. Yet throughout the day the reader is reminded of Bloom’s devotion to his wife from thoughts of happier times, cosmetic lotions to book and lingerie purchases. The bar of Lemon’s soap is an analogy of her ever presence.
Bloom is the one who bends but does break to temptation. In fact he fights off his own suitors from the maid next door, Martha, Gerty McDowell, Zoey and ultimately Bella Cowen. His methods of remaining loyal to Molly may be unorthodox and skate the margins of propriety but nevertheless he does remain devoted in mind at least to his wife.
Molly on the other hand remains at 7 Eccles Steet. Whilst physically in one place her mind is wandering all day. She is physically and emotionally unfaithful to her husband and we are only introduced to her thoughts of the day in the final episode, “Penelope”.
Molly’s devotion to Bloom is facing its own challenges. The death of Rudy and the subsequent schism in the marriage and lack of intimacy has Molly at odds with her own desires. For a large portion of the book Molly is with Boylan. She is enjoying the physical intimacy and validation that Boylan provides but yearns ultimately to be somewhere else emotionally.
The parallels with Odysseus stranded on Ogygia with the nymph Calypso are evident to the eagle-eyed reader. Odysseus spent 7 out of the 10 years trapped in what, one could argue, was not an entirely adversarial situation. Homer’s protagonist yearns for home and Penelope despite the sexual attentions of the beautiful Calypso. Odysseus is yearning to be somewhere else physically.
Molly’s named suitors are, I would contend, those characters to whom Molly was the object of their desire, not potential other infidelities of hers. We are constantly reminded of Molly’s sexual allure either by reference to her physical attributes or to the intangible essence she appears to exude. She could clearly have her pick if she so desired with John Henry Menton being the most obvious example of a spurned paramour.
In the end, after many mental deliberations on Bloom, his physical attributes, his idiosyncrasies and how he treats his fellow humans and animals. Molly emotionally returns to Bloom with the famous “yes I said yes I will Yes” conclusion to the book. This is Molly’s Odyssean return having faced her own unique hero’s journey.
Ulysses the novel is subjective and open to many interpretations. These are just my personal observations as I have read and reread Ulysses over the years. This resource is designed purely to help the reader understand some of the subplots that may go unnoticed.
© Aidan O’Leary - Ulysses Companion 2026
