Ulysses Annotated - Hats Part the first.

There are approximately five hundred drafts of my annotations of 'Ulysses' written in black and blue biro, written in 1994 and on subsequent readings. On the back page of the thumbed copy (Penguin 1992), there is also a list of all references to hats. There are many more hats mentioned in the book than just Boylan's.

There is also a doodled image of a small child, with, 'A going away that returns' scrawled beneath in silver pen. Something I must have drawn in a moment of awe of wonder, of which I had many.

-Your hat is a little crushed, Mr Bloom said, pointing.
John Henry Menton stared at him for an instant without moving.
(page 146)

Here, the hat is a symbol of male authority. Oh, look at how John responds - got a 'dinge' in the side of his hat. Caused by a carriage. Men phrase their words on the basis of authority and for Bloom to comment on the appearance of a hat is as subtle and crushing as the hat itself.

Martin Cunningham looks at the dinge and points it out as well. Whereupon John smooths the hat 'bulged out the dinge' and then 'claps' the hat back onto his head. For Bloom, this is a reminder of all those who wear hats - the hint of Molly's former lovers and Boylan. The physical bulge is also an obvious reminder of her infidelity. Bloom is literally pulled back, walking 'chapfallen' behind both Martin and John. If he were 'crestfallen' we could be reminded of the coxcomb, but the chapfallen even snatches away that masculinity from Bloom. Poor Poldy, he draws back from the men as Martin is, 'laying down the law' - perhaps a law from which Leopold will never escape.

The men are back in their rightful places with the, 'How grand we are this morning' a nasty chip on Leopold's shoulder.