Ulysses

Ulysses

by

James Joyce

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Mina Purefoy Character Analysis

Mrs. Purefoy, Leopold and Molly Bloom’s family friend, is giving birth (for the twelfth time) during the events of Ulysses. In “Oxen of the Sun,” Bloom goes to the hospital to check on her, because she has been in labor for three days and is reported to be in significant pain. However, Bloom gets distracted and ends up drinking with Stephen Dedalus and his medical student friends instead, while Mrs. Purefoy gives birth upstairs. This birth sets the stage for the novel’s scientific, religious, and philosophical exploration of fundamental questions about creation, parenthood, and identity. In this vein, Mrs. Purefoy briefly appears in the role of the Virgin Mary during “Circe.”

Mina Purefoy Quotes in Ulysses

The Ulysses quotes below are all either spoken by Mina Purefoy or refer to Mina Purefoy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Alienation and the Quest for Belonging Theme Icon
).
Episode 8: Lestrygonians Quotes

His smile faded as he walked, a heavy cloud hiding the sun slowly, shadowing Trinity’s surly front. Trams passed one another, ingoing, outgoing, clanging. Useless words. Things go on same, day after day: squads of police marching out, back: trams in, out. Those two loonies mooching about. Dignam carted off. Mina Purefoy swollen belly on a bed groaning to have a child tugged out of her. One born every second somewhere. Other dying every second.
[…]
Cityful passing away, other cityful coming, passing away too: other coming on, passing on. Houses, lines of houses, streets, miles of pavements, piledup bricks, stones. Changing hands. This owner, that. Landlord never dies they say. Other steps into his shoes when he gets his notice to quit. They buy the place up with gold and still they have all the gold. Swindle in it somewhere. Piled up in cities, worn away age after age. Pyramids in sand.
[…]
No-one is anything.

Related Characters: Leopold Bloom (speaker), Patrick (“Paddy”) Dignam, Sr., Mina Purefoy
Page Number: 134-135
Explanation and Analysis:
Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun Quotes

Deshil Holles Eamus. Deshil Holles Eamus. Deshil Holles Eamus.
Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit. Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit. Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit.
Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa! Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa! Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa!
Universally that person’s acumen is esteemed very little perceptive concerning whatsoever matters are being held as most profitably by mortals with sapience endowed to be studied who is ignorant of that which the most in doctrine erudite and certainly by reason of that in them high mind’s ornament deserving of veneration constantly maintain when by general consent they affirm that other circumstances being equal by no exterior splendour is the prosperity of a nation more efficaciously asserted than by the measure of how far forward may have progressed the tribute of its solicitude for that proliferent continuance which of evils the original if it be absent when fortunately present constitutes the certain sign of omnipollent nature’s incorrupted benefaction.

Related Characters: Mina Purefoy
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mina Purefoy Quotes in Ulysses

The Ulysses quotes below are all either spoken by Mina Purefoy or refer to Mina Purefoy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Alienation and the Quest for Belonging Theme Icon
).
Episode 8: Lestrygonians Quotes

His smile faded as he walked, a heavy cloud hiding the sun slowly, shadowing Trinity’s surly front. Trams passed one another, ingoing, outgoing, clanging. Useless words. Things go on same, day after day: squads of police marching out, back: trams in, out. Those two loonies mooching about. Dignam carted off. Mina Purefoy swollen belly on a bed groaning to have a child tugged out of her. One born every second somewhere. Other dying every second.
[…]
Cityful passing away, other cityful coming, passing away too: other coming on, passing on. Houses, lines of houses, streets, miles of pavements, piledup bricks, stones. Changing hands. This owner, that. Landlord never dies they say. Other steps into his shoes when he gets his notice to quit. They buy the place up with gold and still they have all the gold. Swindle in it somewhere. Piled up in cities, worn away age after age. Pyramids in sand.
[…]
No-one is anything.

Related Characters: Leopold Bloom (speaker), Patrick (“Paddy”) Dignam, Sr., Mina Purefoy
Page Number: 134-135
Explanation and Analysis:
Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun Quotes

Deshil Holles Eamus. Deshil Holles Eamus. Deshil Holles Eamus.
Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit. Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit. Send us bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening and wombfruit.
Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa! Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa! Hoopsa boyaboy hoopsa!
Universally that person’s acumen is esteemed very little perceptive concerning whatsoever matters are being held as most profitably by mortals with sapience endowed to be studied who is ignorant of that which the most in doctrine erudite and certainly by reason of that in them high mind’s ornament deserving of veneration constantly maintain when by general consent they affirm that other circumstances being equal by no exterior splendour is the prosperity of a nation more efficaciously asserted than by the measure of how far forward may have progressed the tribute of its solicitude for that proliferent continuance which of evils the original if it be absent when fortunately present constitutes the certain sign of omnipollent nature’s incorrupted benefaction.

Related Characters: Mina Purefoy
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis: