Joyce's notes 7

Act II.



Bertha wishes for the spiritual union of Richard and Robert and believes (?) that union will be affected only through her body, and perpetuated thereby.



Richard accepts Robert's homage for Bertha as by so doing he robs it from Bertha's countrywomen and revenges himself and his forbidden love upon him.



The play is three cat and mouse acts.



The bodily possession of Bertha by Robert, repeated often, would certainly bring into almost carnal contact the two men. Do they desire this? To be united, that is carnally through the person and body of Bertha as they cannot, without dissatisfaction and degradation-- be united carnally man to man as man to woman?



Exiles-- also because at the end either Robert or Richard must go into exile. Perhaps the new Ireland cannot contain both. Robert will go. But her thoughts will they follow him into exile as those of her sister-in-love Isolde follow Tristan?



All believe that Bertha is Robert's mistress. The belief rubs against his own knowledge of what has been, but he accepts the belief as a bitter food.



Of Richard's friends Robert is the only one who has entered Richard's mind through the gate of Bertha's affection.



The play, a rough and tumble between the Marquis de Sade and Freiherr v. Sacher Masoch. Had not Robert better give Bertha a little bite when they kiss? Richard's Masochisim needs no example.



In the last act (or second) Robert can also suggest that he knew from the first that Richard was aware of his conduct and that he himself was being watched and that he persisted because he had to and because he wished to see to what length Richard's silent forbearance would go.



Bertha is reluctant to give the hospitality of her womb to Robert's seed. For this reason she would like more of a child of his by another woman than a child of him by her. Is this true? For him the question of child or no child is immaterial. Is her reluctance to yield even when the possibility of a child is removed this same reluctance or a survival of it or a survival of the fears (purely physical) of a virgin? It is certain that her instinct can distinguish between concessions and for her the supreme concession is what the fathers of the church call emissio seminis inter vas naturale. As for the accomplishment of the act otherwise externally, by friction, or in the mouth, the question needs to be scrutinized still more. Would she allow her lust to carry her so far as to receive his emission of seed in any other opening of the body where it could not be acted upon, when once emitted, by the forces of her secret flesh.



Bertha is fatigued and repelled by the restless curious energy of Richard's mind and her fatigue is soothed by Robert's placid politeness.



Her mind is a grey seamist amid which common objects-- hillsides, the masts of ships, and barren islands-- loom with strange and yet recognizable outlines.



The sadism in Robert's character-- his wish to inflict cruelty as a necessary part of sensual pleasure-- is apparent only or chiefly in his dealings with women towards whom he is unceasingly attractive because unceasingly aggressive. Towards men, however, he is meek and humble of heat.