The Cat and the Devil and Finnegans Wake
1992; University of Tulsa; Volume: 29; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1938-6036
Autores Tópico(s)Samuel Beckett and Modernism
ResumoOn August 10, 1936, James Joyce wrote to his grandson Ste phen, then four and half years old, explaining that had sent the child a little cat filled with sweets few days ago, Joyce writes: perhaps you do not know the story about the cat of (Letters 1386).1 The rest of the letter tells the legend of the stone bridge magically constructed over the Loire river by the devil. The devil's price is costly one: the first person to cross the bridge will belong to him. In Joyce's version of the tale, the lord mayor of Beaugency outwits the devil by appearing with cat; douses it with bucket of water and chases it across the bridge. The devil is furious but the townspeople have their bridge, their souls have been spared, and they are forever nicknamed les chats de Beaugency. Joyce's version of the story adds some particular embel lishments . The mayor of Beaugency is none other than the then-lord mayor of Dublin, Alfred Byrne, complete with scarlet ceremonial robes and gold chain of office. The devir'mostly speaks language of his own called Bellsybabble which makes up himself as goes along, surely one of the funniest and most succinct descriptions of the language of Finnegans Wake. Also, Joyce adds, when the devil is very angry, he can speak quite bad French very well though some who have heard him say that has strong Dublin accent (Letters I 387). Cats/devils, bridges, and lord mayors appear frequently in Fin negans Wake, most notably in the royal progress scene of IIL4 where alfi byrni, the Meynhir Mayour, our boorgomaister.. .his hod hoisted, in best bib and tucker wearing his necknoose aureal, surrounded of his full cooperation with fixed baronets.., restrained by chain of hands (FW568.16-22) receives Dom King, The cere monies are enhanced by brilliant bridgecloths and crimosing balkonladies (FW569.01-02), details of which draw in both bridges and the crimson of the robes, Joyce, it seems, encountered an old tale and used it not only to amuse his grandson but to enhance Finnegans Wake. Bridges, ob
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