Episode 1 - Telemachus

1. The episode begins with Buck Mulligan preparing to shave, in a parody of the mass.  Is this a controversial opening?  Why/why not?  What is the attitude toward Catholicism in the episode?
2. What do you make of the relationships/interactions between the men in the tower?
3. What is the significance of the key to the tower?  Why is Stephen so irritated by having to relinquish the key?  What do you think the key signifies?
4. What do you make of the depiction of the English Haines?  How does he work as a figure for British Imperialism?  Do we dislike Haines?  Why/why not?  Is Stephen right to dislike him?  Why/why not? 
5. What do you make of the depiction of the milk woman?  What are her main character traits?  How do the men in the tower react to her?  Treat her?  If the milk woman is meant to symbolize Ireland, what does that say about Ireland?

Episode 2 - Nestor

1. Is Stephen a good teacher?  Why/why not?  How do his students react to him and how does he regard his students?  Does Stephen have authority in the classroom?  What subject does Stephen teach?  Is this a “good” school?
2. What is Stephen’s attitude to history?  How does his attitude to history differ from the headmaster Mr. Deasy’s attitude?  Why do you think their attitudes differ? 
3. What is your opinion of the headmaster Deasy?  Is he a likable character?  Why/why not?  What are his major character traits?  What is Stephen’s opinion of Deasy?
4. Stephen says that he serves two masters as an Irish man, the English (Empire) and the Roman Catholic Church.  Does he regard this as a good thing?  Why/why not?  What does Deasy think of it?  What does class have to do in their differences of opinion?
5. What do you make of Deasy's anti-Semitic statements?  What role do they play in the narrative?  How does Stephen respond to Deasy's anti-Semitism?  Do you think, at this point in the text, that this is an anti-Semitic novel?

Episode 3 - Proteus

1. Trace the shifts in the narrative between Stephen’s abstract ideas (as in the opening), physical descriptions of the setting of the scene as Stephen walks down the beach, Stephen’s memories of Paris, Stephen’s memories/thoughts about his parents and family, and Stephen’s memories about his childhood, particularly at Conglowes boarding school.  Are there common themes in these seemingly disparate narrative threads?  What are they?
2. What is the significance of Stephen urinating on the beach/putting a booger on the rock (toward the end of the episode)?  Why include these descriptions?
3. “Proteus” is often considered a prime example of “stream-of-consciousness” narrative style.  How does having read this episode help you to understand what “stream-of-consciousness” is?  How might the physical setting of the episode mirror the style of the episode?
4. What are the main traits that you associate with the character Stephen Dedalus?  What do you know about him?  Do you like him?  Why/why not?
5. What do you make of the way that Stephen attempts to evaluate the senses in order of importance and to consider the senses in relation to language and representation?  Do you think this episode is visual or aural (or a little bit of both)?  Why/why not?