Finnegans Wake

Finnegans Wake is a complex novel that blends the reality of life with a dream world. The motive idea of the novel, inspired by the 18th-century Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico, is that history is cyclical. To demonstrate this, the book ends with the first half of the first sentence of the novel. Thus, the last line is actually part of the first line, and the first line a part of the last line. The plot itself is difficult to follow, as the novel explores a number of fractured story lines. The main tension, however, comes from the juxtaposition of reality and dream, which is achieved through changing characters and settings. The beginning of the book introduces the reader to Mr. and Mrs. Porter, who have three children—Kevin and Jerry (twins) and Issy. The Porters live above a pub in Chapelizod (near Dublin). Once Mr. and Mrs. Porter go to sleep, however, their entire world changes. In the dream world, these characters are given different names. Mr. Porter is Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker (HCE), Mrs. Porter is Anna Livia Plurabelle (ALP), and the boys are Shem the Penman and Shaun the Postman, while Issy remains Issy. HCE plays the archetypal father role and is referred to by a number of variations of the acronym HCE throughout the book. While the exact situation is unclear, it is revealed that HCE has behaved inappropriately in the presence of young girls, for which he feels both innocent and guilty. Rumours are spread about this indiscretion for most of the novel. ALP is representative of the archetypal wife and mother, and it is she who attempts to exonerate HCE. The beginning of the novel also introduces Tim Finnegan, the man named in the novel’s title. Finnegan, a construction worker, died in a workplace accident. At his wake, the strangeness of the story continues: Finnegan’s wife attempts to serve her husband’s corpse as a dish. The novel itself ends with a monologue recited by ALP as she attempts to awaken HCE.