Nora

OH, WAIT TILL WE'’RE FAR AWAY FROM MY LAND.

WE SENT A WIRE FROM THE SHIP,

OUT IN THE DARK SEA, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

I WON'’T BE GOING, NORA.

MICHAEL, YOU'’LL GET BETTER WHERE IT'’S BRIGHT AND WARM.

I SWEAR TO YOU.

YOU CAN'’T BE KEPT IN ANYWHERE, CAN YOU?

JESUS, I'’LL KNOCK IT OFF OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL.

GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. YOU'’RE NOT MY DAD.

-NORA, YOU'’RE SHAMING US IN FRONT OF-- -STOP, UNCLE TOMMY.

IT'’S THE CONVENT FOR YOU, GIRL.

-TOMMY, NO. DON'’T TOUCH HER. -YOU'’LL FIND IT SO EASY TO GET OVER THAT PLACE!

-GET OUT! GET OUT! -

THERE'’S NOTHING LEFT TO PAWN.

-THIS CAN'’T BE THAT BAD. -HOW DID YOU KNOW?

YOU NEVER COME HOME ANYMORE.

I'’LL BE COMING HOME,

THEN I'’M GONNA BE GONE FURTHER AWAY.

IT'’S TRUE, THEN WHAT STANI SAYS.

YOU'’RE THINKING OF LEAVING IRELAND.

STANI EVEN KNOWS WHAT I'’M THINKING NOW, DOES HE?

TAKE ME WITH YOU IF YOU GO, WILL YOU?

-I'’M GOING NOWHERE. -YOU HAD EVERYTHING, JIM.

AND YOU'’RE THE BROTHER WHO WOULD HELP HIS FAMILY.

I HAVE TO GO NOW, EVA. I'’LL CALL UP THE HOUSE LATER.

I'’D SAY YOU'RE NOT FROM HERE.

ARE YOU UP FOR A VISIT?

-I COULD SHOW YOU AROUND DUBLIN. -SORRY, FELLOW, I HAVE TO WORK.

YOU'’RE FROM GALWAY. WHERE WOULD YOU SAY I'’M FROM?

I DON'’T KNOW.

-SWEDEN. -SWEDEN?

YEAH, YOU'’RE LIKE A SWEDISH SAILOR WITH YOUR BLUE EYES.

-THEY ARE VERY SHORT-SIGHTED. -SWEDISH SAILORS ARE.

-NO, MY EYES. -

OH, I SEE THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES TO SEE.

SO I CAN SHOW YOU THE CITY.

WELL, I'’M ABLE TO SHOW MYSELF THE CITY.

TONIGHT, I COULD MEET YOU.

I'’M BUSY, SORRY, I WORK IN FINN'’S.

-TOMORROW? -I'’M WORKING THEN, TOO.

-RIGHT. -WEDNESDAY, I CAN DO A SWAP.

-YES, ALL RIGHT, ABOUT 8:30. -YEAH, WHERE?

-WELL, I'’LL COLLECT YOU. -NO, DON'’T DO THAT.

IN THE CORNER OF MERRION SQUARE, SO DO YOU KNOW IT?

THE CANAL? THERE'’S A SEATING AT THE BRIDGE.

GOOD, GRANTED. I'’LL SEE YOU THERE.

OH, AND MY NAME IS JAMES JOYCE.

-HEY, JAMES JOYCE? -WHAT?

-DON'’T YOU WANT TO KNOW MY NAME? -OH, GOD, SORRY.

-NORA BARNACLE. -NORA.

-GOOD, LIKE IBSEN. -WHAT? WHAT'’S IBSEN?

I'’LL SEE YOU WEDNESDAY, NORA.

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'’RE GOING?

UH, IT'’S ALL RIGHT. I SWAPPED WITH ELLEN.

DID YOU NOW? WELL, YOU CAN GO BACK TO WORK

AND TELL ELLEN TO TAKE HER EVENING OFF.

-WHY? -YOU SEEMED TO THINK

THAT YOU CAN COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE, MS. BARNACLE?

NOW GO AND DO YOUR WORK.

BUT I DON'’T SEE WHY I CAN'’T DO THAT IN SHIFT?

SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,

I FIND THAT THIS SORT OF WORK

JUST DOESN'’T SUIT CERTAIN KINDS OF GIRLS.

"ALL I WANT, ALL I WANT," SAYS HE,

"IS TIME AND SPACE TO WRITE THE BETTER PEOPLE WHO BETRAYED ME,

AND WHO SENT ME INTO EXILE IN MY OWN LAND."

WILL YOU PAY ME AND GO? I HAVE TO LOCK-OFF.

YOUR TURN, I THINK, COSGRAVE?

-COME ON. -IT'’S ALWAYS ME WHO'S CAUGHT.

COME ON, COSGRAVE. WE HAVE MORE THINGS TO DO.

I'’M MUCH TOO NICE FOR THIS LITTLE HAND, EH?

YEAH, SURE, YEAH.

LET ME SEE.

HOLD IT WITH THAT NICE LITTLE HAND OF YOURS, PLEASE?

STOP MESSING, WILL YOU?

JOYCE?

JUST IN TIME.

WERE YOU LOOKING FOR US?

I DON'’T NEED TO LOOK FOR YOU, GOGARTY.

I CAN SMELL YOU OUT.

WE'’RE GOING AROUND TO MRS. MACKS.

-ARE YOU COMING? -NO MONEY.

OH, COME ON. SHE'’LL UNDERSTAND YOU.

WELL, IN THAT CASE, YOU'’RE A TRUE SON OF ERIN,

AND IT'’D BE TREACHEROUS FOR ME TO LET YOU DOWN.

HOPE YOU'’RE NOT TOO ANNOYED.

I'’VE WAITED FOR HOURS, BUT I COULD NOT SEE YOU.

PERHAPS I'’M TOO SHORT-SIGHTED.

IT'’S PROBABLY FOOLISH OF ME TO WRITE YOU NOW,

BUT I HOPE YOU REMEMBER ME.

-MS. BARNACLE? -MR. JOYCE.

TOUCH ME, TOUCH ME.

DO YOU HAVE A HANKIE, MR. JOYCE?

-I BETTER GO IN. -UH, NO, NOT YET.

-YOU'’RE NOT FRIGHTENED OF THEM, ARE YOU? -NO.

MS. BARNACLE, THIS IS MR. COSGRAVE,

MR. GOGARTY, AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER, STANI.

WE'’VE MET.

ENJOY YOUR NIGHT-OFF, MS. BARNACLE.

HAVING AN EARLY NIGHT YOURSELF, GENTLEMEN?

WELL, I'’LL SAY ONE THING FOR THE BARD ANYHOW.

HE'’S NOT A SNOB, IS HE?

YOU THINK I DON'’T RESPECT YOU AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT?

NORA, BELIEVE ME,

IT WAS SACRED FOR ME.

YOU DON'’T UNDERSTAND ME, BUT YOU WILL.

IT'’S BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY JUST MET.

IT'’S THIS FEELING WHEN PEOPLE PUT THEIR MOUTHS TOGETHER

LIKE THIS.

-WHY? -WHY WHAT?

WHY IS IT ALL RIGHT FOR YOU TO TOUCH ME AND I CAN'’T TOUCH YOU?

BECAUSE I'’M BETTER AT IT THAN YOU ARE.

I LOVE YOU, JIM.

YOU SAY THAT,

BUT I NEED MORE THAN YOUR EMBRACES, NORA.

I WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE, OR YOU'’RE RIGHT TO ME.

I WANT TO KNOW YOUR SECRET THOUGHTS.

I HAVE NO SECRET THOUGHTS.

MY DEAREST, THE TERRIBLE SADNESS WHICH OVERWHELMS ME

EACH TIME WE SAY FAREWELL CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AWAY

IF I KEEP YOUR FACE, MY LOVE, CLEAR IN MY MIND'’S EYE.

SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH ME

AS I MOVE HERE AND THERE DURING THE DAY.

SURELY NONE COULD SURMISE AS I WALK IN THE STREET,

OR WORK AMONG THOSE FOR WHOM I CARE SO LITTLE,

BUT IT IS YOUR MEMORY LOCKED IN MY HEART,

AND YOUR VOICE THAT I HEAR CALLING MY NAME OVER AND OVER.

SOMETIMES, I WEPT WITH EYES CLOUDED WITH TEARS.

"REALIZING AT LAST THAT YOU ARE NOT WITH ME.

I MUST END HERE SINCE THIS LETTER BOTH REMINDS--

BOTH REMINDS ME HOW DISTANT YOU ARE

AND HOW SAD I WILL BE, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

YOUR LOVING GIRL, NORA."

SHE MISSES YOU, LOVES YOU, WHAT'’S WRONG WITH THAT?

BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT, THE STYLE?

THE STYLE?

FOR GOD'’S SAKE, JOYCE. SHE COPIED IT FROM A BOOK.

WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?

BECAUSE I KNOW THE GIRL WE'’RE DEALING WITH.

YOU'’RE AN AWFUL BOLLOCKS, COSGRAVE, DO YOU KNOW THAT?

SAW OUR MOTHER ASHAMED.

THE NATIONS SAW OUR HEAD BENT LOW,

NOR KNEW THAT IN OUR HEARTS, UNTAMED FIRE

STILL UNQUENCHABLE GOOD GLOW.

MR. JOYCE, YOU'’RE NEXT.

UH, RUSSELL, CAN I ASK YOU

WHY I HAVEN'’T BEEN PAID FOR THE STORIES I SENT YOU?

ACTUALLY, UM, SOMETHING WERE QUITE GOOD, I THOUGHT,

BUT FRANKLY, THERE HAD BEEN SOME COMPLAINTS.

NOT SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE IRISH HOMESTEAD.

WE WON'’T BE PUBLISHING ANYMORE.

BUT IT WAS YOU WHO APPROACHED ME.

PLEASE, MR. JOYCE, THIS IS ALL PREPARED.

COME ON NOW, BEFORE THINGS GET ANY WORSE.

OUR MOTHER SITTING YOUNG AND FAIR.

-THEY'’RE ALL TALKING ABOUT YOU. -GOOD.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

-YOU DID WELL TOO, I SAW. -WHAT?

ARE YOU FIXED UP WITH COSGRAVE NOW, ARE YOU?

WHAT?

OR MAYBE YOU'’VE BEEN SEEING HIM ALREADY IN THE NIGHTS

WHEN YOU'’RE NOT WITH ME?

JIM, FOR JESSIE'’S SAKE!

I COULD SEE IT FROM HERE.

I WAS WATCHING THE WAY YOU ARE WITH HIM.

BUT YOU ASKED COSGRAVE TO ESCORT ME HERE.

YOU SAID IT WOULDN'’T BE RIGHT FOR ME TO BE ALL ALONE.

YOU SEE, I FORGOT HOW QUICKLY YOU GET TO KNOW A STRANGE MAN.

OF COURSE, I TALK TO STRANGERS. I WORK IN A HOTEL.

JIM, WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN YOU CAME UP TO ME?

GO OR NO? YOU MIGHT BE A STRANGER.

YOU WANT ME TO TALK TO NO ONE, BUT YOURSELF.

YOU HAVE YOUR FRIENDS, YOU CAN GO OUT WITH THEM.

SOME OF MY FRIENDS TELL ME YOU COPIED THAT LETTER

OUT OF A BOOK,

THAT THERE'’S NOTHING SINCERE IN IT AT ALL.

YOU SHOWED THEM?

YOU SHOWED THEM MY LETTER.

YOU HEAR THAT, HUH? THEY LOVE ME.

THEY CAN'’T GET ENOUGH OF ME.

I LAID MYSELF BARE BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD,

AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU ALSO--

BUT NOW I CAN SEE YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHO I AM,

AND YOU THINK YOU CAN INSULT ME

WITH SOME PETTY WORDS STOLEN FROM A WOMAN'’S PENNY NOVEL!

NO, I DON'’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.

I WROTE WHAT I FEEL. I LOVE YOU.

I CAN'’T HELP IT IF I CAN'T SAY IT DIFFERENT TO OTHER PEOPLE.

EVEN WRITERS HAVE TO USE THE SAME WORDS

AS OTHER PEOPLE.