Issy: Isobel
Issy is the daughter of HCE and ALP—a young woman whose personality is split, appearing as herself and her mirror-image, or multiplied into 28 or 29 rainbow girls.
Quick Reference
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Daughter, object of desire, divided self |
| Sigil | ⋀ (divided/mirror) |
| Parents | HCE and ALP |
| Brothers | Shem and Shaun |
| Key Chapters | II.1–2 (the children), III.2 (Jaun's sermon) |
| Key Symbol | The mirror, the rainbow |
Names and Manifestations
Issy appears under various names:
Single Forms
- Issy / Isobel / Izzy / Izod
- Isa / Isolde
- Nuvoletta (cloud)
Split Forms
- Issy and her mirror-twin
- The two temptresses in Phoenix Park
Multiple Forms
- The 7 rainbow girls
- The 28 (or 29) leap-year girls
- The Maggies / Floras
- St. Bride's schoolmates
The Mirror Girl
Issy's defining characteristic is her split personality:
"ALP and HCE have a daughter, Issy—whose personality is often split (represented by her mirror-twin)."
She is:
- Herself and her reflection
- The object and the observer
- Two aspects of one person
This may reflect:
- Adolescent identity formation
- Female experience under patriarchy
- Joyce's daughter Lucia's mental illness
The 28/29 Rainbow Girls
Issy multiplies into groups:
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 7 | The rainbow colors |
| 28 | Days of February (non-leap year) |
| 29 | Days of February (leap year) |
| 28+1 | Issy plus her doubles |
In II.1, they appear as "THE FLORAS (Girl Scouts from St. Bride's Finishing Establishment)."
In III.2, they are the "rainbow girls" to whom Jaun preaches.
Issy and Her Brothers
Both Shem and Shaun desire Issy:
The Competition
- In II.1, Glugg (Shem) fails to guess her riddles
- Chuff (Shaun) is favored by the girls
- The brothers fight over her throughout
In III.2
Jaun (Shaun) preaches to Issy and her friends—his sermon mixing religious instruction with barely suppressed desire for his own sister.
Issy's Response
Her letter (III.2, pp. 457–461) responds with "unbridled sexuality" that challenges patriarchal control.
Issy and the Tristan Legend
Issy connects to Isolde of the Tristan myth:
| Figure | Role |
|---|---|
| Isolde of Ireland | The young beloved |
| Isolde of Brittany | The replacement bride |
| Issy | Both Isoldes combined |
The "Iseult la belle" splits into Issy's doubles—the desirable and the available, the young and the aging.
The Footnotes (II.2)
In the "Night Lessons" chapter (II.2), Issy provides the footnotes:
- While Shem and Shaun argue in the margins
- Issy comments from below
- Her voice is often irrelevant, sometimes insightful
- She represents the feminine perspective excluded from the main text
This chapter was published separately as Storiella as She is Syung, emphasizing her role.
Issy and Lucia Joyce
Scholars note parallels between Issy and Joyce's daughter Lucia:
- Lucia suffered from mental illness (schizophrenia)
- Her personality fragmented
- Joyce was devoted to her but unable to help
- Issy's split personality may reflect Lucia's condition
Mythological Parallels
| Figure | Connection |
|---|---|
| Isolde | The beloved in Tristan legend |
| Persephone | The daughter stolen to underworld |
| The Rainbow | Bridge between worlds |
| Iris | Rainbow goddess, messenger |
The Sigil (⋀)
Joyce's symbol for Issy is ⋀—suggesting:
- Division (two halves)
- Reflection (mirror image)
- The letter "A" inverted (ALP's daughter)
- A tent or shelter
Issy and HCE's Crime
The "two girls" in Phoenix Park may be Issy doubled:
- HCE's crime involves watching/exposing himself to two girls
- These girls are Issy in two forms
- The father's desire for the daughter
- The oedipal/incestuous dimension
Key Passages
The Mime (II.1, pp. 219–259)
Issy as the Maggies/Floras—the prize for which the brothers compete.
The Footnotes (II.2, pp. 260–308)
Her voice from below the text.
Her Letter (III.2, pp. 457–461)
Her response to Jaun's sermon.
Nuvoletta (I.6, pp. 157–159)
As a cloud, watching the Mookse and Gripes, then dissolving.
The Rainbow Connection
HCE wears seven articles of clothing at key moments—corresponding to:
- The seven rainbow colors
- Issy as the seven rainbow girls
- Nature (Issy) clothing the archetype (HCE)
The rainbow connects earth and sky, mortal and divine—like Issy connecting the parents to the future.
Reading Issy
Tips
- Watch for mirrors — Reflection imagery signals her presence
- Count the girls — 2, 7, 28, or 29 indicates Issy multiplied
- Note the footnotes — Her voice in II.2
- Feel the desire — Both brothers want her
Further Reading
- Adaline Glasheen, Third Census of Finnegans Wake — Issy entries
- The Real Lucia Joyce — Lucia and Issy connection
- FWEET — Search Issy appearances
See Also
- HCE — Her father
- ALP — Her mother
- Shem — Her artistic brother
- Shaun — Her respectable brother
- II.1: The Mime — The children's games
- II.2: Night Lessons — Her footnotes