Lestrygonians

Here we follow Mr. Bloom as he takes a walk [no way!] through Dublin and while I enjoy Leopold thoroughly, I'm beginning to worry about Stephen. How is his day going?
By now we are familiar with Bloom's somewhat raw physicality, but in Lestrygonians he seems a more sympathetic character. Aside from fixating on his wife and their lost son, the motives of his fantasy-affair are more clearly established. As in scene at the newspaper in the previous chapter, Bloom seems to be searching for some sort of validation when he notes the poet Russell's ladyfriend quietly listening to the author and remarks "She's taking it all in. Not saying a word." To aid gentleman in literary work." In this moment, Bloom appears as a man with simple wants; we know he takes comfort in the physical and begin to realize his basic urges for acknowledgment.
Bloom is a curiosity in that, though he is disconnected from his environment he seems to be truly invested in Dublin. Although he occupies the fringe, he is a part of the community and I often find myself forgetting that he is a Jew for his Irishness is apparent in certain ways. The audience is even afforded a flashback to a nationalist protest where he was almost beaten and/or arrested.
Finally we see Bloom cowering at the sight of Blaze Boylan, his wife's lover, and one cannot help but pity him. As it does earlier in the chapter as Bloom describes meat, the prose becomes fragmented and hurried reflecting Bloom's anxiety and fear at the sight of Boylan. Instead of the toilet victory or the calm of the bathtub, we are treated to a hasty and humiliating retreat.
In addition to an ever-expanding grasp of Mr. Bloom's inner/outer workings, I appreciate the constant potty-humor, particular his personification of the cruel pigeons.