Character Analysis
In Joyce's schema, the two barmaids are listed as correlating to the Sirens. Many of the men that come into the bar at the Ormond Hotel are quite attracted to them and flirt with them shamelessly. Lydia Douce seems to have her eyes on Boylan, and implies that she already has something of a relationship with him when she is warding off the advances of Lidwell. When she snaps her garter for Lenehan, she tries to catch Boylan's eye. Later, when he leaves, she acts particularly disappointed. Lydia is here made to correlate to the Siren Parthenope, who threw herself into the sea after the attempt to beguile Odysseus failed.
The Barmaids Timeline