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silently
” (100; emphasis added), and ignores
Bloom’s presence. Bloom is not the only person to whom he
closes his eyes. When Joe Hynes visits him for the report on
Dignam’s funeral, Nannetti, “
without answering
, scribbled
press on a corner of the sheet and made a sign to a typesetter,”
and then “handed the sheet
silently
over the dirty glass screen”
(98; emphasis added), giving no heed to Hynes at all. He
cannot even remember the name of his colleague: “Where’s
what’s his name?” (100). Herr observes that Nannetti “moves
and speaks somewhat mechanically” (85). Attentive to his
work, the foreman engages in little human interaction, but
performs mechanically. However, he also plays the role of
politician, supposedly working with and for people. Ironically,
the councilor shows no interest in Bloom’s account of the
mildly political ad. As Herr points out: “His explanation does
not elicit even a spark of interest or patriotic approval from the
foreman, merely a businesslike assessment of how long a
renewal will be required from Keyes to assure a profit for the
paper” (71). In short, Nannetti devotes his attention to profits
instead of the content of the ad itself. Being an employee of the
Freeman
, he is more capable and reliable than Crawford, but as
a politician, he seems to lack the enthusiasm required of a
public servant. “Nannetti’s unresponsiveness,” Herr declares,
“suggests both the remoteness of government officials from
their constituents . . . and the sometimes peculiar aloofness of
the established press in Ireland from certain political issues”
(71). Put another way, the politician/pressman displays
indifference to both the citizenry and Home Rule. His
unresponsiveness to fellow Dubliners and certain political
issues notwithstanding, Nannetti responds to the Church
immediately and submissively: he demands the archbishop’s
letter from his colleague, ordering it “to be repeated in the
Telegraph
” (Joyce, 1986: 100). Ambitious for the mayoralty,
he needs the support of the Church, and therefore prefers to