Explanation of the Representation:

[Press to return to the form for requesting reductions: FW: 48.
Press to jump to: the basics of the notation system or its details; authorized changes between levels; changes within levels; transmissional departures and instructions missing; further symbols.]

    The representation of the revision history of Finnegans Wake shows additions, deletions and changes which Joyce made to his documents from his first draft (level 0) through to the final corrections he made in 1940 on unbound pages of the published book (level 13). 1  The list of these revision levels may be seen here,  and also when one selects minimum and maximum levels on the form. The program which the form calls displays, for any Wake page in chapters 2-4 (FW: 30-103; here on the Web only a few sample pages):     The representation is not a diplomatic transcription of the documents but a telling of the genetic story. Therefore:
    Changes which appear in transcriptions made by typists and typesetters and which are not authorized by Joyce's holograph or other surviving instruction are marked using two systems between which you may choose.: .
    Matters of textual interest and important facts about the documents—ink colors of overlay, unusual locations of drafts on supplementary pages, etc.—are discussed in copious “TN”s (textual notes), displayed as endnotes.
The notation system:

        Boldface designates first-draft text (level 0, in the system of the “draft tables” of The James Joyce Archive, used with a few modifications throughout). Display in red designates text deleted at any revision level (so bolded red designates text inscribed and deleted in the first draft). Normal type designates text which survives at the highest level being displayed. The first draft may thus be “read off” from the bold; the document at the highest level being displayed (including the last, the corrected book) may be read off from whatever is not in red. And the red shows what was present before that highest level, but which was dropped or changed within the selected range.
        Superscripted bracketed numbers enclose changes at a given level after the first draft: “a [1 <long> high 1] perch” (FW: 31.02) shows “high” replacing the first draft's “long” at level 1. Overlay additions to a document on which revisions are being made are indicated by a pair of inward-pointing superscripted carets, each pair with a superscripted capital letter (A>. . . <A) which designates the degree of overlay. For example, “[3 A>, faced B>feets<B to the east,<A 3]” (FW: 76.11-12) shows “, faced to the east,” added as first-degree overlay to a typescript, and then “faced” (but not the comma) scratched out and the second-degree overlay “feets” replacing it.3

The specifics are perhaps best listed, with examples:

1) Authorized changes between levels:

currente calamo addition: “. . . [x new text x] . . .”
“the [4 relics of the 4] bones” ( FW: 91.05).

The phrase “relics of the” is added at level 4, during Joyce's fair copying of the level 3 typescript.


overlay addition: “[x A>new text<A x]
“It was the Lord's [3 A>own<A 3] day [3 A>for damp<A 3]” (FW: 51.24).

Joyce overlays “own” and “for damp” on the level 3 typescript, which is the substrate of the level 3 revisions.


omission: “[x <text> x]
had not been [1 [4 <very> 4] 1] many” (FW: 41.10-11).

Joyce adds “very" in his level 1 copy of the first draft, but drops it at level 4.


substitution: “[x <old text> new text x]
to ask [1 <if he could> could he 1] [2 <say> tell 2] [1 <what it was> how much 1] o'clock [1 it was 1]” (FW: 35.18-19).

The three instances of old text are omitted during Joyce's copying and “silently” replaced by new text (therefore, no overlay carets); the symbols “< . . .>” mean that what they contain is not struck out, but rather that it has not been copied forward. Here, while copying at level 1 Joyce changes “to ask if he could say what it was o'clock” to “to ask could he say how much o'clock it was”, and while copying at level 2 replaces “say” with “tell”.


replacement currente calamo: “[x old text new text x]
“any luvial mud [4 on to o'er 4] his face” (FW: 86.19).

Old text on the substrate is copied to the new document, but then struck out and new text inscribed as Joyce's copying continues. (This is quite rare between levels, but more common within a level.)


replacement by overlay: “ [x old text A> new text <A x]
“to [3 repeat A>pianissime<A 3] a slightly varied version” (FW: 38.30-1);

or “with [3 deadly accuracy A>Anny Oakley deadliness<A 3]”(FW: 52.01);

or “such a [8 wonderful A>wanderful<A 8] noyth untirely”. (FW: 59.13).

This is more common than replacement currente calamo and is, in fact, Joyce's main revision technique. Note that he almost never (I cannot find an unproblematic example) simply strikes text without replacing it: if he did, it would look like these examples without the overlay.


movement between levels: “ [x <text as of previous level> x] . . . [x text copied at this level x]

[3 . . . waving [4 scarlet crimson 4] petties and shouting<C<B<A [4 <A>whether he was sure of his> 4] name [4 <B>names<B B>in this King C>& countryman<C business?<B . . . > 4] ” (FW: 87.29)

[4 A>. . . That he was only too sure of it .<A Whether he was sure A>too<A of his names in this King and countryman business ? . . . 4] 3]” (FW: 88.07-8, 11-12)

In copying level 4, Joyce drops the level 3 passage which, much extended, becomes FW: 88.11-90.33; he then copies it at level 4 in the new location, preceding it with fresh overlay. (Note: often movement between levels is caused by a typist or typesetter misinterpreting Joyce's indexing marks: these are marked like this instance, but as TD in both locations.)


2)Authorized changes within levels:
inscribed but at once deleted: “[x {inscribed but crossed out text} x]
“Was six pounds fifteen [1 {A>in all}B>in round figures <B<A 1] taken [1from A>off<A 1] you” (FW82.14-15).

This is the rare false start, in which Joyce writes something new as the first element of change at a level and then deletes or replaces it. The special symbols “{. . .}” are needed to show that the element was not present on the previous document, unlike all other first elements which are in red. In the example, note the difference: “from” was present in the first draft, “in all” was not.


deletion of text new at a level: “[x . . . text . . . x]
[8 A>. . . the refaced unmansionables of brown gingerdied hue . . .<A 8]” (FW: 82.26: “gingerdied” added);

or[8 A>and to league his pagan lot, palm and patte, with a papishee : B>For mine qvinnie I thee rape C>giftake<C and bind my hosenband I thee haltar<B<A 8]” (FW: 62.06-9: note “giftake” added as third-level overlay).

Note that Joyce strikes out “brown” and “rape” but continues with “gingerdied” currente calamo and “giftake” in overlay.


overlay, first degree: [x A>text<A x]
“in fealty sworn [9 A>(my bravor best! my fraur! )<A 9]” (FW: 38.33).

Note that all overlay carets “travel with” the text they mark. Consider:

the [3 overture [9 A>overthrew<A A>overthrewer<A 9] 3] to the [3 A>third<A 3] last [3 day A>days of [5 TD <pompery<A> Pompery 5] 3]” (FW: 64.14-15).

Here the carets around “overthrew” show that it was overlay at level 3, where it replaced the first draft's “overture”; the caret after “pompery” travels back to show that “days of pompery” was the phrase replacing “day”, before the TD which capitalized “Pompery” at level 5.


overlay, second degree: “[x A>. . . B>text<B . . . <A x]
[3 A>in a burst B>loudburst<B of poesy<A [4 , 4] 3]” (FW: 91.03).

The “burst” of the first overlay addition is struck out in revision and replaced by “loudburst”.


overlay, third degree: [x A>. . . B>. . . C>text<C . . .<B . . .<A x]
“after which [3 A>stag luncheon B>and a few ones more C>, flushed with their firestufffostered friendship,<C to celebrate yesterday<B<A 3]” (FW: 42.06-7).

After adding “stag luncheon” to follow “after which”, Joyce adds to it “and a few ones more to celebrate yesterday”, and then inserts “, flushed with their firestufffostered friendship,” within that.


overlay, fourth degree: “[x A>. . . B>. . . C>. . . D>text<D . . .<C . . .<B . . .<A x]
“not forgetting [3 A>a B>particularist<B prebendary pondering on the Roman question B>easter, C>the tonsure question & Greek uniates D>, plunk em,<D<C<B<A 3]

(FW: 43.12-13). To “Roman easter”, replacing “Roman question”, Joyce adds first “the tonsure question & Greek uniates” and then “plunk em,”. The embeddings occasionally reach to six degrees.


movement within a level: “[x . . . A>text first placed<A . . . x] . . . [x B>text next placed<B x]
“Sordid Sam [8 B>, the unwashed<B 8], haunted always by his ham, [8 B>the unwished<B A>, at a word from Israfel the summoner,<A 8] passed away . . . propelled from [8 {A>the unwashed<A} 8] Behind into the [8 great A>the unwished<A greatTN1 8] Beyond” (FW: 49.21-5).

Joyce overlays “the unwashed” and “the unwished” to precede “Behind” and “Beyond”, and moves them (with pencil lines invisible in the Archive) to follow “Sam” and “ham”. Note that the second placement is marked as second degree overlay since it is within the same level as and replaces deleted first degree overlay. (This form of revision is very rare.) 

TN1 Note that when level 8 first indexes “the unwished” to replace “the great”, Joyce fails to delete “the”, so that the instruction would yield “the the unwished”. Since he reindexes for placement after “his ham” (with pencil lines which, while very heavy and plain, are for some reason invisible in the Archive reproduction), “the great” is left as output of level 8.

3)Unauthorized differences between levels:
transmissional departure (“TD”): “[x TD <old text> new text x]
“wore a raffles ticket [5 TD <A>in<A> on 5] his hat” (FW50.26).

The level 5 typist mistakes Joyce's level 4 “in” for “on”. At level 4 Joyce first wrote “on” but overwrote the “o” to “i”; the typist made the wrong choice.


instruction missing (“IM”): “[x IM <old text> new text x]
proclaim him [5' IM <a descendant> offsprout 5'] of vikings” (FW30.08-9).

Proofs of the Contact Collection (level 4*) are missing, on which surely Joyce surely instructed for the change we see in the printed Contact Collection.


the page proofs: “[12* A>. . .<A 12*]
[4 . . . [9 A>, In Custody of the Polis,<A 9] [9T TD : 9T] 4] [12* A>Boawwll's [13 alocutionist A>Alocutionist<A 13] , [13 deposed A>Deposed<A 13] ,<A 12*]” (FW: 72.16).

The one exception to the marking of IMs is that all changes which must have been made on the missing page proofs are shown as overlay revisions, for user convenience. In this example, the epithet which brings Joyce's total to 111, “Boawwll's alocutionist, deposed,” (modified a bit in Joyce's post-publication corrections, level 13), must be an addition made on the page proofs.


4) Further symbols:
revisions which cross page boundaries: “[x . . . - x] and [x - . . . x]
“. . . [1 . . . [2 [3 which A>what<A 3] all did - 2] - 1] [page break] [1 - [2 - so [3 that A>as<A 3] he was able to add 2] . . . 1]” (FW:54.36-55.01).

That a revision is not fully contained on a single Wake page is shown by one hyphen preceding the level indicator on the page beyond which it is continued and another after the level indicator on the page on which it is continued. In this example, the level 2 overlay “which all did so that he was able to add” extends across what become pages 54 and 55. Note that this is contained within a level 1 revision which has also begun on page 54 (or previously) and continues on page 55 (or beyond).


word illegible: “. . . ‰ . . .”
[3 . . . Sycomore Lane [4 <A>Arrah,<A Nick, ses she, you've the nock, ses she, A>with your ‰ , ses she, ye ‰, B>says she<B<A> . Fine feelplay . . . 4] . . . 3] “ (FW: 95.21).

Two words, in a sentence not copied at level 4 from its initial draft on level 3, are enticing but illegible.


letter, letter sequence or mark of punctuation illegible: “. . . .% . . .”
[3 A>. . .B>. . . at Multifarnham. Ba%----------------. That would do,<B<A 3]” (FW: 90.31).

Unlike the preceding, this mark may cover more than one letter, because it is far harder than with words to tell how many letters are involved when you can't make them out! In this example, after the two or three illegible letters which follow “Ba” in the initial draft of what will become the thunderword, Joyce puts as placemarkers a line and two part-lines of dashes.


reading not certain: “ . . . ?text? . . .”
[8 . . . Bigamy Bob and [8+ <and ?sould? Sin Shanock> his old Shanvocht 8+] . . . . 8]” (FW: 48.03).

What is bounded by superscripted question marks is not so illegible as to warrant the refusal of a reading, but is far too doubtful to propose with confidence.


insert mark missing: “[x ¤A>text . . .<A x]
[5 A>(commonplace!)<A 5] [8 ¤A>, since known as Whiddington Wild,<A 8] his simple . . . .” (FW: 52.10).

The “Whiddington Wild” overlay is drafted on level 8 in the top margin with no index mark and no mark in the text. It is shown in the genetic representation at level 8 with the symbol for insert mark missing, at the point of its placement at level 8+. A textual note usually discusses the specific documentary details.


insert mark present but insert missing: “. . .°. . .”
[3 A>. . . the Roman° Godhelic faix . . .<A 3]” (FW: 91.35-6).

There is an “R” index mark following “Roman” at level 3, but no overlay matches it. As above, this situation will usually be discussed further in a textual note.


Notes
 
 

1 The symbols used are modelled as closely as utility and user-friendliness permit on those used in the 1986 Ulysses of which Hans Walter Gabler was main editor, especially those symbols which designate documents with numbered superscripted brackets  and those which indicate the degree of overlay addition to the text by a system of caret marks (modified from Gabler's system). The most notable departures are that 1) first draft is in boldface, thus, rather than bracketed as zero level, “[0 . . . 0]” , and 2) deletions are shown  in red, thus, rather than with pointed brackets, “<. . .>”.  (Two specific varieties of deletion, one of which does involve pointed brackets, are discussed below). In the to-be-published version some of the special symbols are different and better, the ones here being used because Internet Explorer won't display the good ones, though Netscape will.

2 All differences assignable to a known missing document are marked “IM,” rather than some “IM” and some “TD,” although transcription errors can as easily have been made on missing documents as on surviving ones. On the other hand, there are some documents on which so many differences appear, especially involving punctuation and word distortion, that one suspects either a missing lightly revised document or some other form of extradraft instruction. While such differences are all marked “TD” because authorization is too uncertain, all instances where instruction seems likely are pointed out in textual notes.

3 “Overlay” means that text is inscribed interlinearly or somewhere else--a margin, a verso of a preceding page, a supplementary sheet. Textual notes tell where, if it is not nearby on the document being revised. Joyce marks his insertion points with a variety of symbols such as caret marks, connecting lines, letters and numbers. If these are missing that fact is marked, as is the presence of such indices without matching overlay.