The conversation between human and AI assistant.
What does Joyce mean by, "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed."?
Interesting. How does this opening sentence set the tone for the rest of the novel?
The opening line establishes the tone of the novel; it is playful, humorous, and irreverent. It's a mix of the highbrow literary style that Joyce is famous for, with colloquialism and vulgar humor. The sentence sets a precedent for the rest of the novel, which is full of witty, cutting observations about society and humanity as a whole.