Telemachus

There is an interesting passage on page 4, just above the middle of the page.

“God, isn’t he dreadful: he said frankly. A ponderous Saxon. He thinks you’re not a gentlemen. God, these bloody English. Bursting with money and indigestion.”

Its as if Buck is saying that God is dreadful, a Saxon, he thinks your not a gentlemen. Which is interesting, because they are talking about Haines, who seems to be likened to God a few other times in this episode, like on page 18.

"It’s a wonderful tale, Haines said, bringing them to halt again. Eyes pale as the sea the wind had freshened, paler firm and prudent. The seas’ ruler, he gazed southward over the bay, empty save for the smoke plume of the mail boat, vague on the bright skyline, and a sail tacking by the Muglins.”

It isn't clear who this passage is describing at first, but I think it has to be Haines. Who else could be the seas ruler? The annotation says that this passage alludes to the song, “Britannia rules the waves,” and also the predominance of Brittan’s navy. So we have Haines being described as the ‘seas’ ruler.
Haines is given god-like qualities in other places to. For example, on the next page, the second rhyme:

If anyone thinks that I’m not divine / He’ll get no free drinks when I’m making the wine.

This could be a reference to not only Jesus, but to Haines, who in this passage, is the one Buck hopes to be the giver of wine. Also, in the very beginning of this episode, Haines just appears out of nowhere. He actually seems to appear right out of the coal smoke and fumes of grease, on page 11. I could never really tell when he was in the room or not.
I don’t know if he likened to divinity for any other reason then him being British. That’s of obvious significance. And his likening to a God like character and the fact that he’s British seems to explain why Stephen is so resistant to him.
He struggles to gain autonomy through out this entire episode, especially from his dead mother. The likening of Stephen to Teleamuchus only strengthns this sentiment. Stephen is referenced as a slave many times over. As he carries buck’s shaving bowl he is reminded of how he carried the incense for the priest, so he’s not only a slave to buck, but also a slave to god, just as the priest is. He makes the comment about Irish art, the cracked looking glass of a slave.
He’s a slave to his mother and begs for her ghost to stop haunting him “Ghoul! Chewer of corpes! No, mother. Let me be and let me live,” Even though he resfused to pray to her God at her death bed, he is not rid of her grip and her God.