Of the merchandises frequently mentioned in Joyce`s work, the most distinguished two are potato and tea. Much attention has been paid to the role of the potato, since Bloom carries it with him during his odyssey, but tea is relatively neglected, perhaps because it is related to minor characters such as Haines and Mr. Kernan. But we must heed to Joyce`s strategic deployment of these commodities. Tea is a reminder of the British colonialism, in such countries as India and, extensively, South Africa. Haines`s nightmare about shooting the black panther can be explained when we understand the role of the planter sahib in tea-growing plantations in India, because there were a lot of possibilities of confronting wild beasts in tea plantations. Haines`s fear of the blank panther is a reenactment of the fear of the planter sahib about wild beasts. In addition, the reason why Haines carries a gun with him is that the English people were anxious about the Wild Irish, which was also derived from their experience of land agitations as well as the potato famine in Ireland. Bloom`s shriveled potato is an heirloom from his dead mother. It functions as a reminder of the potato famine, as well as a signifier of popular belief in its efficacy as a protection against pestilence. So potatoes are related to the poverty and malnutrition of the Irish underfed family, especially the Dedaluses. By referring to who brought potato into Ireland, Joyce adroitly deploys the history of colonial domination during the Tudor dynasty. He also implicitly emphasizes the responsibility of the British government for the potato famine in Ireland. In addition, by juxtaposing Bloom`s mother`s trinkets with the potato, Joyce shows his awareness of fetishism in these commodities. So the last word of Finnegans Wake implies tea in French, le the, which is related to the river, Liffey, life in Irish. So Joyce`s strategic deployment of these colonial commodities reveals the pervasiveness of colonial discourse as well as the life-giving power of his homeland.