Portrait of the Artist as a young man
James Joyce
Summary:
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, follows the story of Stephen Dedalus, a young Irish boy living in the late end of the nineteenth century, as he decides to cast off everything in his life and focus only on his writing. Stephen attends a strict Catholic boarding school called Clongowes Wood College and is lonely and homesick until he makes friends with the other boys at the college. Because Stephen's father isn't good with money, the family sinks into debt and can't afford to send Stephen back to Clongowes. Instead, they move to Dublin and Stephen attends a prestigious day school called Belvedere, where he excels in writing, art, and theater. Stephen starts to ignore his Catholic upbringing and sinks farther and farther into immorality, until a three-day Catholic retreat, where he decides to re-dedicate himself to religion. He then becomes a model Catholic, and the director of Belvedere asks him to consider becoming a priest. Stephen considers it, but ultimately decides that his life is completely incompatible with priesthood. After hearing from his sister on the same day that the family was moving again, Stephen, while walking on the beach notices a beautiful girl and realizes that love is nothing to be ashamed of, and decides to live his life to the fullest and not be held back by religion, his family, or his past. He then moves on to a university, and develops several strong friendships, especially with a man named Cranly. Stephen becomes more determined to be free of all of his limitations, and decides to leave Ireland in order to escape.
Stephen Dedalus:
Stephen Dedalus is modeled after the author, James Joyce. He is a sensitive young man who also appears in Joyce's Ulysses. Stephen struggles with his nationality, religion, family, and morality, before ultimately deciding to reject all of them and live as an artist. Over the course of the novel, Stephen transforms several times, first at Clongowes, from a sheltered boy to an intelligent student. He then starts to understand the world around him, which is when he transforms from innocence and spirals into debauchery. At the Catholic retreat, he transforms again, this time into a devote Catholic. Stephen's final transformation is from an almost fanatical Catholic to an artist, whose entire life is devoted to his art. By the end of the novel, Stephen has become a "fully-formed" artist, and the novel, written in diary entries, reflects the individual he has become throughout his life.
Setting:
James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man takes place in Ireland during the late nineteenth century. The setting is an important part of the novel because it contributes to Stephen's awareness of himself and his own life. The setting also contributes to our understanding of the novel because throughout the novel, we see the constant sadness and anger at the lack of Irish independence. At the time, Ireland was under British control, which would not change until 1916, after the Easter Rising of 1916, which led to Ireland's independence.
Clongowes Wood College is located in or around Clongowes Castle. It was founded by Jusuits and can be traced back to the fifteenth century. James Joyce and Ryanair founder Michael O'Leary both attended the college.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, doesn't appear until near the end of the novel, during Stephen's time at Belvedere. It takes place around 1900. Horse-drawn carriages were still operated, and Ireland was still under British control.
Clongowes Wood College is located in or around Clongowes Castle. It was founded by Jusuits and can be traced back to the fifteenth century. James Joyce and Ryanair founder Michael O'Leary both attended the college.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, doesn't appear until near the end of the novel, during Stephen's time at Belvedere. It takes place around 1900. Horse-drawn carriages were still operated, and Ireland was still under British control.
Conflict:
The type of conflict in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is man vs. self. Throughout the novel, Stephen is struggling as he tries to find himself and who he is as a person, and changes several times along the way.
Themes:
1. The Development of Individual Consciousness- Stephen is modeled after Joyce himself, and the structure in which the novel is written shows how the author himself changed and grew.
2. The Pitfalls of Religious Extremism- Stephen grew up in a Catholic family and in his teenage years, this belief takes him in two opposite directions, both of them harmful. At first he goes to extreme immorality, which then leads him to extreme religiousness.
3. The Role of the Artist- The novel explores what it means to be an artist. The fact that Stephen decided to leave his family, friends, and country in order to become an artist shows that Joyce most likely thought that being an artist meant being alone.
2. The Pitfalls of Religious Extremism- Stephen grew up in a Catholic family and in his teenage years, this belief takes him in two opposite directions, both of them harmful. At first he goes to extreme immorality, which then leads him to extreme religiousness.
3. The Role of the Artist- The novel explores what it means to be an artist. The fact that Stephen decided to leave his family, friends, and country in order to become an artist shows that Joyce most likely thought that being an artist meant being alone.
Symbols:
Color: Green and maroon are associated with Parnell and Michael Davitt, leaders of the Irish nationalist movement.
Skulls/ Masks: The skull is present in Stephen's interactions with his Jesuit teachers. Stephen eventually associates this with priesthood.
Birds: Birds represent the freedom that Stephen longs for. Birds are also a symbol for the distant future he sees for himself.
Skulls/ Masks: The skull is present in Stephen's interactions with his Jesuit teachers. Stephen eventually associates this with priesthood.
Birds: Birds represent the freedom that Stephen longs for. Birds are also a symbol for the distant future he sees for himself.
Sources:
Shmoop Editorial Team. "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.
"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Setting - Book Drum." A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Setting - Book Drum. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.
"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Setting - Book Drum." A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Setting - Book Drum. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013