Abstract This paper studies James Joyce's autobiographical tale of Stephen Dedalus. It discusses Stephen's growing self-awareness as a person and as an artist which causes him to dismiss the nationalism and Catholicism and to go to Paris to become a writer. It is a tale of the author's description's of Dedalus's history and what became of him. It includes several excerpts from the book which are analyzed.
From the Paper "If we were to concern ourselves strictly with plot, we might well say of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man that there is none there. Not a great deal actually happens in this essentially autobiographical tale of Stephen Dedalus, and the narrative follows no clear single trajectory of cause and effect. Rather, in one of the first important uses of stream of consciousness, Joyce tells us in this short novel about Stephen's growing self-awareness as a person and as an artist, a growing self-awareness that will cause him by the end of the book to cast off the nationalism, the Catholicism and the sense of clannishness that defines other members of his father and to set off to Paris to become a writer."
Abstract This paper explains that Linda Hogan draws on her Native American heritage as she tells a tale tinted by earthy memories of her youth in her short story "Aunt Moon's YoungMan". The author points out that the plot itself is relatively simple: A dark, lean, full-blooded Indian, who comes to town on an autumn day just as the annual fair is about to begin excites the women with his exotic good looks as well as the fact that the man is "alive in his whole body." The paper relates that the cyclical character of nature brings reassurance that balance will prevail; this storyteller incorporates several cycles to represent this balance such as the story begins in the autumn and ends in the autumn - the annual fair anchors the narrative at both ends.
From the Paper "Though Aunt Moon is obviously the central study in this story, the character of the narrator contributes to the sense of hope and renewal as well. We are told that "good Indian women" should not "learn too much from books" or "laugh too loud" or "look into the faces of men." Yet the storyteller is hopeful that she can escape such oppressive expectations. Her mother shares these great aspirations for her daughter, and college plans are made. However, with the advent of war and all the changes that it brings, the girl's education is postponed, though not ceded. She will work for a year or so in the city before returning to school, and this, too, speaks of future and hope. The cycles of nature are again invoked when the narrator's mother assures her that she's "sure as the night's going to fall" that all will work out well for her and her daughter."
Abstract This paper discusses the events that led to the spiritual evolution of Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan". The paper examines the significant events that mark moments in Stephen's life when he realizes that life is complex and that following one's dreams is not always as easy as it seems. The paper describes how Stephen develops and matures throughout the novel, evolving from a young, quiet boy into the spiritually aware artist that we see at the end of the novel.
From the Paper "One early event in Stephen's life that leaves a significant impression of Stephen is the confrontation in the schoolyard. When his schoolmates ask him whether he kisses his mother at night or not, Stephen becomes aware of a difference between them. Tracey Schwarze, in her article, "Silencing Stephen: colonial pathologies in Victorian Dublin," states that "Stephen's need for an exalted place in the school yard hierarchy is a direct result of the oppression he experiences there" (Schwarze). Stephen struggles and feels "his whole body hot and confused" (Joyce 14) because he does now the answer to the question. Both replies to this question cause the other to laugh at Stephen. As a result, Stephen tries to figure out "what was the right answer."
Abstract This paper examines how James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan" is a modern novel that can be interpreted in any number of ways. It looks at how the story is centered on Stephen Dedalus's search for himself, in general, or specifically, how to become an artist by his own definition. It explores how the inward analysis that he wallows in does not imply self-consciousness, but rather the belief in the significance of living as an individual. It also discusses whether or not the protagonist is able to become an individual by embracing the "either/or" nature of himself and the world or if he must rebel against social rules.
From the Paper "In looking at the passage from chapter five, Henke would view Dedalus as once again fleeing from his own need for balance. It is significant that the woman in his example must die ? just as the need for others must die in order for him to feel autonomous. Henke sees this as depending on binary ("either, or") logic that presents one term over the other as more important. She provides examples such as "active/passive, masculine/feminine, father/mother, head/heart, son/daughter, intelligent/sensitive, brother/sister, form/matter, phallus/vagina, reason/emotion" (296) and argues that the feminine perspective has been lost in many writings."
Abstract This paper examines the thought behind the books that James Joyce wrote, as well as the very man himself and his life. It highlights how Joyce was short-sighted and how he often used the help of others to finish his books. It also looks at how Joyce's own life influences, such as his bad vision, helped him relate to characters and situations in his books with an emphasis on "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan". The paper concludes that it is not just his blindness that made Joyce such a strong writer but also his intellectual genius.
From the Paper "Joyce's expression of the motif of blindness in describing imperfect human vision is perhaps the most obvious, literal uses of the motif. However, the genius of its implementation lies in the fact that the distorted or failed vision represents a flaw in the character who possesses it. At the beginning of the story, Dedalus' father is described as looking "at (Stephen) through a glass" (Joyce, 19), referring to a monocle. Later, Dedalus, Sr., is mocked by his son as having disastrously weak financial vision, dabbling unsuccessfully as "a medical student, an oarsman, a tenor, an amateur actor, a shouting politician, a small landlord, a small investor, a drinker, a good fellow, a story teller, somebody's secretary, something in a distillery, a tax gatherer ,a bankrupt."
Abstract The paper focuses on the motif of birds and their association with flight and explores the use and development of this theme throughout Joyce's novel "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan". The paper points out that the prevalent motif of birds and their association with flight directs the reader toward Stephen Dedalus' own artistic flight, which is essentially a mirror for Joyce's own departure from Ireland.
From the Paper "The motif of flight is presented to the reader at the novel's outset and is initially communicated through allusion. Joyce, and other writers besides, have used allusion to reference works with which the reader is assumed or expected to be familiar. "By drawing attention to it the author establishes a kind of parallel situation in which both the present work and the work alluded to illuminate each other" (Ramsey 11). The Latin epigraph which follows the book's title, "Et ignotas animum dimittit in Artes" (Joyce 6), is derived from the first century Roman poet, Ovid, and may be translated as "and he sets his mind to work upon unknown arts" (Ramsey 11). The source of the quote, Metamorphoses, is the well-known classical story of Daedalus. Daedalus is a mythological figure, a renowned craftsman who designs the famed Labyrinth of Crete for King Minos."
Abstract This paper examines James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a YoungMan" and discusses how through his novel literary techniques Joyce is trying to redefine literature so that it becomes relevant to the modern age characterized by fragmentation and alienation. The paper looks at how the protagonist in the novel is trying do discover his artistic self but, in the process, discovers loneliness, because everything that society has to offer is outmoded and redundant. The paper also discusses how, apart from the strained techniques, the novel is also worthy for its rich symbolism, which exists on many planes, and for the significant allusions to literature and culture.
From the Paper "The novel describes the several stages by which it protagonist Stephen Dedalus discovers himself as an artist. In the process he takes refuge in the conventional identities provided by society in the various stages of his growing up. But Stephen is meant for greatness, and the conventional identities are only refuges for mediocrity, and this is what he discovers time and time again. The transition from one stage to the next is marked by epiphanies - sudden bouts of realization that transform the inner self. Apart from the many minor epiphanies that accompany the growing young man, there are two major such occasions. The first is his discovery of conventional faith. The second occurs when he comes to realize that the Church is a restricting influence, and that he must escape if he is to express himself as an artist. It occurs when he must make a choice between training to be a Catholic priest, or to enter the secular domain of university."
Abstract This paper examines the main character Stephen Dedalus, in James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan", struggle with sin and society. The paper describes the main character's childhood and religious upbringing, and later his emergence into independent adulthood. The author writes that after a battle with sin followed by a religious rebirth that he can find a level of peace within himself.
From the Paper "Stephen Dedalus, in the book "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce is forced throughout his life to deal with the issue of sin. Early in his childhood he is taught the basics of right and wrong by his parents. This matter becomes complicated and fearsome under the influence of the Catholic Church, and Stephen, despite his desire to be pious, begins to question it."
Abstract This paper analyzes Stephen Daedalus' struggle for freedom in "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan", by James Joyce. It evaluates whether Stephen strives for and gains freedom, how and why he achieves his freedom, and focuses upon the master/servant relationships in the novel.
Abstract The author of this paper states that the journey to self-discovery may not always be painful but it is always rewarding. James Joyce's novel, "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan", describes such a journey, tracing the elements of Stephen's life that eventually lead him to self-realization and acceptance. This paper explains how Joyce utilizes mythology, symbolism, imagery and motifs to emphasize how Stephen matures over the years. It shows how these literary techniques help illustrate and illuminate Stephen's radical transformation.
From the Paper "To conclude, James Joyce uses many literary motifs to illustrate and emphasize the progress of Stephen's journey in his novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Stephen's path to self-discovery is influenced by references religion and mythology. In addition, Joyce employs symbolism, imagery, and motifs in the novel to bring Stephen's adventures to life. Stephen's change was not a simple or easy one. Rather, it was difficult and complicated but well worth the painful experience of growing wings and learning to fly."
Abstract This paper examines the two consciousnesses in "A Portrait of the Artist as a YoungMan" by James Joyce - that of Stephen and that of Joyce himself. The paper discusses the difference in the consciousnesses that can be seen through the temporal structure of the novel. It also looks at the chronology among the chapters and the structure within each chapter.
From the Paper "Though the novel consists of Stephen's thoughts, it isn't told through his voice until the very end. The authorial presence is observable in the overall structure of the novel, while Stephen's conscience can be seen in the stream of consciousness through which the story is told. Due to the stream of consciousness style of the novel, time is relative because the reader is never provided with an exact year and is not presented with an exact date until the very last pages of the book. Thus, Stephen is the only basis for time in the book, and therefore the structure of the novel has to be centered on him and must adapt to Stephen's dynamic character throughout his journey."
Abstract This paper discusses how in her short story "Aunt Moon's YoungMan", Linda Hogan captures some of the deepest and most fascinating aspects of her Native American culture, which make up most of the symbolism of the text. In particular, it looks at how Hogan emphasizes the differences between the Indian and the white cultures, using the imagery of windows and mirrors.
From the Paper "First of all, the mirror and the window are symbols of the domination exercised by the white culture through reflection, that is, through the construction of identities for the other. Thus, the characters in the story seem to be separated in two sets as well, Bess and Isaac as the preservers of tradition, both through their gestures and through the ways in which they live their lives, and the other members of the community as representatives of the mixed culture which emerged under the influence of the white people. When the men and women in the tribe condemn the relationship between Aunt Moon and Isaac they become symbols of the white culture, which usually attributes fixed identities and codes for behavior for every member of society."
