A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Joyce that follows the formative years of Stephen Dedalus, a young man grappling with issues of identity, culture, and artistic expression. Set against the backdrop of late 19th-century Ireland, the story explores Stephen's experiences in school, where he faces bullying due to his name and sensitivity, as well as the complex dynamics within his family, particularly regarding the contentious legacy of political figure Charles Stewart Parnell.
As Stephen navigates the challenges of adolescence, he becomes increasingly aware of the societal and religious expectations placed upon him. His encounters with authority figures, such as Father Dolan, and his struggles with morality and sin reflect his internal conflict about faith and self-identity. The novel delves into Stephen's awakening to the complexities of love and desire, alongside his growing disillusionment with traditional institutions, including the Church and the Irish nationalist movement.
Ultimately, Stephen's journey leads him to reject the constraints of his upbringing, aspiring to forge his own artistic path. He resolves to leave Ireland, seeking to express his vision of beauty and truth in a world beyond his homeland. The narrative captures the tensions between personal ambition and cultural heritage, which resonate with many seeking their own voice in a multifaceted society.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
First published: 1914–15, serial; 1916, book
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Bildungsroman
Time of plot: 1882–1903
Locale: Ireland
Principal Characters
Stephen Dedalus , an Irish studentSimon Dedalus , his fatherEmma , his friend
The Story
When Stephen Dedalus goes to school for the first time, his last name soon gets him into trouble. It sounds too Latin, and the boys tease him about it. The other boys see that he is sensitive and shy, and they begin to bully him. School is filled with unfortunate incidents for Stephen. He is happy when he gets sick and is put in the infirmary away from the other boys. Just before the Christmas holidays, and again in the infirmary, he worries about dying and death. As he lay on the bed thinking, he hears the news of Charles Stewart Parnell’s death. The death of the great Irish leader is the first date he remembers—October 6, 1891.
At home during vacation time, he learns more of Parnell. Stephen’s father, Simon Dedalus, worships the dead man’s memory and defends him on every count. Stephen’s aunt, Dante Riordan, despised Parnell as a heretic and a rabble-rouser. The fierce arguments that they get into every day burn themselves into Stephen’s memory. He worships his father, and his father says that Parnell had tried to free Ireland, to rid it of the priests who were ruining the country. Dante insists that the opposite is true. A violent defender of the priests, she levels every kind of abuse against Simon and his ideas. The disagreement between them becomes a problem that, in due time, Stephen will have to solve for himself.
Returning to school after the holidays, Stephen gets in trouble with Father Dolan, one of the administrators of the church school he attends. Stephen has broken his glasses, and he cannot study until a new pair arrives. Father Dolan sees that Stephen is not working, and thinking that his excuse about the glasses is false, he beats the boy’s hands. For once, the rest of the boys are on Stephen’s side, and they urge him to complain to the head of the school. With fear and trembling, Stephen goes to the headmaster and presents his case. The head understands and promises to speak to Father Dolan about the matter. When Stephen tells the boys about his conversation, they hoist him in their arms like a victorious fighter and call him a hero.
Afterward, life is much easier for Stephen. Only one unfortunate incident marks the term. In the spirit of fun, one of his professors announces in class that Stephen has expressed heresy in one of his essays. Stephen quickly changes the offending phrase and hopes that the mistake will be forgotten. After class, however, several of the boys accuse him not only of being a heretic but also of liking Lord Byron, whom they consider an immoral man and therefore no good as a poet. In replying to their charges, Stephen has his first real encounter with the problems of art and morality. They are to follow him throughout his life.
On a trip to Cork with his father, Stephen is forced to listen to the often-told tales of his father’s youth. They visit the places his father had loved as a boy. Each night, Stephen is forced to cover up his father’s drunkenness and sentimental outbursts. The trip is an education in everything Stephen dislikes. At the end of the school year, Stephen wins several prizes. He buys presents for everyone, starts to redo his room, and begins an ill-fated loan service. As long as the money lasts, life is wonderful. One night, when his money is almost gone, he is enticed into a house by a woman wearing a long pink gown. He learns what love is at age sixteen.
Not until the school holds a retreat in honor of Saint Francis Xavier does Stephen realize how deeply conscious he is of the sins he has committed with women. The sermons of the priests about heaven and hell, especially about hell, eat into his mind. At night, his dreams are of nothing but the eternal torture that he feels he must endure after death. He cannot bear to make confession in school. At last, he goes into the city to a church where he is unknown. There he opens his unhappy mind and heart to an understanding and wise old priest, who advises him and comforts his soul. After the confession, Stephen promises to sin no more, and he feels sure that he will keep his promise. For a time, Stephen’s life follows a model course. He studies Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle and wins acclaim from his teachers. One day, the director of the school calls Stephen into his office; after a long conversation, he asks him if he had ever thought of joining the order of the Jesuits. Stephen is deeply flattered. Priesthood becomes his life’s goal.
When Stephen enters the university, however, a change comes over his thinking. He begins to doubt, and the longer he studies, the more confused and doubtful he becomes. His problems draw him closer to two of his fellow students, Davin and Lynch, and farther away from Emma, a girl for whom he had felt affection since childhood. He discusses his ideas about beauty and the working of the mind with Davin and Lynch. Stephen will not sign a petition for world peace, winning the enmity of many of the fellows. They call him antisocial and egotistic. Finally, neither the peace movement, the Irish Revival, nor the Church itself could claim his support.
Davin is the first to question Stephen about his ideas. When he suggests to Stephen that Ireland should come first in everything, Stephen answers that to him Ireland is an old sow that ate her offspring.
One day, Stephen meets Emma at a carnival, and she asks him why he had stopped coming by to see her. He answers that he had been born to be a monk. When Emma says that she thinks him a heretic instead of a monk, his last link with Ireland seems to be broken. At least he is not afraid to be alone. If he wants to find and to understand beauty, he has to leave Ireland, where there is nothing in which he believes. His friend’s prayers, asking that he return to the faith, go unanswered. Stephen gathers his belongings, packs, and leaves Ireland, intending never to return. He does intend to write a book someday that will make clear his views on Ireland and the Irish.
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