Connection #6 (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man)

In the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young, James Joyce tells the story of a young boy named Stephen Dedalus and his journey in growing as both a man and an artist. Stephen grew up sheltered from life’s troubles by his family and his Catholic governess. Stephen was a timid boy who had trouble making decisions for himself – this was apparently seen as he was often bullied by other classmates while at boarding school. As the novel progressed, Stephen’s family, where he found complete comfort, began to lose ground financially. Stephen was removed from his current boarding school and attended a cheaper school. Stephen’s father also changed. He often would drink heavily around Stephen and flirt with other women to cope with his problems. Stephen soon too began to develop problems of his own, and instead of turning to God, he turned to the “pleasures” that prostitutes gave him. This change in lifestyle not only began affecting Stephen’s spirituality, but his schoolwork as well. It wasn’t until he heard an old teacher lecture about hell, did Stephen decide to turn his life around. After growing as a man and realizing the mistakes of his past, Stephen attended “the university” and began to work as an artist. Stephen soon found out that he enjoyed being alone and wandering the countryside of Ireland more than being in a classroom filled with friends. Stephen no longer looked at women as “beasts,” but instead saw them as human beings. Stephen found himself engaging in conversations with women and enjoyed talking with them – and with one girl in particular, Emma. As the novel came to a close, Stephen finally developed the courage to talk to the one that he admired his entire life. Stephen found that he no longer needed someone to tell him how to approach her, or even what to say, he did it all on his own and had a wonderful conversation. Although the conversation only turned out to be just that, Stephen’s life came full-circle as he finally matured as a man and grew as an artist. The connection to the culminating question……