A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Identity and individuality are a major theme of James Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, in which Stephen Dedalus, the main character, takes us through his life as he matures, trying to find himself. I think that throughout the novel, Stephen could never quite find that group of people that he completely fit into and could enjoy being in company with. This separation from others is what fueled his growth into the independent young man that he eventually allowed himself to become. In the beginning, his goal seemed to be to fit in in any way possible, and the please and be accepted by as many people as he could possibly find. It was this striving for excellence, and the feeling of emptiness even when he had achieved that excellence that nurtured his passion for language, and his development into a poetic and philosophical man. He reminisced of the days of old, when Parnell had kept Ireland's old ways alive and well, but he also knew that he could not change the past, and came to realize that although he couldn't change the past, perhaps he could affect the future. I think the growth of Stephen is an integral part of this novel, and it allows the reader to examine their own lives as they read it, and decide what they truly desire out of life.

My favorite quote from this novel is: "The snares of the world were its ways of sin. He would fail. He had not yet fallen but he would fall silently, in an instant. Not to fall was too hard, too hard: and he felt the silent lapse of his soul, as it would be at some instant to come, falling, falling, but not yet fallen, still unfallen but about to fall"(175 Joyce). This excerpt struck me with its poetic, repetitive nature, and its meaning. The repetition of fall made it clear that Stephen could not figure out what was going to happen to him eventually, but he knew that something was coming. The fall that Stephen is considering is one from his current status in the novel to a level that many would probably disprove of because of what it would no longer involve. At the point when this is said in the novel, Stephen is considering becoming a priest, but he suddenly realizes that it is not his heart that is keeping it on that path, it his his fear and his familial expectations of him that are making him feel obligated to the Church. His fall is eventually one from a very highly religious state, to one of searching and self-analysis, that, as difficult as it was for him to do, is leading him to a better place in life. He knew that staying as a priest would make him dissatisfied with many things in life, and Stephen knew it was necessary for him to find out what he needed for himself. I think that is why this quote appealed to me so much, because it is about doing what you feel is right for your life, despite the potential pain and discomfort it may cause at first. Knowledge of self is more important than a false serenity in a state of illusion about who you are.

I have found that in this class, the overwhelming trend with our latest novels has been that they require a deeper analysis than some, and cannot be fully appreciated until they have been completed and left to simmer in your mind for awhile. I really enjoyed this book because it had a very obvious growth of the main character's identity, and it had a philosophical basis to it that many books do not. It was reminiscent and revolutionary and confused and amazingly insightful all at once, and the stream of consciousness of the writer, as well as his increasingly poetic tendencies throughout the novel made it all the more enjoyable.