A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

The journey of a young artist is displayed through Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce's novel. Whether or not this is Joyce's own self-portrayal, it accurately details the ups and downs that comes with finding yourself; especially when you are pressured by family, society, and religion. Throughout the novel, we see an emerging young man caught up in the conflicts of deciding to find his own internal happiness or living for other people in a false sort of ignorant bliss. This novel, with its creative manipulation of diction and language, portrays struggles any adolescent may face. Coming to terms with maturing, being introduced to sex and self-satisfaction, and determining a belief system that works for the individual inside of you are just a few of the conflicts we see Stephen deal with.

By the end of the novel, we see an obvious change and growth in Stephen. He finally realizes that his personal happiness will come from sacrificing his comfort and embracing life outside of the world he knows. On page 269, he states, "You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not afraid to make a mistake, even a great mistake, a lifelong mistake and perhaps as long as eternity too." These statements represent an intellectual prosperity from the child we saw in Stephen at the beginning of the novel. Stephen, who once cringed at the thought of sex but still fell into its temptation, now openly can accept it as a part of life. No longer does he avert his eyes from women, no longer is he a good catholic just because he fears damnation and hell, and no longer will he attempt to satisfy society without first thinking of his own individual happiness.

Although at times, Joyce's writing was descript and so in-depth it got hard to follow, overall I enjoyed the novel. I thought it's themes and the portrayal of an emerging individual were extremely accurate still to this day. The journey Stephen goes through is a journey that many individuals deal with. Also, the diction and way in which Joyce writes and re-creates some scenes is extremely talented. I have never see an author grasp the realities of religous experiences and portray them more properly than James Joyce did in this novel.