Title: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Author: James Joyce, Irish born (1882-1941)
Date of Publication: 1914
Genre: Kunstlerroman (novel of artist), Bildungsroman (novel of education), coming of age
Writing style: stream of consciousness, Hallmarks of modernism (perspectives, thresholds, and stream consciousness) structure of epiphanies (1. Justice from rector (2. Idealization of sin, (3. Idealization of morality.), The myth (Daedalus and Icarus), structure of rebellion, structure within chapters (1. Physical immobility-moral paralysis (2. Struggle bullies, home (3. Epiphany/moment of radiance), repeated colors, symbols, images, (repetition.)
Point of View: 3rd person omniscient (narrator), 3rd person limited (thru the eyes of Stephan), 1st person (Ch. 5 diary entries)
Setting: Clongowes School, Dublin, Belvedere School, Cork
Historical Context: Parnell- Irish people disapproved of British rulers, Parnell established National Land League of boycott British, making him “uncrowned king of Ireland”, very popular among the Irish until he had an affair and abandoned the Catholic church. Myth- Daedalus makes wings out of wax for Icarus to escape labyrinth, Icarus flies too close to the sun, wings melt, Icarus falls to death.
Plot: Ch.1 Simon tells moocow story, Stephan wants to marry Eileen Vance, family disapproves, Dante tells Stephan he will pluck his eyes out if he doesn’t say sorry, classmates ridicule him, Wells pushes him into a cesspool, academic contest, thinks of different names for God, Stephan goes to Infirmary, brother Michael is nice to him, S is homesick, wonders if he will die, Parnell’s death is announced, Stephan goes home for Christmas, Mr. Dedalus and Dante fight about politics and involvement in the church, Mr. Casey weeps for Parnell, S goes back to school, Athy tells of the boys who were caught in homosexual play, Father Dolan notices S isn’t working, Father Arnall says S is excused because his