A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man


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Joyce's semi-autobiographical chronicle of Stephen Dedalus' passage from university student to "independent" artist is at once a richly detailed, amusing, and moving coming-of-age story, a tour de force of style and technique, and a profound examination of the Irish psyche and society.

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Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

What are some ways in which the same impulses which draw Stephen toward religion also help him decide to become a writer?


Looking for Critical Essay

We were reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in one of my classes, and because I already read the book, I just used my own copy of it, which was a different edition than the teacher assigned, and apparently in the back of the edition the teacher has are several critical essays on the work and the teacher assigned groups dedicated to each of the essays that we are supposed to read. So I have been trying to find the critical essay online with no luck. Does anyone know where I might be able to find or obtain a copy of the essay: R. Brandon Kershner, “The Culture of Dedalus: Urban Circulation, Degeneration, and the Panopticon”


Meaning of Maroon and Green

Well I am reading this book for the second time for the sake of a class I am currently taking, and there is one thing which had confused me in my first reading, and still remain a bit uncertain about. And that was the significance of the brushes which Dante had, in which it talks about how she had one brush of maroon for Michael Davitt, and one of green for Parnell. Though I did some research on the two men and so I have the background information on who they were, but I do not see the significance of these two colors in relation to them. As the idea of connecting maroon and green to Parnell and Davitt, had appeared more than once within the story.


Chapter 3 - chapter 4 = GARBAGE

Starting midway through chapter 3, and ending midway through chapter 4, is 30-40 pages of some of the worst reading I've ever trudged through. It starts with Father Arnall talking about the upcoming holiday of Francis Xavier. Then there are like 30 something pages talking about how holy priests are and how terrible hell is and how damned Stephen feels his spirit is and how he repents and becomes holier than thou with a spotless soul and all that crud. OK JOYCE, WE GET IT. He could have condensed that entire section into 10 or less pages. The ONLY interesting part throughout that section is the repetance itself. It only ends when Stephen get's offered the opportunity of priesthood and he snaps out of his little religious trance. Like I said, we get it Joyce. We get that the extreme of sin you got to was damaging, and that the extreme of religious morality was unbearable as well. Now cut off 20-30 pages and be done with it. I almost gave up on the book as a whole, honestly, because of how bad that section was. I'm glad I havn't though, since it's picking up now and I'm really enjoying it again. Summary: If faced with the options of reading that part of Portrait again or jabbing myself in the eyes with a fork, I think I'd take the fork.


The Journal Entries

I was a bit thrown off by the ending of the story in which it seemed rather out of nowhere these journal entires were just thrown in as the last few pages of the book.


Use of repetition

I have just recently finished reading this book, and I noticed that it seemed throughout the book there were several phrases or sentences that would be repeated more than once. For example, a sentence which was used at the beginning of one paragraph will then be restated in another paragraph, and some phrases were restated two or three times though there seemed to be no real rhyme or reason to how or when it was used. In some chapters it seemed to be used more often than others, and at times it would not be done again for several pages and than he would start to do it again nor am I certain of the significance of the phrases which were chosen for the repetition. If anyone can offer any insight, it would be appreciated.


Colors used in "A Potrait of an Artist as a young man"

What is Joyce's purposeand symbolism behind the use of the colors like green, marron and yellow?


A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man question

In James Joyce's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, what is the meaning to Stephen Dedalus' poem? What recurring themes does he write about? also, how could this poem be an example of his aesthetic theory? Are you not weary of ardent ways, lure of the fallen seraphim? Tell no more of enchanted days. Your eyes have set man's heart ablaze And you have had your will of him. Are you not weary of ardent ways? Above the flame the smoke of praise Goes up from ocean rim to rim. Tell no more of encahnted days. Our broken cries and mournful lays Rise in one eucharistic hymn. Are you not weary of ardent ways? While sacrificing hands upraise The chalice flowing to the brim, Tell no more of enchanted days. And still you hold our longing gaze With languorous look and lavish limb! Are you not weary of ardent ways? Tell no more of enchanted days.


eerie symbolism

I am about half way through the book. I have just finished reading the priest's tyrade about eternal damnation. One thing i have noticed very much thusfar is the murky descriptions of everything. The streets are illit, the air is often pale, yellow fog and the word yellow itself seems to be everywhere. this symbolism has given me a very grim and gloomy perspective on Stephen's conscience and the way he is percieving his world. Has anyone else felt this way up to this point in the book? is this Joyce's intention?


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