Stephen Dedalus's Character HELP!!!!

This is my paper topic for my Joyce class and I'm at a loss as far as getting started. If anyone has some wise words, ideas, or brainstorming to help me out I'd GREATLY appreciate it!

As much as Joyce chooses to focus on introverted Stephen througout Portrait and during the first three episodes of Ulysses, the author never lets us forget that part of Stephen's character is the way in which he interacts with others at home, in school, and as he goes about his daily routines. Choose one or two of the characters in the "supporting cast" of Stephen's life, and analyze the ways in which Joyce uses them to help complete or alter the portrait of Stephen that would otherwise consist mainly of the protagonist's own idea of himself.

Ooh, this is a really good question for this book.

I think you have a lot of choices in terms of "supporting cast" you could choose. You could analyze a couple of his friends like Cranly or Davin, and show how Stephen's ideas about language and aesthetics developed out of a dialogue with them (Cranly in particular). Another possibility is Stephan's father...you can show how Simon Dedalus' nationalism and drinking first inculcate Stephen into a certain way of thinking, but eventually lead Stephen to break away from his family, religion, and his country. Or...one of my favorites, you could go with Stephen's love interest, Emma. He sets her up as this perfect unattainable woman - showing us that he's a romantic at heart - but when we actually meet her, she's a pretty normal gal.

Here are a couple short character analyses that might help you start thinking about it: http://www.shmoop.com/characters/lit...young-man.html

Also, check out the "character roles" link in the blue sidebar; it'll help you think about how the other characters function in relation to Stephen.