Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man sunandmike

Chapter One of James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man traces Stephen Dedalus's early childhood experiences from his toddler years through his first term at boarding school. As a baby, Stephen's world is a collage of sensations. His first memories are of his father reading him a story, his parent's distinct smells, and the colors of Dante's brushes. The young Stephen is acutely aware of heat, cold and other tactile sensations. These sensations are initially Stephen's main way of understanding and interpreting the outside world. Yet beyond his physical impressions of the world around him, Stephen forms an immature worldview based on his impressions of religion, politics, and relationships. Stephen's world is shaken up by his first semester at Clongowes, during which he is bullied, homesick, and physically ill. Through several key events, Stephen is forced to...
[ View Full Essay]