NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
In the Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce creates a deeply personal and emotional portrait to every man. Joyce's main character, Stephen Dedalus, encounters universal feelings of detachment, guilt, and awakening. Rather than stepping back and remembering the characteristics of infancy and childhood from and adult perspective, Joyce uses the language the infant was enveloped in. Joyce also uses baby Stephens viewpoint to reproduce features of infancy. In Joyce's first chapter, crucial characteristics of Stephens individuality are established. Stephens first memory as a child begins with storytelling.
Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moscow coming down along the road and this moscow that was coming down along the road met a nice little boy named tucson (Portrait, 7). From the start, Stephens lines are riddled with poetic sound and rhythm. Joyce demonstrates Stephens control over words with the babys first stream of consciousness. As Stephens thoughts continue, Joyce inflects the babys relationship to each of his parents through imagery. His father looked at him through a glass. His father had a hairy face (Portrait, 7).
The glass that the father uses to look at baby Stephen is the very glass that keeps the father and son separate throughout the novel. Although the glass should aid Mr. Dedalus to see Stephen more clearly, closer up, the glass limits the fathers mind and perceptions. As Stephen grows older, the two literally view each other through the beer glass raised above Mr. Dedalus chin. Similarly, his fathers hairy face visibly separates the two.
Mr. Dedalus exemplifies the standard man, one who loves sports, drink and women. Stephens enjoyment of words and lack of facial hair help him later understand how foreign and different he is from his father. Despite the lack of affection between Stephen and his father, Stephen shares a fondness for his mother.
His mother had a nicer smell than his father. She played on the piano danced (Portrait, 7). When Stephen wet the bed she even put on the oil-sheet. That had a queer smell (Portrait, 7). Because of the affinity Stephen developed for his mother as an infant, the queer smell of urine brings Stephen comfort. This comforting, childhood association is attributed to the Freudian theory developed prior to the novel.
Freud's influence upon Joyce is also evident in exemplifying Stephens Oedipal complex early in the novel. This complex creates a detrimental conflict for Stephen throughout the novel. Guilt is instilled in Stephen at a very young age for sexual thoughts. O, Stephen will apologize not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes. Apologize, apologize, pull out his eyes (Portrait, 8). Because of this shame, Stephen grows up torn between women resembling his nurturing mother, the ivory tower, and women such as Eileen, seductive temptresses.
Joyce foreshadows Stephens alienation from Ireland and the Catholic Church with the childs isolation from his classmates. As a boy, Stephen was not concerned with the charge and thud of the footballers [or how] the greasy leather orb flew (Portrait, 8). Rather, Stephen always had more important matters on his mind. Joyce opposes the treatment of childhood as an abstract, self-contained period before the emergence of personal character. He sees this as rendering the past meaningless. Rather, Joyce imagines early childhood as a time when the self is formed and the shape of its surroundings cut out.
Free research essays on topics related to: pull out his eyes, joyce, stephens, portrait, stephen
Research essay sample on Pull Out His Eyes Coming Down Along The Road Stephen
