Frustrated by his loss of faith in the Catholic Church, in his family situation, and in his cultural bonds, Stephen seeks to 'appease the fierce longings of his heart.' After wandering through the city's brothel district, he finds momentary solace with a Dublin prostitute. Stephen becomes increasingly repelled by the dead-end realities of Dublin life. This feeling of isolation is intensified during a trip with his father to Cork, where he learns more about his father's weaknesses. Despite these accomplishments, however, Stephen feels increasingly alienated from his schoolmates because of his growing religious skepticism and his deep interest in literature and writing.

Here, he develops a distinguished reputation as an award-winning essay writer and a fine actor in his school play. The success of this meeting instills in him a healthy self-confidence and ennobles him, for a moment, in the eyes of his classmates.Īfter a brief summer vacation at his home in Blackrock, Stephen learns that his father's financial reversals make it impossible to return to Clongowes Wood instead, he is enrolled in a less prestigious Jesuit day school, Belvedere College. He is unjustly humiliated and punished by the cruel prefect of studies, but after receiving encouragement from a friend, Stephen bravely (if fearfully) goes to the rector of the school and obtains justice. On returning to school, Stephen accidentally breaks his glasses and is unable to complete his classwork. Casey, leaving Stephen confused about the issues of religion and politics in the adult world. This extraordinarily happy occasion is marred by a heated political argument between Stephen's old nurse, Dante Riordan, and a dinner guest, Mr. Later, when he is probably six years old, Stephen returns home to celebrate Christmas dinner with his family and is invited, for the first time, to sit with the adults at the dinner table.

First, Stephen is pushed into an open cesspool by a bullying classmate, and, subsequently, he develops a fever which confines him to the school infirmary here, he begins to discern that he is 'different,' that he is an outsider. Moving from Stephen's infancy to his early days at Clongowes Wood College, a Jesuit boarding school for boys, Joyce focuses on three key incidents which significantly affect Stephen's personality. In this opening scene, Joyce is presenting to us the genesis of a future artist's perception and interpretation of the world.

The fragmented lines are from a childhood story and a nursery song, and are linked with family associations, sensory perceptions, and pieces of conversation. The novel begins with Stephen Dedalus' first memories, when he was about three years old.

James joyce a portrait of the artist