A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
(eBook)

After a scandal breaks out involving a famous Irish Nationalist politician, Stephen Dedalus finds his family being torn apart over their differing opinions of the matter. Shaken by all the fighting and animosity, Stephen begins to wonder where he can place his faith. Questioning the Irish and Catholic ideology that he was raised on, Stephen begins to rebel against expectations as he departs for college. While he excels in his studies, Stephen struggles to conform to the social norms of his college, leading him on a self-destructive path of unwise behavior. Attempting to navigate his new home life, conflicting beliefs, and his own coming-of-age, Stephen searches for his identity and struggles to belong. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce is a semi-autobiographical tale centered around finding one's identity, both separate from and amid societal expectations. First published in 1916, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man required a grueling writing and publication process, in which Joyce nearly destroyed the original draft of the novel in a fit of frustration. Written in a modernist style, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man depicts the timeless and relatable struggle of an intellectual and religious awakening. With themes of identity, religion, and family, Joyce's debut novel continues to capture the minds and hearts of modern audiences, and has inspired both film and stage adaptations.