A.) "Dream of Fair Women", written by Ann Hayes, is about the difference between reality and fantasy. It is a very simple but eloquent poem that contains a message of the feminine role. The poem is written in four triplets called tercets due to their aaa-bbb-ccc rhyme scheme that make the poem very flowing and rhythmic. The poem includes some of the roles women have historically been marked with and recognizes the vast difference between the real world and the dream world and the acceptance of reality. The speaker is unidentified but I believe that it is a girl realizing that the images of the mother Mary and Eve have caused somewhat of a disillusionment of what women really are. The speaker is also coming to terms with her own fantasy world and grasping the reality that life is not perfect and no human being is without flaw. The lyrical sound of the poem makes it almost like a nursery rhyme which represents the message that, although we have been exposed to images of perfection and images of what women are supposed to be since childhood, we have to understand that these do not constitute reality. There is irony in the sound and sense of the poem being that the flowing childlike sound contradicts the underlying message that childhood fantasies are not real.
B.) The most prevalent literary device used in this poem was allusion. The poem contained allusions to Eve and the mother Mary from the bible and to sleeping beauty. These represented the images of women we have been exposed to since we were children. Eve was the foolish woman who naively fell for the devil's tricks and caused all of humankind to experience guilt and death. This reinforces the stereotype that women are always innocent, lack independence, and are in need of sheltering and protection. The allusion to sleeping beauty also contributes to the image of women as needy and reliant on the protection of men. The women are the victims that must look to the men to save them. The mother Mary represents the stereotype that women are angelic, lacking sin, and always doing good for others. Women are constantly depicted as innocent, which is something we see and imprint on from the time of our childhood. The speaker is referencing these stereotypical feminine roles to emphasize the fact that this simply is not reality. The speaker comes to terms with the fact that men are not "knights in shining armor" as is shown in the last stanza, "A sleeping beauty dreams her lover's grace,/ Opens her eyes upon a human face,/ Keeps up the human race" (Hayes 10-12) and is trying to convey the message that women are not helpless dependents either. Everyone must accept that humans are imperfect and that the image of ideal love is nothing more than a childhood fantasy. The poet also makes good use out of the repitition of "the lady gave her trust" to depict how constantly the woman is displayed as handing over her trust innocently and selflessly, as in the case with the mother Mary, to a man. Mary places her full faith in the angel Gabriel, sleeping beauty relies on the prince's kiss to save her, and Eve trusts the snake in the Garden of Eden. The repitition of this phrase emphasizes the images of women that are ingrained in our heads pretty much since we were born.
C.) I liked this poem because it was short, sweet, and to the point. It was not difficult to understand exactly what the poet was trying to say and the message was one of importance. I think alot of people have to realize that the common stereotypes our society places on the genders are foolish. Children are taught stereotypical gender roles through cartoons, music, video games, and a wealth of other things. Society tends to enforce these false images, which makes it difficult when it comes time for people to recognize and understand that relationships and people are much more complex than the Disney characters allow. I think Hayes used excellent allusions as examples of common stereotypes and they definitely helped drive home the point that women are much different than we are influenced to believe as children. I also enjoyed the contradiction between the nursery-like flow of the words and the message of breaking from childlike beliefs.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Poem 224- Desert Places
A.) This poem, by Robert Frost, describes the lonliness that is an unavoidable part of human nature and discusses the fact that lonliness is something that comes from within. The poem is a quatrain of 4 stanzas with a three-line rhyme scheme that goes AABA. The speaker is unidentified but is clearly someone who suffers from depression and feels that they are trapped with no facet for their emotions as demonstrated in the line, "With no expression, nothing to express"(Frost 12). I am going to refer to the speaker as "he" just for simplicity. The poem has a numbness that is greatly attributed to by the references to the cold and isolated aspects of nature. The poem is established in a very orderly fashion and the rhyme scheme helps it to flow smoothly. I think this contributes to the overall fact that life will go on despite the speaker's feeling of inescapable sadness. The pattern of the third line not rhyming with the rest symbolizes how pitfalls in life are a part of the human experience and we are going to hit some bumps along the way but life will continue nonetheless.
B.) Frost uses several literary devices including paradox, personification, imagery, and irony. The speaker is paralleling his emotional state of lonliness and desolation with the snow, nightfall, and infinite emptiness of space to convey the point that his lonliness is natural to him. The paradox is the fact that these vast things do not hold as much lonliness as the speaker holds within himself in his mind. The lines, "They cannot scare me with their empty spaces"(13) and "I have it in me so much nearer home/ To scare myself with my own desert places" (15-16) symbolize how the speaker feels about his lonliness. This paradox conveys the message that sometimes things seem so much bigger than they really are when we are personally experiencing them. The speaker believes he contains more lonliness and desolation, as symbolized by his "own desert places", than the entire universe. To help the reader better identify with the speaker's feelings toward his inner lonliness, Frost personifies the snow and the nightfall in the lines, "A blanker whiteness of benighted snow/ With no expression, nothing to express./ They cannot scare me with their empty spaces" (11-13). This also represents how the speaker cannot express his sadness just as the snow cannot; he is blank as well. The imagery of the poem adds to the meaning and experience of the poem also due to its ability to conjure an image within the reader's mind. The snow connotates cold, blankness, and winter, a time of death, while the nightfall conjures images of infinite darkness and lack of color and life to add to portray the speaker's utter emptiness and state of depression. Imagery also comes up in the lines, "And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,/ But a few weeds and stubble showing last"(3-4) represent how the speaker's situation is only going to get worse as the snow completely covers everything but also serves as a reminder that there is still life under the snow that will show again adding to the message that life goes on. Irony with the connotation that the stars in the line, "Between stars-on stars where no human race is"(14) brings adds to the message that things are not always as they seem, as with the speaker's feeling that his lonliness is bigger than the universe. Stars generally bring about images of inspiration, magesty, and happiness but here they are just another vast expanse of emptiness and isolation. This shows just how desperate the speaker feels toward his emotional situation.
C.) I really enjoyed the complexity of this poem that was hidden beneath the surface. Although it was definitely not an uplifting type of poem, it did represent the fact that life goes on despite anything that makes us feel like we will never be happy again. Everyone has circumstances or emotions that make them feel down and like they are just never going to feel good again but, when put in perspective, nothing is that big of a deal. Once we get past those initial feelings of loss and emptiness, we are generally able to see the bigger picture. I enjoyed the imagery of the poem as well because there are certainly times when I feel that there's just nothing I can do to pick myself out of a slump as was symbolized by the vast emptiness of the snow, night, and universe. I thought Frost did a superb job of tying in a great deal of meaning with the three-line rhyme scheme, paradox, personifcation, and irony to immensely contribute to the experience of the poem.
B.) Frost uses several literary devices including paradox, personification, imagery, and irony. The speaker is paralleling his emotional state of lonliness and desolation with the snow, nightfall, and infinite emptiness of space to convey the point that his lonliness is natural to him. The paradox is the fact that these vast things do not hold as much lonliness as the speaker holds within himself in his mind. The lines, "They cannot scare me with their empty spaces"(13) and "I have it in me so much nearer home/ To scare myself with my own desert places" (15-16) symbolize how the speaker feels about his lonliness. This paradox conveys the message that sometimes things seem so much bigger than they really are when we are personally experiencing them. The speaker believes he contains more lonliness and desolation, as symbolized by his "own desert places", than the entire universe. To help the reader better identify with the speaker's feelings toward his inner lonliness, Frost personifies the snow and the nightfall in the lines, "A blanker whiteness of benighted snow/ With no expression, nothing to express./ They cannot scare me with their empty spaces" (11-13). This also represents how the speaker cannot express his sadness just as the snow cannot; he is blank as well. The imagery of the poem adds to the meaning and experience of the poem also due to its ability to conjure an image within the reader's mind. The snow connotates cold, blankness, and winter, a time of death, while the nightfall conjures images of infinite darkness and lack of color and life to add to portray the speaker's utter emptiness and state of depression. Imagery also comes up in the lines, "And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,/ But a few weeds and stubble showing last"(3-4) represent how the speaker's situation is only going to get worse as the snow completely covers everything but also serves as a reminder that there is still life under the snow that will show again adding to the message that life goes on. Irony with the connotation that the stars in the line, "Between stars-on stars where no human race is"(14) brings adds to the message that things are not always as they seem, as with the speaker's feeling that his lonliness is bigger than the universe. Stars generally bring about images of inspiration, magesty, and happiness but here they are just another vast expanse of emptiness and isolation. This shows just how desperate the speaker feels toward his emotional situation.
C.) I really enjoyed the complexity of this poem that was hidden beneath the surface. Although it was definitely not an uplifting type of poem, it did represent the fact that life goes on despite anything that makes us feel like we will never be happy again. Everyone has circumstances or emotions that make them feel down and like they are just never going to feel good again but, when put in perspective, nothing is that big of a deal. Once we get past those initial feelings of loss and emptiness, we are generally able to see the bigger picture. I enjoyed the imagery of the poem as well because there are certainly times when I feel that there's just nothing I can do to pick myself out of a slump as was symbolized by the vast emptiness of the snow, night, and universe. I thought Frost did a superb job of tying in a great deal of meaning with the three-line rhyme scheme, paradox, personifcation, and irony to immensely contribute to the experience of the poem.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Poem 258-The Victims
A.) Sharon Olds poem "The Victims" is a personal account by a child that is now an adult and is reminiscing and venting on her childhood. I am going to refer to the speaker as her though it is not stated that the speaker and the poet are one and the same. The speaker is one of a couple of children who witnessed a bad relationship between their parents and were glad when their mother finally kicked their father out. The poem begins in the past tense discussing "when Mother divorced you" and how the kids were relieved and happy. The poem then changes to present tense as the child transitions to speaking as an adult and the mood somewhat changes to one of disappointment and loss from the previous spite. There is no real order to the poem which represents how the speaker is angry and resentful and just wants to get her words out and finally reach closure on her feelings. The sentences are all run-on and the speaker somewhat rambles to get her thoughts and memories out. There are odd breaks in the sentences indicating the speaker's emotional response to having to write out these suppressed feelings that she has obviously held with her for quite some time. The father in the poem seems to have been abusive in some way though it is not clear whether it was physical, verbal, or through neglect. I interpreted that the father was neglectful of his family, always choosing work over them, and possibly had affairs judging by the line, "your secretaries taken away,"(Olds 8). As an adult, the speaker seems more matter-of-fact and cold toward her father, basically feeling that he got what he deserved and now that so much time has passed there really is not much of a chance of ever reconciling their relationship. The mood of the second half is much more somber, accepting, and final symbolizing how the speaker has come to terms with the essential loss of any chance of a relationship with her father and her acceptance of the fact that he was selfish and only punished himself in the end. The switch from past to present tense adds to the finality of the situation and the overall fact that the speaker is done with concerning herself over her father. It is clear through the partially rushed sentences and many memories that the speaker wants to move past this disappointment and just look forward now. The structure adds to the somber mood of acceptance and need to express her repressed feelings.
B.) This poem utilizes a couple of literary devices including allusion, repition, and word choice that add to its meaning. The poet references Nixon's Watergate scandal in the lines, "Then you were fired, and we/ grinned inside, the way people grinned when/ Nixon's helicopter lifted off the South/ Lawn for the las time"(3-6). The father in the poem was compared to Nixon in that the father was the head of the household and Nixon was the head of the country and both failed to meet the standards of the people who relied on them. Both the father and Nixon were let-downs and the people around them both were happy to see them leave. The repitition in the lines "She took it and/ took it, in silence, all those years...(1-2) symbolize just how strained and emotionally taxing on the children the relationship between the parents was. This is repeated again later in the poem when the speaker is discussing how she sees bums on the street and wonders "who took it and took it from them in silence until they had/ given it all away..."(23-24) reminding the reader that she does not forget just how hurt she was by her father's behavior. The speaker mentions a list of things that were taken away when her father was fired such as the secretaries and the luncheons indicating just how much joy the children got out of seeing their father lose everything. The speaker seems very pleased to see these material possessions that were chosen over her and her family taken away from her father. She clearly feels that her father truly lost 'everything' when he lost his family but he was too selfish to see that and only really felt the pain when he lost his material goods. "Would they take your/ suits back, too, those dark/ carcasses hung in your closet"(11-13). This line particularly stuck out to me because the reference to dark carcasses in the closet evoked the connotation of skeletons in the closet which adds to my feeling that the father had affairs while on the job. The comparison of the bums which she calls "slugs" to her father emphasizes the extreme feelings of dislike and lack of respect for him. Although the second part of the poem is more sad than angry, it is not sadness directed toward the father but sadness directed at the fact that things had to turn out the way they did.
C.) I really liked this poem because I found it to be one of the most powerful that I have read so far. It is easy to put oneself in the speaker's shoes because she makes it so personal and specific that you feel like you are a part of her life. It is also easy to understand her emotions especially in today's society where divorce is so common and relationships are often times very strained and lack communication. This poem displayed just how badly a child can be affected by seeing this kind of neglectful relationship throughout their childhood and how pent up emotions can cause a great deal of psychological stress. The random pauses greatly assisted in representing what an emotional trauma the speaker has carried with her since childhood. The speaker clearly has bottled up her feelings toward her father and is finally releasing these pent up emotions so as to move on and reach closure on her loss of relationship.
B.) This poem utilizes a couple of literary devices including allusion, repition, and word choice that add to its meaning. The poet references Nixon's Watergate scandal in the lines, "Then you were fired, and we/ grinned inside, the way people grinned when/ Nixon's helicopter lifted off the South/ Lawn for the las time"(3-6). The father in the poem was compared to Nixon in that the father was the head of the household and Nixon was the head of the country and both failed to meet the standards of the people who relied on them. Both the father and Nixon were let-downs and the people around them both were happy to see them leave. The repitition in the lines "She took it and/ took it, in silence, all those years...(1-2) symbolize just how strained and emotionally taxing on the children the relationship between the parents was. This is repeated again later in the poem when the speaker is discussing how she sees bums on the street and wonders "who took it and took it from them in silence until they had/ given it all away..."(23-24) reminding the reader that she does not forget just how hurt she was by her father's behavior. The speaker mentions a list of things that were taken away when her father was fired such as the secretaries and the luncheons indicating just how much joy the children got out of seeing their father lose everything. The speaker seems very pleased to see these material possessions that were chosen over her and her family taken away from her father. She clearly feels that her father truly lost 'everything' when he lost his family but he was too selfish to see that and only really felt the pain when he lost his material goods. "Would they take your/ suits back, too, those dark/ carcasses hung in your closet"(11-13). This line particularly stuck out to me because the reference to dark carcasses in the closet evoked the connotation of skeletons in the closet which adds to my feeling that the father had affairs while on the job. The comparison of the bums which she calls "slugs" to her father emphasizes the extreme feelings of dislike and lack of respect for him. Although the second part of the poem is more sad than angry, it is not sadness directed toward the father but sadness directed at the fact that things had to turn out the way they did.
C.) I really liked this poem because I found it to be one of the most powerful that I have read so far. It is easy to put oneself in the speaker's shoes because she makes it so personal and specific that you feel like you are a part of her life. It is also easy to understand her emotions especially in today's society where divorce is so common and relationships are often times very strained and lack communication. This poem displayed just how badly a child can be affected by seeing this kind of neglectful relationship throughout their childhood and how pent up emotions can cause a great deal of psychological stress. The random pauses greatly assisted in representing what an emotional trauma the speaker has carried with her since childhood. The speaker clearly has bottled up her feelings toward her father and is finally releasing these pent up emotions so as to move on and reach closure on her loss of relationship.
Poem 295-I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
A.) This poem, by William Wordsworth, appears to be very simple but when looked at closely actually contains a great deal of meaning. The poem discusses the speaker's lonliness and how, when he is feeling down, he gets joy out of thinking upon the daffodils dancing in the breeze. This small natural occurence evokes happiness and inspiration in the speaker. The message of the poem is that sometimes the small things that often times go unnoticed in life are enough to bring about great thought and cheer and that nature is something that should be admired. Though the speaker is not identified, you may be able to connect the speaker to the poet as taken from the line, "A poet could not but by gay,"(Wordsworth 15). This line, of course, does not necessarily tie the speaker to the poet but it is a possibility. It is a quatrain-couplet, having four stanzas of six lines each all of approximately equal length. The poem has an ABABCC rhyme scheme that goes along superbly with the lyrical flow of the words. The rhyme scheme and orderly nature of the poem add to the overall pleasant and peaceful tone. The speaker begins by comparing himself to a wandering cloud which depicts his desolation and even possibly depression at times and then goes into the descriptions of the swaying daffodils and the joy they arise symbolizing simplicity and the inevitable bond between humans and nature. The rhyme scheme, numerous references to nature, and set-up of the poem enhance its ability to flow off the tongue which adds to the meaning and tone of the poem. It is clear through the poet's lay-out and word-choice that the poem is one of harmony with nature and is supposed to provoke happiness and warmth.
B.) Wordsworth utilizes numerous literary devices to enhance the quality of his poem. The most prevalent device was definitely the imagery provided. The images of the daffodils "twinkling", "tossing their heads in sprightly dance" and out-doing "the sparkling waves in glee" immensely contributed to the beauty and natural feel of the poem. The pictures brought on by these words attributed to the power of the poem as a whole. The continuous personification of nature as with the daffodils, "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance"(12) and the waves with,"The waves beside them danced..."(13) and the comparison between the speaker and a wandering cloud add to the message that humans are entwined with nature. Wordsworth writes, "I gazed- and gazed- but little thought, What wealth the show to me had brought:"(17-18). This repition of the speaker "gazing" symbolizes the substantial impact this simple scene had on him. I liked the poet's word choice of 'wealth' as well because I think it makes the statement that material possessions are not the only things that make up wealth. Wealth can be a variety of things even though most people tend to look at it in terms of financial success and materialistic possessions. He did not realize just how alluring and magnificent nature could be until he realized that the scene had a great effect on him being that he later writes, "They flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude;" (21-22), meaning that the scene is imprinted in his memory and comforts him in his lonliness. The phrase "bliss of solitude" also stuck out to me because it seems to me that the speaker struggles somewhat with lonliness. He clearly does not completely dislike being alone as he describes solitude as 'bliss' but it seems that he only enjoys solitude in moderation. I interpreted from the poem that he gets tired of being on his own at times which is why he searches for things such as the daffodils to keep his attention and lift his spirits.
C.) This poem struck me because of its pleasurable, magestic quality. It is definitely a feel-good type poem which holds alot of meaning. It is considerably deeper than it appears when just reading through quickly. I personally felt I could relate to this poem because there are many things in life that bring about happiness even though they are small and may seem insignificant. Sometimes the simple beauty of nature can be extremely uplifting and help you out of a slump. I found the poem to be inspirational and enjoyed the rhythmical flow of the lines. I also liked how the sound and sense of the poem went together smoothly in that both the topic and the flow of the poem were calm and relaxing.
B.) Wordsworth utilizes numerous literary devices to enhance the quality of his poem. The most prevalent device was definitely the imagery provided. The images of the daffodils "twinkling", "tossing their heads in sprightly dance" and out-doing "the sparkling waves in glee" immensely contributed to the beauty and natural feel of the poem. The pictures brought on by these words attributed to the power of the poem as a whole. The continuous personification of nature as with the daffodils, "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance"(12) and the waves with,"The waves beside them danced..."(13) and the comparison between the speaker and a wandering cloud add to the message that humans are entwined with nature. Wordsworth writes, "I gazed- and gazed- but little thought, What wealth the show to me had brought:"(17-18). This repition of the speaker "gazing" symbolizes the substantial impact this simple scene had on him. I liked the poet's word choice of 'wealth' as well because I think it makes the statement that material possessions are not the only things that make up wealth. Wealth can be a variety of things even though most people tend to look at it in terms of financial success and materialistic possessions. He did not realize just how alluring and magnificent nature could be until he realized that the scene had a great effect on him being that he later writes, "They flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude;" (21-22), meaning that the scene is imprinted in his memory and comforts him in his lonliness. The phrase "bliss of solitude" also stuck out to me because it seems to me that the speaker struggles somewhat with lonliness. He clearly does not completely dislike being alone as he describes solitude as 'bliss' but it seems that he only enjoys solitude in moderation. I interpreted from the poem that he gets tired of being on his own at times which is why he searches for things such as the daffodils to keep his attention and lift his spirits.
C.) This poem struck me because of its pleasurable, magestic quality. It is definitely a feel-good type poem which holds alot of meaning. It is considerably deeper than it appears when just reading through quickly. I personally felt I could relate to this poem because there are many things in life that bring about happiness even though they are small and may seem insignificant. Sometimes the simple beauty of nature can be extremely uplifting and help you out of a slump. I found the poem to be inspirational and enjoyed the rhythmical flow of the lines. I also liked how the sound and sense of the poem went together smoothly in that both the topic and the flow of the poem were calm and relaxing.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A.) Theme- Break from conformity.
A crucial aspect of Stephen Dedalus' development into an artist was his necessity to break away from the conformity, both religious and idealistic, within Ireland at the time. Stephen had to come to terms with the fact that he was different from most of his peers and from his family; he preferred solitude and was intellectually deeper. Stephen did not merely want to know the hard facts and figures, he wanted to understand why and how things worked. "He saw the heads of his classmates meekly bent as they wrote in their notebooks the notes they were bidden to note, nominal definitions, essential definitions..."(Joyce 192). Stephen feels that he is on a higher level of thinking than his classmates; he is more intrigued by the thought process and the meaning behind the words. As Stephen gradually progresses in his stages as an artist, he recognizes his need to overcome the religious and national "nets" that have been inflicted upon him since he was born. He wants the chance to experience life as a human being and make his own choices and develop his own opinions based upon those experiences.
Stephen realizes that the language he speaks, the religion he has been indoctrinated with, and the expectation to fight for Irish independence are all obstacles that block his path to individuality. He has to overcome these obstacles to accomplish his goal of intellectual freedom as an artist. His progression throughout the novel involves his gradual break from the Catholic church. He also leaves the university recognizing that he was not going to find the kind of knowledge and intellectual intrigue he had hoped to find there. Stephen somewhat isolates himself from society in order to complete his transition into an artist due to his need to be free of other's beliefs and ideals. Somewhat of an awakening occurs within Stephen once he realizes his difference from others and accepts it. "Away then: it is time to go. A voice spoke softly to Stephen's lonely heart, bidding him go and telling him that his friendship was coming to an end"(267). Stephen had been semi-torn, but it seems at this point that he has come to terms with the fact that he is not similar to those his age and even his good friend Cranly is too at odds with him. Stephen decides finally that it is better off for all that he live his life very much in solitude where he can pursue what he wants to accomplish without being affected by or offending others.
B.) "My ancestors threw off their language and took another, Stephen said. They allowed a handful of foreigners to subject them. Do you fancy I am going to pay in my own life and person debts they made?"(220).
This quote is yet another example of Stephen's search for independence from the ideals of others. He resents the hypocracy of the Irish society in expecting their youth to fight for Irish independence when it was their ancestors who accepted defeat. Stephen feels that he should not be burdened with the responsibility of fighting for Irish freedom when it was not he who made the choice to give it up. Again this is a matter of Stephen's desire to be given a choice in his fate. Just because he was born in a country does not mean that he should be automatically endowed with its obligations. Stephen remains insistent upon this view despite the fact that his friends are all for Irish independence from England. He denies conformity and holds true to his beliefs throughout the entire novel. Stephen is not affected in the slightest by what his peers think about him and he is not at all reluctant to speak his mind.
This quote really struck me especially in relation to the war currently going on. Stephen does not consider it unpatriotic or disloyal to refuse to fight for Ireland. "No honourable and sincere man, said Stephen, as given up to you his life and his youth and his affections..."(220). Stephen reasons that he is not going to risk his life and sacrifice his youth when no one has ever offered an equivalent sacrifice for him. I think this quote defined Stephen's character by the end of the novel. He had started out unsure of himself and of what he believed in, imprinting upon his family's and friend's beliefs, and gradually developed into his own person throughout the course of the novel. This quote shows Stephen's strength of character and willingness to defend what he believes in.
C.) I really enjoyed the symbolism in this novel and felt that Joyce did an excellent job of thoroughly depicting the stages of Stephen's development. I liked the way the point of view switched from third to first person to represent Stephen's completion into an individual and an artist. I liked the recurring references to the Daedulus myth and birds as symbols of flight and freedom. I also admired Stephen's character in that he fought for what he believed in and genuinely was unaffected by what others thought of him. Stephen had somewhat of a "take me or leave me" type attitude in that he did not really reach out to others or depend on others. I felt Joyce did a really good job of paralleling Stephen's gradual intellectual development with the language and word choice of the novel. Although this novel, in my opinion, was definitely the most difficult to understand out of the novels we have read so far this year, it was also my favorite. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man contained alot of depth and meaning far beyond the surface words. Stephen's theory on esthetics, though very confusing, offered a very valid and thought-provoking question of what one considers beautiful and for what reason. Overall I enjoyed both Joyce's language and style and the message of the novel.
A crucial aspect of Stephen Dedalus' development into an artist was his necessity to break away from the conformity, both religious and idealistic, within Ireland at the time. Stephen had to come to terms with the fact that he was different from most of his peers and from his family; he preferred solitude and was intellectually deeper. Stephen did not merely want to know the hard facts and figures, he wanted to understand why and how things worked. "He saw the heads of his classmates meekly bent as they wrote in their notebooks the notes they were bidden to note, nominal definitions, essential definitions..."(Joyce 192). Stephen feels that he is on a higher level of thinking than his classmates; he is more intrigued by the thought process and the meaning behind the words. As Stephen gradually progresses in his stages as an artist, he recognizes his need to overcome the religious and national "nets" that have been inflicted upon him since he was born. He wants the chance to experience life as a human being and make his own choices and develop his own opinions based upon those experiences.
Stephen realizes that the language he speaks, the religion he has been indoctrinated with, and the expectation to fight for Irish independence are all obstacles that block his path to individuality. He has to overcome these obstacles to accomplish his goal of intellectual freedom as an artist. His progression throughout the novel involves his gradual break from the Catholic church. He also leaves the university recognizing that he was not going to find the kind of knowledge and intellectual intrigue he had hoped to find there. Stephen somewhat isolates himself from society in order to complete his transition into an artist due to his need to be free of other's beliefs and ideals. Somewhat of an awakening occurs within Stephen once he realizes his difference from others and accepts it. "Away then: it is time to go. A voice spoke softly to Stephen's lonely heart, bidding him go and telling him that his friendship was coming to an end"(267). Stephen had been semi-torn, but it seems at this point that he has come to terms with the fact that he is not similar to those his age and even his good friend Cranly is too at odds with him. Stephen decides finally that it is better off for all that he live his life very much in solitude where he can pursue what he wants to accomplish without being affected by or offending others.
B.) "My ancestors threw off their language and took another, Stephen said. They allowed a handful of foreigners to subject them. Do you fancy I am going to pay in my own life and person debts they made?"(220).
This quote is yet another example of Stephen's search for independence from the ideals of others. He resents the hypocracy of the Irish society in expecting their youth to fight for Irish independence when it was their ancestors who accepted defeat. Stephen feels that he should not be burdened with the responsibility of fighting for Irish freedom when it was not he who made the choice to give it up. Again this is a matter of Stephen's desire to be given a choice in his fate. Just because he was born in a country does not mean that he should be automatically endowed with its obligations. Stephen remains insistent upon this view despite the fact that his friends are all for Irish independence from England. He denies conformity and holds true to his beliefs throughout the entire novel. Stephen is not affected in the slightest by what his peers think about him and he is not at all reluctant to speak his mind.
This quote really struck me especially in relation to the war currently going on. Stephen does not consider it unpatriotic or disloyal to refuse to fight for Ireland. "No honourable and sincere man, said Stephen, as given up to you his life and his youth and his affections..."(220). Stephen reasons that he is not going to risk his life and sacrifice his youth when no one has ever offered an equivalent sacrifice for him. I think this quote defined Stephen's character by the end of the novel. He had started out unsure of himself and of what he believed in, imprinting upon his family's and friend's beliefs, and gradually developed into his own person throughout the course of the novel. This quote shows Stephen's strength of character and willingness to defend what he believes in.
C.) I really enjoyed the symbolism in this novel and felt that Joyce did an excellent job of thoroughly depicting the stages of Stephen's development. I liked the way the point of view switched from third to first person to represent Stephen's completion into an individual and an artist. I liked the recurring references to the Daedulus myth and birds as symbols of flight and freedom. I also admired Stephen's character in that he fought for what he believed in and genuinely was unaffected by what others thought of him. Stephen had somewhat of a "take me or leave me" type attitude in that he did not really reach out to others or depend on others. I felt Joyce did a really good job of paralleling Stephen's gradual intellectual development with the language and word choice of the novel. Although this novel, in my opinion, was definitely the most difficult to understand out of the novels we have read so far this year, it was also my favorite. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man contained alot of depth and meaning far beyond the surface words. Stephen's theory on esthetics, though very confusing, offered a very valid and thought-provoking question of what one considers beautiful and for what reason. Overall I enjoyed both Joyce's language and style and the message of the novel.
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