Summary of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Summary of the Novel
James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) is a seminal modernist novel that traces the intellectual and emotional development of Stephen Dedalus, Joyce’s semi-autobiographical character, from his early childhood through to his university years, where he grapples with issues of identity, religion, nationalism, and his calling as an artist. The novel is also notable for its innovative use of stream of consciousness, a narrative technique that captures Stephen’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The novel begins with Stephen’s early memories of his family and his experiences at Clongowes Wood College, a Jesuit-run boarding school. These early scenes are depicted through the lens of a child’s perception, with fragmented thoughts and vivid sensory impressions. Stephen’s family experiences financial difficulties, which forces them to move to Dublin. There, Stephen attends another Jesuit school, Belvedere College, where he continues to …