Passion vs. Society
Portrait of the Artist: Passion versus Society The alienation of a certain individual often creates character and independent growth. It also highlights the values of a culture or a society that alienates this individual that doesn't meet its standards or its definition of being "normal." In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, Stephen Dedalus, a boy growing up in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century, tries to cast off his social, familial, and religious pressures that look down upon his pursuit in the art of writing. Through the struggles of being different and wanting something against the norm, Joyce emphasizes the values of the time period to reveal the society's lack of passion in living. Religion is used to show the value of its importance at the time period, and how it has affected their places in life. In Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen has a huge change in thought as he has an epiphany that he is going to hell. After hearing the sermon on sin and its consequences, Stephen is scared that he will forever suffer in hell. Through repenting of his sins and acting religiously, we see Stephen in a state of holiness, however, he is unhappy. His actions become very mechanical
He then vows to himself to not be constrained by the boundaries that follow in the life of religion. Joyce uses it to depict the influence on society, and its growing demand for followers. He feels he is still trapped in his labyrinth, and like Dedalus, he too one day will escape. However, we celebrate for Stephen as he takes his first steps in becoming a truly independent and happy man. And to inquire what kind of beauty is proper to each of the various arts" (193). " Religion is a factor in depicting the time period and its influence, and the perspective of the writing style portrays the society as degrading in lacking of passion. " With the reference to flight and freedom, Stephen sees birds circling above him as he felt, "a sense of fear of the unknown moved in the heart of his weariness, a fear of symbols and portents, of the hawk-like man whose name he bore soaring out of his captivity. We see Stephen's passion and happiness after following his desires in this following passage: "Her image had passed into his soul for ever and no word had broken the holy silence of his ecstasy. The alienation of the protagonists reveals the surrounding society's assumptions and harsh pressure to "jump on the wagon. He hopes to have a new soul, and arise from his melancholy state. The very last lines "Old father, old artificer, stand me now and ever in good stead" (253), show the hope of successfully accomplish his calling in art, and to live and find freedom just as the late great Dedalus did.
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