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 and meaningless. At the end, Stephen has another epiphany when he hears his name in Greek and he compares himself to the great Dedalus. He hopes to have a new soul, and arise from his melancholy state. Although his family and the director of his school pressure him to follow the path of priesthood, Stephen realizes it is incompatible for his passion and love for sensual beauty. Once Stephen goes for a walk on the beach, he sees a young girl and is struck by her beauty. In another moment of epiphany, he realizes he is not ashamed of his passion and desire of beauty. He then vows to himself to not be constrained by the boundaries that follow in the life of religion. We see Stephen's pas...