A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is an extraordinary story about Stephen Dedalus and how he is effected by the Catholic religion. Stephen grows up with his nationality and faith playing a gigantic role in his life. His community has many religious expectations that he learns to live by. Eventually, Stephen decides that that is not what he wants out of life. He eventually gives all of it up to pursue his dream of being a writer.
             While Stephen is young, his Irish nationality and Catholic faith heavily influence him. At Clongowes Wood College, he attended a strict Catholic boarding school. In the beginning Stephen is lonely and homesick while attending the school, but as time goes by, he finds friendship among the other boys. While at school, he is a devout Christian. "He had to undress and then kneel and say his own prayers and be in bed before the gas was lowered so that he might not go to hell when he died" (Joyce 30). He would pray like this because the Catholic faith made him feel like a sinner and Stephen did not want to go to hell. Stephen planned to end up in heaven when he died.
             Stephen's first sexual experience takes place with a Dublin prostitute. He had only wanted to be held by her. His lips would not kiss her. "With a sudden movement she bowed his head and joined her lips to his and he read the meaning of her movements in her frank uplifted eyes" (Joyce 109). He then lost all strength and surrendered to her kiss. This began to make him feel guilty and shameful. He then tries to reconcile his physical desires with the stern Catholic morality of his surroundings.
             During a period of time, he completely ignores his religious upbringing, throwing himself with debauched abandon into a variety of sins. Some of these sins include masturbation, gluttony, and more visits to prostitutes. Eventually he goes on a three-day religious retreat, Stephen hears a trio of fiery sermons about sin, ju...