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Flight
Stephen Dedalus's very name embodies the idea of flight. Stephen's namesake, Daedalus,
is a figure from Greek mythology, a renowned craftsman who designs the famed
Labyrinth of Crete for King Minos. Minos keeps Daedalus and his son Icarus imprisoned
on Crete, but Daedalus makes plans to escape by using feathers, twine, and wax to
fashion a set of wings for himself and his son. Daedalus escapes successfully, but Icarus
flies too high. The sun's heat melts the wax holding Icarus's wings together, and he
plummets to his death in the sea.
Symbolic:
The characters of the novel are symbolic.By context,speech,action,the figure of cranly
Becomes more nearly definite.That last interview which drives Stephen to exile
Concentrates in Cranly the forces of admission submission,confession and retreat
And he becomes the expression of all that has plagued the imperfect hero.Since
Stephen has been identified with the name Ox.Thus, we find that characters are no
Less symbolical.
where truth is revealed and understanding is truly forged. These moments, whether they
concern Stephen's own sense of self his relationship to the world, help Stephen advance
his own identity as well as allowing him to forge his "non- serviam credo." Epiphanies
permit Stephen to advance both his own consciousness as well the narrative structure of
the text, as greater understanding is revealed to us in terms of voice as a result of the
epiphanies. Through Joyce's use, Stephen's epiphanies help Stephen better understand
himself and help the reader better understand Stephen.