James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: An Analysis of images, symbols, themes

Ch.1: “Apologise - Pull out his eyes” – the confessional motif – image of Prometheus – Stephen’s first
verse and first epiphany

p.12 – Green rose – symbolism

p.14 – sensation of coldness and hotness

pp. 29-37 - Christmas dinner – controversy over religion and politics – realism

p. 33, 39-40 - The image of Eileen, the Protestant girl – Tower of ivory

p.52 - Stephen’s complaint to the Rector against Father Dolan for beating him unjustly

Assertion of his individuality

p.54 – “The cheers died away” – Second epiphany

Ch. 2: Begins in Blackrock with Uncle Charles – Gap between two schools (Clongowes Wood and
Belvedere) – p. 60 – Stephen’s family moves to Dublin

p.58 - Stephen reading The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas) – Mercedes of story and imaginary Mercedes
– Eileen – conflated

p.60 – Mercedes – the image presages the bird-girl image of Ch.4 (p.155)

p.64 – The girl on the tram

p.65 – Writing poetry to E.C. – the influence of Byron

P.67 – Belvedere

pp. 76-77: Stephen being bullied by Heron – competition, mediocrity and confessional motif.

pp. 77-78: Stephen’s psyche in quest of identity and freedom – his different commitments

p.80 – scatological language – realism

p.85 – Travelling with his father to Cork - Stephen’s anguish at the sordid sentimentality of his father

pp. 88-90: Stephen’s artistic alienation – quotes Shelley – he goes to a prostitute

Ch.3: The sermon and its effect on Stephen – 28 pages of no action

p.94 – Third epiphany – “With a sudden movement…” p. 97 – he gets the certificate of the prefecture in
the college of the sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary – he leads a hypocritical life

p.103 – the sermon during the retreat – the four last things – death, judgment, hell and heaven

p.108 – Adam and Eve (Lucifer)

p.126 – dream vision of hellish creatures – p.131 – Stephen’s confession

Ch.4 – Stephen’s remorse and penance – “Every part of his day…” – fourth epiphany p.139 – “I have
amended my life” The director – a major and fifth epiphany

P.146 – Stephen’s rejection of the offer of joining the Jesuit Order and the vocation of priesthood

p.151 – the Christian Brothers – Stephen is repelled by the ugliness

p.153 – Dedalos symbol p.155 – The bird-girl image: an epiphany

Ch.5: pp 165-66 – Davin’s confession – batlike soul of Ireland

p. 169 – Stephen’s conversation with the Dean p.172 – the subject of language – tundish or funnel?

P.173 – the university

p.178 – MacCann’s petition for universal peace– Stephen’s refusal to sign

pp 183-84 – Dialogue between Davin and Stephen – on Irish nationalism – “the soul is born…those nets”

pp. 185-86 – Dialogue between Lynch and Stephen – Stephen’s aesthetic theory

pp. 196-7 – Rose image – Dante’s white multi-foliate rose in Paradiso – the beatific vision - final
epiphany

p.202 – the swallows

p.215 – “I will not serve” – Stephen refuses Easter duty

p.223 – journal entries in first person narrative