In James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the main character Stephen Dedalus has important encounters with women that greatly influence his teenage years. The Church also plays a significant role in shaping Stephen’s life experiences. The conflicting forces of women, sexuality, and the Church pose a major challenge for Stephen. As a result, he is currently struggling with an intense crisis of identity while transitioning from being a devoted Catholic to an adolescent filled with hormones.
While sitting at the “adults” dinner table for the first time, Stephen observes his father, Mr. Casey, and Dante engaged in a heated debate regarding religion and politics in Ireland. Amidst their argument, Stephen’s mind drifts towards thoughts of Eileen.
Eileen Vance, the girl Stephen desired to marry in his youth, possessed ivory hands and golden hair. These attributes puzzled Stephen as they reminded him of the phrases “Tower of Ivory” and “House of Gold” from the Roman Catholic Litany of Our Lady. While at school, Stephen’s thoughts returned to Eileen, leading to his first sensual experience. Eileen placed her hand in Stephen’s pocket, making contact with his hand. The confusion surrounding the terms from the Litany of Our Lady caused Stephen to associate them with Eileen.
In his portrayal of the scene, James Joyce depicts how Stephen experienced the cool, thin, and soft touch of Eileen’s hand when she reached into his pocket. This description suggests that Stephen found pleasure in this sensation. However, there was one issue that arose in their relationship – Eileen being a Protestant while Stephen was a Catholic. Stephen also connects women to the image of the Virgin Mary, who was Jesus Christ’s mother. He views women as pure, much like Mary, and based on his association of Eileen with the “Tower of Ivory” and “House of Gold”, he believes her to possess qualities similar to the Virgin Mary.
One of the factors that influences Stephen’s life is the story “The Count of Monte Cristo”. While reading this story, Stephen begins to imagine Mercedes and tries to bring her to life through another girl named E.C. He feels sexual desires for E.C. but is confused and frustrated by these feelings. Stephen is aware that his thoughts and actions, such as masturbation, are considered mortal sins and he feels burdened by this knowledge.
Sadly, Stephen succumbs to his desires and visits a prostitute. This prostitute embodies the qualities he seeks in a woman – a combination of the attractive traits of Mercedes (“she came over to him and embraced him gaily and gravely, her arms held him firmly”) and the nurturing purity of a mother (“she passed her tinkling hand through his hair, calling him a little rascal”). Despite being aware of the sinful nature of his actions, Stephen yearns to depart from the natural goodness and instead desires to feel the experience of being fallen, akin to Adam or Lucifer.
Stephen feels regretful and interprets Father Arnall’s sermon as being aimed directly at him, causing him to reassess his behavior and come back to the church. His dedication to religious faith is so admirable that he receives an invitation to join the clergy.
However, this obsession leads him to crave power and respect. He fantasizes about the authority and knowledge he would gain by entering the priesthood, especially in regards to forbidden secrets about women and girls. These lustful thoughts taint his spirit with sin. Eventually, he decides that pursuing a career as an artist is preferable since it frees him from the limitations imposed by religion.
When Stephen makes a decision, another girl plays a significant role in its occurrence. While at the beach, Stephen encounters a girl who captivates him not only with her physical beauty, but also with her resemblance to an ethereal being embodying both youth and beauty. This girl surpasses all previous girls in his life. She advises Stephen to pursue art, ultimately influencing his life path.
Stephen is torn internally due to conflicting emotions arising from his personal desires and the teachings of the Catholic Church. During his teenage years, he went through a tumultuous mix of sexual desires, guilt, and confusion. A significant part of this confusion stemmed from not knowing himself well enough. He consistently grappled with understanding the expectations imposed on him by the Church and how they align with his own feelings. However, it seems that Stephen has now gained clarity regarding his desires, prompting speculation about whether he will achieve what he wants or fall back into confusion once more.
