A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age by James Joyce, published in 1916. It is the story of the growth and education of Stephen Dedalus, an alter-ego for Joyce. The work pioneers some of Joyce's modernist techniques that would later come to fruition in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

Related Topics:
Autobiographical - Coming-of-age - James Joyce - 1916 - Stephen Dedalus - Modernist - Ulysses - Finnegans Wake

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The prime example of the Künstlerroman in the English literature, Joyce's novel traces the intellectual and religio-philosophical awakening of young Stephen Dedalus as he begins to question and rebel against the Catholic conventions he has been brought up in.

Related Topics:
Künstlerroman - Catholic

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The book is most noted for its stream of consciousness style that sets out to write exactly what the protagonist is thinking. Since the work covers the author aging from a young child to a man, the style of the work is very different in each of its five sections, with the complexity and vocabulary gradually increasing. Stylistically, the novel is mostly written as a third person narrative, though towards the end of the book dialogue and finally journal entries by Stephen are relied on instead to mirror his alienation from society.

Related Topics:
Stream of consciousness - Third person - Narrative - Dialogue

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The book is set in Joyce's native Ireland, especially in Dublin. It deals with many Irish issues such as the quest for autonomy and the role of the Catholic church.

Related Topics:
Ireland - Dublin - Autonomy - Catholic church

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The title has been plagiarised and parodied by many writers including Dylan Thomas' Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.

Related Topics:
Dylan Thomas - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog

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