Virginia Woolf\'s a Portrait of the Artist

Virginia Woolf's a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

In his novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce employs symbols and motifs to illustrate Stephen's maturity and growth. Joyce brings to mind the myth of Icarus and Daedalus, which help us understand Stephen's thoughts and actions. Joyce also includes such symbols as color and water to demonstrate the Stephen's development. In addition, Joyce utilizes motifs such as fire, prayer, and religion to emphasize the incredible impact religion makes on Stephen as a young boy and how it influences his decisions as a young adult.

One significant use of symbolism in "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" is the myth of Icarus and Daedalus. Like Icarus and Daedalus, Stephen is wandering and seeking his identity. Because he is on a path to self-discovery, Joyce has Stephen walk the path of many roads. For instance, Stephen is wandering the streets when he happens upon his first sexual encounter. We are told that he "wandered into a maze of narrow and dirty streets" (100). Stephen also wanders "swiftly throughout he dark streets" (139) when he is struggling with his sin. He "walked on and on through illicit streets, fearing to stand still for a moment lest it might seem that he held back from what awaited him" (140). After his confession, we are told the "muddy streets were grey" as a purified Stephen made his way home. Stephen must balance his desire to leave his country with his own abilities. To avoid making a bad decision such as Icarus did, Stephen decides to spend more time at the university and develops his craft of writing.

Stephen is also like Icarus in that he wishes to be free from what his family, friends, and teachers expect of him. This desire and the conflict it sometimes creates within Stephen is often symbolized by birds. Early in the novel, Stephen's mother tells him to apologize, or the "eagles will come and pull out his eyes" (8). As Stephen gets older, we see his desire for freedom become more important. However, Stephen realizes truth, perfection evolve into doves (169). Additionally, as Stephen yearns to be free from his world, he "desires to cry aloud, the cry of a hawk or eagle on high to cry piercingly of his deliverance to the winds. This was the call of life to his soul not the dull gross voice of the world of duties and despair. . .. An instant wild flight had delivered him" (169). Stephen also describes in great detail the birds in flight as he stand on his porch steps. He notices their flight, which was a "dark swerve, a flash again, a dart aside, a curve, a flutter of wings" (224). He also hears them "squeak like mice" (224). Even as he completely breaks the ties to his past at the end of the novel, Stephen notices and carefully describes the manner in which the birds fly and dart through the air (123). The birds are a symbol of Stephen's flight. We can see throughout the novel that Joyce is preparing use for Stephen's flight by his contact with these winged creatures.

Colors are also important symbols in Joyce's novel. The color white is often a symbol of purity. Eileen's hands are described as long thin and cool "because she was a girl" (42). Additionally, we are told that was the: meaning of Tower of Ivory but protestants could not understand it and made fun of it" (42). For example, when Stephen repents of his sin, the "alter was heaped with fragrant masses of white flowers" (146). Yellow, however is often used to represent disgust or ugliness in some way. For instance, early in the night, the yellow lamps would light up among the "squalid quarter of the brothels" (102). These symbols help us to understand how Stephen's opinion were shaped and how he carried these ideas with him throughout his life.

Water is also a powerful symbol in the novel. Water often represents a conflict that Stephen is experiencing. For example, Stephen sees the beautiful girl standing before him "midstream, along and still, gazing out to the sea" (171). It is also important to note that she is describes as a "beautiful seabird" (171). Joyce is effectively blending two worlds in this scene. This image can be seen as Stephen feels the pull between a godly life and one which admires beauty. We are told Stephen sleeps as if he is in another world and "his soul was swooning into some new world, fantastic, dim, uncertain as undersea, traversed by cloudy shapes and beings" (172). Toward the end of the novel, Stephen observes the birds and a "soft liquid joy like the Noise of many waters flowed over his memory . . . A soft liquid joy flow through the words where the soft long vowels hurtled noiselessly and fell away" (225-6). These scenes indicate that Stephen is undergoing a transformation.

One of the predominant motifs James utilizes is fire. Fire is used as a represents hell. For example, The preacher relates fire to hell and punishment. He tells them, "the fire of hell gives forth no light" (Joyce 120). He also goes into great detail describing hell, in which the brimstone burns which Such prodigious quantity fills all hell with its intolerable stench" (120). Fire is closely related to punishment and the boys are told that "fire of hell . . . was created by God to torture and punish the unrepentant sinner" (121). Additionally, the fire of hell is held in direct contrast with the waters of baptism when the preacher tell the boys that baptismal waters cleanse the soul and "fires of punishment torture the spirit with the flesh" (122). Fire and the punishment of hell are significant to Stephen's character and development.