A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Characters Analysis
Stephen Daedalus - The protagonist of the novel comes from a rich Irish protestant family, but as Stephen grows older his family begins to face dire financial consequences brought up primarily by his father’s poor character. Stephen is an impressionable individual from a very young age, and this is the characteristic that makes him eventually pursue the career path of an artist. Stephen struggles to understand himself and his pursuit is further complicated by his family’s trying circumstances. After being disillusioned by the secular world of politics that his father represents, Stephen tries to immerse himself in the religious world that his mother follows, but alas this does not allow him to feel complete. Ultimately, Stephen realizes that he needs to leave behind all the institutions that hold him back from utter freedom, and he sets out to become an artist without their burden.
Simon Daedalus - Stephen’s father inherits a large fortune from his family, but he ruins all of it in pursuit of several ill-thought-out enterprises. The novel begins with a short poem that Stephen had been taught by his father, and it indicates the significant place that he occupied in Stephen’s world. As time progresses, Simon Dedalus begins to appear less and less frequently in Stephen’s thoughts. The few times that he does appear, Stephen cannot help but feel a certain disdain for his father’s character. Simon Dedalus is perceived to be a lecherous man with a drinking problem, who is incapable of preserving the fortune that he had been entrusted with. Moreover, Simon expresses patriotic feelings for Ireland’s struggle for independence which causes Stephen to wish to disassociate from the country since he feels it is so closely linked to his father.
Mrs. Daedalus - Stephen’s mother appears far less frequently in the narrative than his father, but she is shown to possess a more admirable character than his father. She tries to be a good parent to Stephen throughout the difficult circumstances that come before them and is deeply religious. Stephen’s attempt to discover through religion is his attempt to follow in the footsteps of his mother, but he ultimately decides he cannot become a priest. In the final chapter, Mrs. Dedalus precipitates the final crisis that leads Stephen to choose freedom for himself. She becomes very upset with him when she tells him that he must attend the Easter church service. After discussing the matter with Cranly, Stephen decides that he is going to leave his family, country, and education behind to pursue his artistic ambitions.
Cranly - He is shown to be one of Stephen’s closest friends, and he meets him at the university. The presence of Cranly in Stephen’s life indicates the changes that he has undergone since his adolescence. Stephen is no longer awkward and alienated but is vocal and communicative enough to create a social circle for himself. Stephen seems to hold Cranly in very high regard and takes him aside from his other friends to talk to him about the situation with his mother. Cranly tries to show Stephen an alternative view of his conundrum and asks him to comply with his mother’s wishes. However, Stephen realizes during his conversation with Cranly that he has already determined that he needs to free himself from all of the ties that bind him to live in any other way than he wishes.
