A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Q&A

Stephen Dedalus prays to the ‘great artificer’ at the end of the novel, referring to the Greek myth of the inventor Daedalus who had been commanded to create the maze by King Minos of Crete to keep the monster Minotaur imprisoned. Later, Daedalus was imprisoned in the same maze when King Minos discovered that he had aided Theseus in defeating the Minotaur. Stephen’s prayer to Daedalus can be seen as his decision to treat his art and his imagination as the ultimate authority of his life.

Stephen observes his father’s vices such as drunkenness, lechery, and greed along with the poor condition of his household that continues to worsen. He recognizes his father as a hypocrite who had treated his wife and family very poorly while preaching the doctrine of being a good catholic and patriot.

Stephen possesses an extremely powerful imagination, and his temporary piety is inspired mostly by his imaginings of hell. His disillusionment with religion becomes apparent after his underwhelming confession. However, he truly walks away from religion during his time on the beach after he has made the decision not to pursue the path to priesthood. He observes a beautiful woman walking in the water and decides that the appreciation of transcendental beauty cannot be a sin.

Ireland’s struggle for Independence is an avidly discussed subject in Stephen’s life. The first chapter features an explosive argument between Stephen’s governess and his father’s friend, and it leaves a heavy impression on Stephen. His father is an avid supporter of the movement, and Stephen associates the secular world of Irish politics with his father. Stephen finally realizes that he needs to shed off all the chains that bind his art, and he sees his nationality as one of these chains.