Portrait of the Young Artist as a Young Man: An Analysis of Stephen's Interaction With Females
B. Stephen’s thoughts and feelings about woman are the normal reactions of any adolescent male. But there is a large gap between what he thinks and what he says and does revealing a basic insecurity and immaturity in his dealings with women.
As Stephen experiences the growth from boyhood to becoming a man, he experiences many transformations within his own life. Surrounded by the pressure of nationalism and a need for religious piety, Stephen also notices his view of women altered both emotionally and physically as he develops into a young man. While his thoughts and feelings about women are indeed normal for any adolescent boy of his age, the gap between his thoughts and what he says and does display a large depth of immaturity and insecurity regarding the overall profile of women. His lack of defined religious perception creates cause for his inconsistent perspective on women. These insecurities are primarily displayed through Stephen’s action on sexual desire and his reverence of Emma versus the reality of who she actually is. As he matures, Stephen becomes conflicted as an artist between his religion and his hormonal desire for sexual intimacy. As a result of his inconsistent perspective on religion and his overall insecurity, Stephen begins to view women primarily as an opportunity to express his feelings of sexual desire. As he begins to shift his perception away from absolute piety and religious devotion, Stephen begins to focus on the ecstasy of sexual desire. This is first portrayed when he begins to fantasize about the female character of Mercedes in “The Count of Monte Christo”. Towards the beginning of chapter 2, Stephen describes an intimate and love laden fantasy as, “He would fade into something impalpable under her eyes and then in a moment he would be transfigured. Weakness and timidity and inexperience would fade from him in that magic moment,” (Chapter 2, beginning). Stephen then further launches into debauchery when he fornicates with the
As Stephen experiences the growth from boyhood to becoming a man, he experiences many transformations within his own life. Surrounded by the pressure of nationalism and a need for religious piety, Stephen also notices his view of women altered both emotionally and physically as he develops into a young man. While his thoughts and feelings about women are indeed normal for any adolescent boy of his age, the gap between his thoughts and what he says and does display a large depth of immaturity and insecurity regarding the overall profile of women. His lack of defined religious perception creates cause for his inconsistent perspective on women. These insecurities are primarily displayed through Stephen’s action on sexual desire and his reverence of Emma versus the reality of who she actually is. As he matures, Stephen becomes conflicted as an artist between his religion and his hormonal desire for sexual intimacy. As a result of his inconsistent perspective on religion and his overall insecurity, Stephen begins to view women primarily as an opportunity to express his feelings of sexual desire. As he begins to shift his perception away from absolute piety and religious devotion, Stephen begins to focus on the ecstasy of sexual desire. This is first portrayed when he begins to fantasize about the female character of Mercedes in “The Count of Monte Christo”. Towards the beginning of chapter 2, Stephen describes an intimate and love laden fantasy as, “He would fade into something impalpable under her eyes and then in a moment he would be transfigured. Weakness and timidity and inexperience would fade from him in that magic moment,” (Chapter 2, beginning). Stephen then further launches into debauchery when he fornicates with the