A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: James Joyce's Novel about Beauty
Jose A. Melendrez
Dr. Colson
English 101A
June 14, 2013
The Girl on the Strand What is beauty? That kind of beauty that touches one’s heart and soul and brings happiness and many other emotions to one’s spirit. In James Joyce’s novel “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”, the girl on the strand portrays this ethereal beauty. I claim that the girl on the strand signifies beauty because Joyce describes the girl as a strange seabird and a monument to mortal beauty. Although the girl on the strand is not perfect like one would expect her to be, in reality to Stephen she is the very meaning of beauty. This is because as Stephen watches the girl, he then starts to describe and admire her body comparing it to the beautiful body of a seabird. Stephen becomes mesmerized by the image of such statuary beauty that he loses his awareness of time. This shows that Stephen enjoys every minute of this instance and in result Stephen loses any interest for all other things but this gorgeous girl. For example, when a person spends doing something that she doesn’t find pleasant, as time passes she then starts to become extremely aware of the time hoping it would move faster, however, Stephen was delighted by the sight of the girl to such extent that the time lost its value. After deeply examining the girl’s body, it is clear that Stephen has fallen in love. One may come with such explanation after analyzing the words which Stephen uses to describe the girl. For example, he says that as if by magic that girl had changed into a strange and beautiful seabird. Strange and beautiful because he had not seen such a girl that resembled a piece of magnificent art rather than just a human being. Stephen also describes the girl as if she had been touched by the wonder of mortal beauty. For instance Stephen thought that this girl was the true and forbidden meaning of beauty; a sculpture signifying beauty. Even though Stephen was blinded by the radiant beauty of the girl, he never
Dr. Colson
English 101A
June 14, 2013
The Girl on the Strand What is beauty? That kind of beauty that touches one’s heart and soul and brings happiness and many other emotions to one’s spirit. In James Joyce’s novel “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”, the girl on the strand portrays this ethereal beauty. I claim that the girl on the strand signifies beauty because Joyce describes the girl as a strange seabird and a monument to mortal beauty. Although the girl on the strand is not perfect like one would expect her to be, in reality to Stephen she is the very meaning of beauty. This is because as Stephen watches the girl, he then starts to describe and admire her body comparing it to the beautiful body of a seabird. Stephen becomes mesmerized by the image of such statuary beauty that he loses his awareness of time. This shows that Stephen enjoys every minute of this instance and in result Stephen loses any interest for all other things but this gorgeous girl. For example, when a person spends doing something that she doesn’t find pleasant, as time passes she then starts to become extremely aware of the time hoping it would move faster, however, Stephen was delighted by the sight of the girl to such extent that the time lost its value. After deeply examining the girl’s body, it is clear that Stephen has fallen in love. One may come with such explanation after analyzing the words which Stephen uses to describe the girl. For example, he says that as if by magic that girl had changed into a strange and beautiful seabird. Strange and beautiful because he had not seen such a girl that resembled a piece of magnificent art rather than just a human being. Stephen also describes the girl as if she had been touched by the wonder of mortal beauty. For instance Stephen thought that this girl was the true and forbidden meaning of beauty; a sculpture signifying beauty. Even though Stephen was blinded by the radiant beauty of the girl, he never