Suggested Essay Topics
Chapter 1
1. Discuss Stephen’s relationship with language in his chapter. Why is his
interest in language significant at this early age? Does this make him more or
less engaged with the other students his age? Are there any political
implications, in light of the Irish nationalist movement, to his identification
of English as “his” language?
2. At various points in this chapter, Stephen proposes a theory of language based upon onomatopoeia—the idea that a word’s sound has a kind of concordance to its meaning. Examples of onamatopoeia would be “splat, bam, pow.” In what ways does Joyce’s narration in this chapter use the sound of language to achieve its effects? How would you characterize the tone of the narrator at the start of the chapter? At the end? Is there a thematic connection?
3. Stephen’s senses are very acute, and throughout the first chapter Joyce makes us aware of the color, smell, temperature, and sound of Stephen’s surroundings. Trace the language of the senses in this chapter. How does Joyce use repeating sense-images to characterize Clongowes or Stephen’s home in Dublin?
Chapter 2
1. Stephen’s attitude toward authority and authority figures undergoes some
important changes in Chapter Two. Discuss some ways in which Stephen’s behavior
in this chapter contrasts with his behavior in the first chapter. Examine
specific scenes and passages where this contrast is evident.
2. Throughout Chapter Two, we learn much about Stephen’s attitude toward women. From the Mercedes-figure in the early pages to the prostitute at the end, we see his idea and ideal of women develop. Compare and contrast the female-figures in the novel (Mercedes, Emma, the prostitutes) and the place they hold in Stephen’s imaginative life.
3. In what ways does this narrator seem to undercut Stephen’s sense of uniqueness and singularity? Examine some scenes where it seems that the narrator takes an ironic view toward Stephen.
Chapter 3
1. In many ways, Chapter Three represents a reversal of some of the tendencies
Stephen developed in Chapter Two. Discuss the changes in his attitude toward
authority figures, his peers, and his identity as an individual. In what ways
does Stephen seem to have changed as the chapter closes?
2. Stephen interprets Father Arnall's sermons as a personal message, sensing that "every word" of it was intended "for him." Reread the sermons carefully. What can you identify about the language and rhetorical strategy of the sermons that would appeal so strongly to Stephen? Some things to look for in the descriptions of hell might include: the descriptions of hell's torments, the language of exile use here; the poetic and metaphorical language; and the language of the senses and the body.
3. What is the effect of the narrator aligning us with Stephen Dedalus' perspective during the sermons? How does this color our perspective toward the sermons, which seem otherwise to be presented word-for-word? How would the chapter read differently if it were aligned with the perspective of Vincent Heron, for example? Does our awareness of Stephen's idiosyncratic character affect our understanding of the communion scene at the end?
Chapter 4
1. Consider the narrator’s description of Stephen’s daily religious devotions.
What does the language used suggest about the nature of Stephen’s piety? Does
it foreshadow in any way his ultimate rejection of religious life?
2. Compare Stephen’s artistic awakening in Chapter Four to his religious awakening in Chapter Three. How are they similar in their effects on Stephen’s life, and in the language in which they are presented? In what ways are they different? What do these similarities and differences suggest about the larger themes of the novel?
3. At the end of Chapter Four, Stephen begins to read his name symbolically, as a “prophecy.” Then, as he sees the girl bathing on the strand, he interprets this, too, as a “sign.” Reread these scenes carefully. What do the symbolic meanings suggested here tell us about the novel as a whole? How do they add to our understanding of Stephen’s character?
Chapter 5
1. In Chapter Five, we are given a detailed exposition of Stephen’s theory of
aesthetics, as well as the text of his first poem since his artistic
transformation. Discuss the villanelle, using the terms of Stephen’s theory as
he describes it to Lynch. What can this theory tell us about the poem? How does
this relate to the thematic issues in this chapter?
2. Cranly suggests that, despite his claims of rejecting the Catholic church and its faith, Stephen’s mind continues to be “supersaturated” with Catholicism. Discuss how this view might be used to illuminate his character in this chapter. Aspects you may want to examine include: how the narrator describes Stephen, how he describes himself, how his inspiration and act of artistic creation is described.
3. After the entire novel has been narrated through Stephen’s consciousness by a third-person narrator, the novel ends with some excerpts from Stephen’s journal, as he makes final preparations to leave for Europe. How does the recession of the narrative presence affect our understanding of the ending of the novel? What are some of the effects of Joyce ending the novel this way?
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