Topics for Further Study
The religious order of Catholic priests featured in Joyce’s novel, the Society of Jesus, is historically renowned for its schools and colleges. Investigate the order and its educational philosophy. What teaching and study methods do the Jesuits employ? How would the Jesuit education that Stephen Dedalus experienced differ from a contemporary public school education in America?
Examine the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Who were the prominent writers in this movement, and how did their ideas contrast with the literary concepts expressed by Stephen Dedalus?
Look into the Irish Home Rule movement and the significant role Charles Stuart Parnell played within it. How do the contrasting attitudes of Dante and Mr. Casey towards Parnell reflect the diverse opinions among the Irish public at that time?
James Joyce once remarked that if Dublin were destroyed, it could be reconstructed from his books. Research the city of Dublin. What are some of its famous buildings, sights, and landmarks? How does Joyce incorporate these locations as settings in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man?
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