A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the 1916 debut novel by Irish author James Joyce. The novel tells the story of Stephen Dedalus, a thinly-veiled alter ego for Joyce, who embarks on a journey of artistic awakening. As a landmark novel in the history of literary modernism, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has been hailed as one of the most important works of the 20th century and helped to establish Joyce as a literary figure. The classic novel has been adapted as a film and a play. This guide uses the 1996 Penguin Popular Classics edition.

Plot Summary

Stephen Dedalus grows up in Ireland in the final years of the 19th century. As a young boy, he attends Clongowes Wood College. The school is run by strict Jesuit priests who have a stern set of rules. Stephen is mocked by his classmates, and feels isolated and homesick. He is an intelligent boy, but he struggles to get to grips with the school’s behavior code. Though he struggles with his faith and his loneliness, he eventually begins to make friends.

Even though he is just a young boy, and the political ramifications are beyond him, Stephen is struck by the political and religious debates surrounding the politician Charles Stewart Parnell.