A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man Essay, Research Paper

1.) In chapter one, a significant event was when Stephen went up to the reactor?s office to tell of Father Dolan?s pandying him. He felt that he had been falsely punished and did not want it to happen again. This seems to be a turning point for Stephen because it took courage for a small boy to travel to travel through the gloom of a strange building by himself to speak with such a highly-honored man. Stephen is praised and cheered for by the other boys afterward which delights him and actually makes him feel included. The entire mood of the chapter is changed from one of seriousness to one of joy for Stephen?s accomplishment of this event. The second chapter brings about maturity in Stephen. At the very end, he is kissed by a prostitute which is very significant because it brings about confusion and frustration about life, church, and family. Stephen is pulled between doing what he has been taught is right, and what his body is telling him to do. The inner conflict makes him angry and bitter as he does not know how to handle it. He becomes a hypocrite in his own world by saying the right things and doing the wrong ones. The question of how he should live is one of the first critical decisions Stephen has to make which shows that he is growing up. Chapter three contains a very significant event. After constant struggle between right and wrong, Stephen finally confesses all of his sins to a priest. Stephen turns his life around and makes each day become filled only with what is good and holy. He exercises immense self-discipline through prayer and exemplary behavior. This change in behavior was important because he was no longer disgusted with himself or hateful towards others who do right as well. In chapter four Stephen takes a long walk to think. During this walk, he decides that he does not want to be a priest, but wants to be a writer instead. Words and phrases are floating around in his head and he realizes that writing might actually be his calling. This decision will shape and form the rest of his life, not to mention decide his future. Chapter five presents the resolution to Stephen?s story. He decides to leave Ireland and the home he grew up in. This decision is important because it is the turning point in Stephen?s life-the event that is the beginning of his adult life. Stephen is going to expose himself to a whole new world as he ventures away from his family and the familiar surroundings of his hometown. 2.) I. Apologise, Pull out his eyes, Pull out his eyes, Apologise. (pg. 20) II. The clouds were drifting above him silently and silently the seatangle was drifting below him; (pg. 175) III. The preacher took a chainless watch from a pocket within his soutane and, having considered its dial for a moment in silence, placed it silently before him on the table. IV. Her bosom was as a bird?s, soft and slight, slight and soft as the breast of a darkplumaged dove. (pg. 176) V. Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo?. (pg. 19)