In Search Of The Authentic Self: A Study Of Everyday Life In James Joyce’s A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man

Centered on Dublin,the capital of Ireland,James Joyce’s novels revolve around Dubliners from all walks of life,painting an intricate panorama of Dubliners’ everyday life in the early twentieth century.Deeply rooted in modernism,Joyce’s literary works incorporate multiple elements such as colonialism,nationalism,religion,economy,and gender and are thereby capable of interpretation from various approaches.Among his major works,Joyce’s autobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man focuses on the growth of the protagonist Stephen Dedalus,presenting the emergence of his authentic selfhood under the dual dominion of the British Empire and the Roman Catholic Church,as well as the shackles of his family and society.With focus upon the formation of Stephen Dedalus’ identity as an artist,this thesis attempts to analyze the impact of everyday practices on the emergence of his selfhood on the theoretical basis of everyday life criticism.The first chapter of this thesis interprets Stephen’s performative activities in personal,financial,and religious aspects as impediments to his growth.Playing,both recreational in children’s games and theatrical in a school play,imposes on the protagonist false disguises that obscure Stephen’s vision of his authentic identity.The carnivalesque consumption of commodities alienates Stephen from his intrinsic drive to search for his true self.Stephen’s Irish Catholic identity that manifests in the rigorous religious practices suppresses his spiritual liberation and artistic expression.Only by eliminating these obstacles can the protagonist get back on the way to grow towards free artistry.The second chapter examines the positive influence of spatial experiences on Stephen.Integrated into Stephen’s daily routine,walking in the streets of Dublin enables him to witness the traces of imperial colonization,religious domination,the Irish nationalist movement,and the city’s own squalor and paralysis etched into the urban landscape.The frequent change of residence of the Dedalus family and the trip induced by the auction of a family property reflect the decline of family financial status and the disintegration of emotional connection within the household.Unlike walking,which is oriented,aimless urban wanderings are full of encounters that inspire Stephen’s spiritual liberation and lead him into the pursuit of artistry.Spatial experiences constitute an important motivation in the formation of the protagonist’s identity as an artist.The third chapter analyzes the propellant function of language practices in the construction of Stephen’s identity as a writer.Extensive reading infuses Stephen with a rebellious spirit that differentiates him from his circumstances.Orality in the novel gradually transforms from being other-centered to being dominated by Stephen’s own voice,reflecting the continuous assertion of Stephen’s identity.Writing empowers Stephen to create his own personal texts within a system of writing inscribed with disciplinary powers and,at the same time,to enhance his artistic expression,thus achieving a tactical resistance in literary writing.The language practices serve as the crucial factor that defines Stephen’s formation as a literary artist.Performative activities and spatial experiences are peripheral practices,the former constituting obstacles that the protagonist must remove in his quest for artist identity,while the latter acting as a driving force in his pursuit of artistic and spiritual freedom.Language practices,as a determinant of the writer’s identity,motivates Stephen to differentiate himself from his fellows,to acquire self-assertion,and to ultimately renegade against the disciplines by engaging in literary writing.The procession of Stephen’s growth is not a linear trajectory but an ascending spiral.Stephen’s authentic self is rooted in quotidian life and born out of everyday practice,and is eventually consummated in his tactical resistance against the inerweaving net of disciplinary powers as an artist pursuing liberation in self-imposed exile.