Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is an autobiographical novel of James Joyce. ... In each of these works it was Joyce's main goal to create a story, in which the protagonist was a Catholic hero as well as a martyr, according to Richard Ellman, Joyce's biographer. ... It helps him learn that in order to become the artist he yearns to be, he must separate himself mentally from Ireland, his family, and from the Catholic Church, or his faith. This is difficult for Stephen because he has been such a devoted Catholic his entire life. ... This theme is nearly identical to The I...

• Word Count: 1464
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is an autobiographical novel of James Joyce. ... In each of these works it was Joyce's main goal to create a story, in which the protagonist was a Catholic hero as well as a martyr, according to Richard Ellman, Joyce's biographer. ... It helps him learn that in order to become the artist he yearns to be, he must separate himself mentally from Ireland, his family, and from the Catholic Church, or his faith. This is difficult for Stephen because he has been such a devoted Catholic his entire life. ... This theme is nearly identical to The I...

• Word Count: 1521
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce follows the mental and physical maturation of Stephen Dedalus. ... Growing up in a devout Catholic family, Stephen is instilled with a sense of right and wrong by Dante and his mother which adheres strongly to religious dogma; as Dante ironically puts it: "A priest would not be a priest if he did not tell his flock what is right and what is wrong.... This gradually developed form of divergent thinking is most obviously demonstrated by Stephen's behavior while attending church with his uncle. ... Again, Joyce's personal life...

• Word Count: 1289
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate