One theme that presents itself throughout this novel is the idea of the beauty of language. As Stephen develops during the course of the story, it can be observed how he gains a greater grasp of and appreciation for language as he evolves into the writer, artist, and individual he will become. This is demonstrated not only through specific instances in the novel, when Stephen seems to be in awe of words and language, but in the work as a whole, as the narrator’s diction and syntax progresses from the simplistic style of a child to a much more complex and sophisticated structure. At the start of the novel, Stephen has only a very basic grasp of language, with lines such as, “He was a baby tuckoo. The moocow came down the road where Betty Byrne lived: she sold lemon platt” (Joyce 3). As is typical for a child, Stephen cannot convey any real depth or meaning with his words. But as he enters school and becomes more educated, he becomes fascinated with the power of language and the images it can create- something that separates him from his peers, who are more interested in sports and games. By part five of the novel, a complete transformation has taken place within Steven, and out of the love of language that he possessed at a young age has grown the philosophical mind and unique voice of a true writer. The language of itself has become much more complex, incorporating vivid detail and figurative language to make Stephen’s world come to life. Often, he engages in deep discussions and debates with his fellow scholars regarding literature and philosophy, and even writes his own poetry. In one conversation in part five, he says, “Beauty expressed by the artist cannot awaken in us an emotion which is kinetic or a sensation which is purely physical. It awakens…an esthetic stasis, and ideal pity or an ideal terror, a stasis called forth, prolonged and at last dissolved by what I call the rhythm of beauty” (223). This line clearly shows the important role that art, literature, and language have played in Steven’s personal growth into an artist.
A passage in Part 5 which I felt to be particularly important to this novel is on pages 268 and 269. In this passage, Cranly and Stephen are coming to the end of a conversation in which Stephen has expressed his views, his struggle to follow his religion and to fit in with his society, and his plans for an uncertain future. Up until this point in the novel, Stephen has chosen to keep his thoughts and his struggles to himself, rarely confiding in anyone else. At this stage, Stephen has reached a point where he is no longer concerned with the opinions of those around him whom he has tried for so long to please without any success. He has finally embraced his individuality and found a sense of purpose in his art and his poetry. This passage shows a culmination of the journey which Stephen has struggled through throughout the story. He says, “I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can…” (268-269). This shows just how much he has grown, when compared to the immorality that plagued his life in part 3 or the rigid religious practices that he followed in part 4. Following the rules of his society and pleasing his family and his church are no longer important when compared to the fulfillment of his newly realized potential. He goes on to say that, “I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not afraid to make a mistake, even a great mistake, a lifelong mistake and perhaps as long as eternity too” (269). It takes a great deal of strength for Stephen to be able to leave everything that is familiar to him behind, especially knowing that it may be the biggest mistake he has ever made, but he is willing to take that risk in order to have a chance at real happiness. This passage, I believe, is the strongest evidence to show that Stephen has made a total transformation into an independent and self-driven individual.
While I can see how this novel has literary merit and certainly stands out from other well-known pieces of literature, I did not like this novel and would not recommend it to others. I think part of this comes from the fact that it was often difficult to understand. The novel started out with a tone that was so simplistic and childlike that it was impossible to obtain any meaning from it. By the time it ended, the language and events had become so complex and intricate that it was impossible to understand what was actually happening. I also disliked the structure of this novel. While I can appreciate the fact that its purpose is to follow the development of an artist, the fact that it had no concrete plot, no series of events, and no real direction of the story made it very difficult to get through. I felt lost at many times while reading this book, and I felt that the author’s intended meaning also got lost in the confusion of this novel. Personally, I prefer to read books that have a more defined storyline as opposed to the stream of consciousness in Portrait, which at times made me feel like I was trapped in Stephen’s head and going crazy. What also made this book difficult was the way that it jumped from one event to the next without any transitions, leaving me wondering what exactly was going on. Also, because of the structure as well as the setting of this piece, it was difficult to relate to on any level, which also made it less interesting to read. I think that Joyce had a lot of symbolism, metaphors and allusions in this story that I completely missed because of the time period of the writing and the complexity of the style. I do, however, think that Joyce made some very interesting points about the role of religion, expectations of society, personal growth and the importance of freedom and individuality. If you can get past the long, tangled sentences and the tedious lack of any real plot, I think this book does present some themes that are worth considering.
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