In Chapter 2, the Dedalus family becomes unstable financially and some family members starting to lose their grip on reality, such as Uncle Charles becoming senile and Stephan’s father drinking. This shift in Stephen’s world leads him to retreat into literature, especially The Count of Monte Cristo with a great admiration for the protagonist Edmond Dantès. Dumas’ novel spurs Stephan’s hormone enraged ideas of romance, love and lust. Whereas before, the slightest feeling of romance came from Stephan’s crush for Eileen Vance, which he never acted upon. However, I’ve noticed he never acts on his sentiments towards a girl unless it is with a prostitute. (Side note: Which makes me wonder where he is getting the money to pay for a prostitute if his family is on such hard times?) I haven’t finished the book, but with that said, I have a suspicion that Stephen has some hang-ups around women. What I mean is when Dantès rebuffs Mercédès with a staunch “Madam, I never eat muscatel grapes,” Stephen creates this weird, complex obsession around women (58). He has such a fervent respect for the Virgin Mary but regularly visits prostitutes, who are seen as inciting sinful acts by his community. The two offers a break from everyday life in their ways and Stephen seems to use them as a safe haven due to everything just falling to pieces.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Role of Women
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Anna I think you have a really good point. Stephen's retreat into women has caught my eye throughout this first part of the novel. I feel like he has some severe "women issues" but I haven't read far enough to see if anything else develops as well. I also began to wonder where he is getting all of this money for prostitutes. But I do find his complete and utter fall into this sin fascinating (not in a good way) because I do think its disgusting.
ReplyDeleteIn light of realizing Stephen pays for the prostitute with his essay winnings, I still find the whole transaction unconscionable. Not to rag on prostitutes, but women are given little credit for Stephen’s transition to artist. Yes, there is the whole spiel about recreating experiences seen as sinful and hellish as aspects of life to be fully acknowledged and this being the refuse for great literary achievement. Nonetheless, I’m becoming very offended by Joyce, modernist or not. Joyce views women so lowly and makes Stephan so socially constipated with girls he fancies that he interacts with them in this mindset of women are sexual-objects rather than people. In search for his own development, Stephen seems to be a way for him to leave his childhood and feelings of inadequacies for a matured, confident Stephen. Since he is a poet, maybe women can be seen as the muses for Stephen, but it irritates me how he uses women. Again I haven’t finished the book, so I’ll wait and see if I am just way off base.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting point that you bring up. We do see Stephen retreating into The Count of Monte Cristo, and from there we begin to see more fully this complex that he has about women. I haven't finished the book yet, but it's going to be interesting to see how he interacts with women throughout the remainder of the novel, especially after having the "encounter" with sin.
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