Thursday, April 8, 2010
The End.
I found the end of the novel very relaxing compared to the endings of the other novels we read. There was nothing too depressing and Stephen seems to be very content in his choice. While he chooses to leave the church and religion, one could say that he was "forced" out because of the structure of it and how unappealing that was to him. I do not think he was forced out. I think the Stephen made the choice for himself and made his own path, contrary to what his family would have liked. The ending of this novel reminds me of the son in Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart. (His name has slipped my mind at the moment, and I do not have the book with me). He was able to choose religion over his African culture, contrary to what his father thinks is right. He too, seems pleased with his decision and in no way was forced. Unlike Stephen and his ending, is Tambu in The Book of Not, where she seems forced into her job where she is treated unfairly and does not have any say in what she wants. Although she is does ultimately choose to leave, she seems forced to leave too by her apartment owner and those she works with for lack of credit. I find it interesting that the two characters that I have mentioned that got a "happy ending" are both male and the one that ended up with the less fortunate ending was female. It makes me wonder if it's not only colonization that plays a part in their life, but ultimately, gender.
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I do agree that Stephen was not forced to make the decision but chose to leave Catholicism on his own. But, I think that in some ways he was very similar to Nwoye rather than different. I think that Nwoye actually was forced to leave his religion. He really didn't have any other choice: it was either become a Christian or continue staying in a society that mistreated him. I think what's different between Nwoye, Tambu, and Stephen is the reason they give up their religion or culture.
ReplyDeleteI made a very similar argument about Stephen's departure. Different to the previous novels, I felt like Stephen made the choice (which was quite liberating). I don't think he was ever affected by the intense Irish nationalism that most of the other Irish people had (i.e., Dante). I almost felt like Joyce, through Stephen, was trying to write about Ireland to show his people what needed to be recognized - the nominal definitions, favorable, and politically correct state of things - the very things that do not need to be one-sided but can be altered to be aesthetically beautiful or flexible. Nothing good can happen until 'bad' can be recognized. Therefore, could Portrait of an Artist be suggestive prose of reform to his very motherland?
ReplyDeleteI praise Stephen for his passion for the arts. With so much dedication to himself, and not ever questioning his own intentions, these are the very reasons why I had so much more affinity towards this Stephen character versus our other protagonists.
You brought up an interesting point that I've been thinking of too, which is how colonization differs for women and girls in different ways than it does for men and boys. This is probably why i started to sour with Joyce's novel and how little women are regarded. Also, Stephen is self-centered and thinks of how things effect him, most of the novels had a strong female figure. Colonization comes under this cloak of aiding women in repressed societies through education, but even with some learning the choices are bare in comparison to men.
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