The End?

The ending of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man gives the impression that Stephen's journey is not finished and that his life is a work in progress. As the title of the book promises, we are given a portrait of Stephen as he is growing up. The conclusion of the novel must give the impression that Stephen's story continues. This seems to fit a general trend in the novels we have read, many of which seem to give a portrait of a nation in its infancy. For example, The Book of Not follows the birth of independant Zimbabwe as well as Tambu's adolescent years. The story doesn't always end in a satisfactory manner- there usually isn't too much closure- but it gives the impression that the story can't conclude because the struggle for the colonial (or formerly colonial) nation continues after independance.
Interestingly, Stephen seems perplexed by the education system. He comes to the conclusion that education- at least, as it exists as an institutional form- is not the answer to his dilema. Most colonial novels seem interested in examining the flaws of education as well.