Thursday, April 8, 2010
Stephen and the other Characters
We talked in class recently about the why Stephen did not want to become a priest: he found it boring and sinning seemed much more interesting. In the end, he chose to give up Catholicism because he felt his art and freedom were more important. We also discussed how Nwoye gave up the society and culture he lived in for Christianity, not because he wanted to be Christian but more because he wanted an escape. This comparison can even be drawn to Tambu. Tambu did not have anything worth staying at the homestead for and so becoming Westernized and free from her family seemed pretty appealing to her. Joyce, like Tambu, felt he didn't have anything worth staying a Catholic for. Nwoye, also, could not find a place in the Ibo culture for him and so he found himself giving it up. So, what all three of these characters had in common was that at first, staying in their native homes was not appealing to them. So, I think that the reason these 3 characters found themselves becoming Westernized was because they felt they had nothing worth holding on their culture for and so it was easier for them to be sucked into the world of their colonizers.
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I do agree that freedom and individualism is a very powerful theme. Religion is powerful to Stephen for he is always questioning it in regards to his life. The way he questions it in writing is eloquently thought out and processed to an end conclusion of what he will decide. Tambu on the other hand thought out how she questioned things but as a reader I became annoyed with her thinking process. It may be because I am more interested in the style of Joyce and he could be just as annoying as Tambu but his writing "sucks" you in. I agree that the characters were involved in Western thinking but loved the western thinking of individuality.
ReplyDeleteI think Portrait is really all about freedom. As Stephen begins to see the world for what it really is he stops following the conventions that he grew up in. He learns that he shouldn't be Christian, or Irish, or anything else just because that is what everyone else is. Its funny how this parallels with Tambu. She almost makes the exact opposite transition in my opinion. In Nervous Conditions she is a principled, strong willed girl who works hard, succeeds and his rewarded for it. However, in the Book of Not, things are not quite the same. She is continually beaten down by the system that she has chosen to back, and as she enters womanhood she slowly loses that individuality that made her such a relatable character in Nervous.
ReplyDeleteI agree that individualism is a very important theme in Portrait. For this reason the stream of consciousness method of writing makes sense - it gives us a first hand look at how Stephen is developing his own identity. This way we are privy to the inner-workings of his mind rather than observing at a distance, and I think Joyce does this to put emphasis on the importance of developing an individual identity.
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