Essay on Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a...

Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man The works of twentieth-century Irish writer James Joyce resound vividly with a unique humanity and genius. His novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, published in 1916, is a convincing journey through the inner mind and spirit of Stephen Dedalus. Portrayed with incredible fluency and realism, imagery guides the reader through the swift current of growth tangible in the juvenile hero. Above all heavy imagery in the novel is the recurring bird motif. Joyce uses birds to ultimately relate Stephen to the Daedelus myth of the â€Å"hawklike man;† however, these images also exemplify Stephen’s daily experiences, and longing for true freedom . By using imagery of birds as†¦show more content†¦Heron taunts Stephen, sardonically naming him a â€Å"model youth† who â€Å"doesn’t flirt and doesn’t damn anything or damn all†. This blatant remark by the bird-like boy is an obvious verbal threat to Stephen’s character. Continued as Heron and his friend viscously chide Stephen for his admiration for Byron’s poetry, Joyce’s bird imagery bears in this scene a restraint of Stephen’s uniqueness by threatening his self-expression. As Stephen mentally develops in the progression of the novel, he begins his search for the â€Å"freedom and power of his soul, as the great artificer whose name he bore† would have done. Stephen is now at the beach, pondering his new sense of maturity as he grows â€Å"near to the wild heart of life†. Walking down a rocky slope, he takes notice to a girl â€Å"alone and still, gazing out to sea†. Stephen watches her, and awed by her â€Å"likeness of a strange and beautiful sea-bird,† he realizes she is the epitome of all that is â€Å"the wonder of mortal beauty†. Painted by Joyce’s radiant imagery of the â€Å"darkplumaged dove† he sees before him, this rationalization is the basis of Stephen’s internal epiphany; she is, toStephen, â€Å"an envoy from the fair courts of life†. This wholesome bird-like girl with â€Å"longShow MoreRelatedA Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man1594 Words   |  7 Pagesthis essay is to discuss how James Joyce’s seminal novel A Portrait of the Artist as a young man, is experimental with regards to plot, point of view, language, symbolism, style and character development, and will begin with a brief introduction. Many artists, be they of the pen, brush or instrument, seek through innovation an artistic immortality that has the potential to act as a blueprint from which imitation is spawned. Joyce’s Portrait is at its core innovative pioneering prose, and it can beRead More The Key Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay1853 Words   |  8 PagesKey Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man provides an introspective exploration of an Irish Catholic upbringing. 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