Portrait of a Human Being

I chose to read James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man because I am a very religious person. I thought the book would be about the growth of faith, perhaps give a little background about Catholicism in Ireland, since it is so strong there.

However, the book is not about strong faith in anyway, rather it focuses on the journey of Stephen Dedalus, and his fall from Catholicism. However, the book does give insight to the harshness of Catholic education in Ireland.

Strangely, the biggest connection I could make to Stephen is his shaky faith. As a cradle-Catholic, I have had my share of doubts and struggles with plenty of Catholic opinions and doctrines. Stephen's inward struggles with himself really painted a picture of what I have gone through within myself on a lesser scale.

Last year was especially tough for me, though I have also had weak point in my faith this year as well. Stephen's deliberate rebellion isn't uncommon for me either. Sometimes I feel that when someone tells me I can't do something just because I can't, it makes me want to do it that much more.

The issue I had with the book is the lack of redemption. Of course I have had struggles with my faith, I would be hard-pressed to find a single religious person who hasn't. It is human nature to question the basis of all beliefs, but most people return again. They may hit rock bottom without their faith to support them, but they realize it and come back to God.

Stephen seemed to be so close, especially when he considered the priesthood. He made his refusal into somewhat of a religious sacrifice, but then did not follow through and just fell out of faith all together. The book does not coincide with my big blog question, because although Stephen does experience utter failure, he deserts God and thus cannot experience true success.