A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Chapter I

Chapter I of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce’s first novel, focuses on the most impressionable years of its protagonist, Stephen Dedalus. The novel opens with a series of Stephen’s earliest memories, presented in snapshot-like recollections as told by a child. Stephen remembers his father telling him the story of a “moocow” and a “nicens little boy named baby tuckoo.” Then, in rapid succession, Stephen goes on to remember the feel of wetting the bed (“first it is warm then it gets cold”), recalls singing and dancing while his governess Dante and his Uncle Charles clapped, and his proclamation that he will grow up to marry Eileen Vance, the neighbors’ daughter.

From there, we fast-forward to Stephen’s days at Clongowes Wood College, the same Jesuit boarding school Joyce himself attended as a boy. Here the narrative of the story evolves into a more mature tone in order to reflect Stephen’s age. Having said goodbye to his mother and father, Stephen watches his schoolmates playing a game of soccer. Feeling “small and weak” in comparison, he does not participate in the match, and instead observes from the sidelines, “feigning to run now and then.” Stephen’s physical inferiority is both a blessing and a curse. The inability to assimilate himself into the athletic realm forces Stephen to seek comfort and success in the academic realm. However, as a result, Stephen is subjected to some mild bullying from his schoolmates.

In this chapter, it is made clear that Stephen possesses a stronger moral fiber than the other boys at Clongowes. In one scene Stephen is pushed into a cesspool by a boy named Wells. Remembering his father’s admonishment to never “peach on a fellow,” Stephen remains quiet and lets the incident slide, thus sparing Wells from punishment. In return, Stephen contracts an infection and must spend some time recuperating in the infirmary. In Stephen’s mind such actions are saint-like; however, his innocence and sense of morality, both products of his devout beliefs, leave him open to manipulation.

Near the end of the chapter, Stephen’s eyeglasses are inadvertently broken as he is jostled by a careless schoolmate. While he waits for a new pair to arrive from his parents, Stephen has been excused from his studies by Father Arnell, a prefect at Clongowes. As Stephen sits quietly while the other boys work, Father Dolan, a much more rigid prefect, pays an unexpected visit and chastises Stephen for not working. Convinced Stephen broke his own glasses in order to avoid schoolwork, Father Dolan punishes him with a rap on each hand from a “pandybat.” Father Dolan’s accusation of lying stings Stephen’s heart just as much, if not more, than the pandybat stung his hands. Though angry, he is willing to remain silent and simply forget the matter. However, his classmates, who have received similar punishments from Father Dolan, are able to convince Stephen that the punishment was not only unjust but excessive and that the incident should be reported. Fearing further reprimands from Father Dolan and seeing an opportunity to gain the respect of his schoolmates, Stephen ignores his father’s warning to never tattle and reports the incident to the rector, Father Conmee. As he re-emerges from Father Conmee’s office, Stephen is suddenly seen as a hero in the eyes of his schoolmates. Celebrating the only way they know how, the boys hoist Stephen onto their shoulders as if he had just scored the winning goal in a heated soccer match.


Early in this chapter , we see that Stephen views the world from the eyes of a poet, even as a young boy. As he watches the “rough boys” at play, he sees the ball as a “greasy leather orb” that flies “like a heavy bird through the grey light.” As an aspiring poet, wordplay becomes important to Stephen and he revels in the ambiguity of the English language: “He kept his hands in the side pockets of his belted grey suit. That was a belt round his pocket. And belt was also to give a fellow a belt. One day a fellow had said to Cantwell: I’d give you such a belt in a second.” His romance with words and language will ultimately bring Stephen recognition (and a small bit of wealth) not as a poet, but as an essayist.

As a young scholar, Stephen is happiest when engaged in academic pursuits. This may be seen in the contrast between the interior (mental) and the exterior (physical) worlds in which Stephen moves. The interior of Clongowes is often associated with images of fires or fireplaces, symbolizing warmth or happiness. Conversely, the exterior of Clongowes is usually depicted as “cold” or “grey,” symbolizing isolation, alienation, and unhappiness. “It would be better to be in the study hall than out there in the cold,” Stephen notes. “The sky was pale and cold but there were lights in the castle.”

Chapter I ends on a victorious and optimistic note for Stephen. His confession to Father Conmee regarding Father Dolan’s unjust punishment has earned him some respect and acceptance among his peers and the act has left him feeling “happy and free.” However, Fate is about to deal the Dedalus family a bad hand which, for Stephen, will destroy “any vision of the future.”