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Symbolism in “A portrait of the……”

A seasoned critic has said;

He is the greatest artist of 20th century by the vices and virtues of an artist.

James Joyce, one of the most striking and deep forces of modern English
diction is really lauded for his best works that propagate his idea on life, society,
politics, religion, and above all philosophy. As for as his novel “A portrait of
the artist as a young man” is concerned, it is really an complete, penetrating
Psychological novel, shows the development of a young boy; physically,
spiritually & psychologically.
The novel is a psychological, physical & spiritual development of a young
man.
Besides many techniques James Joyce has also used a variety of
symbolism to enhance the beauty of his work-before describing the use of
symbols in the novel, let’s first define symbols & symbolism. Actually
symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas & qualities by giving them
symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
A symbol is a literary device that contains several layers of meaning. Often
concealed at first sight; and is representative of several other aspects,
concepts or traits than those that are visible in literal translation alone.
As for as “A portrait of the artist as a young man” is concerned; there is a
flood of symbols in it. Symbol in the present change as Stephen Changes. The
chief images are started right at the start of the novel. Many of the images have
a symbolic function like cow, the rose, the women, birds & water. Many
characters are also symbolic. A learned critic has said;
The major symbols in the novel embody Stephen’s experience, preparing as
for realization, which could not occur without them.
1. The birds and flight also have symbolic importance. The association of hight
with Stephen’s experience stems from his affiliation with Dedalus. Dedalus was
known for creating wings of feather & wax; this is the source of the “hawklike
man” image that pops up now & again. Stephen envisions his soul flying from
his society on metaphorical wings of his own construction like Dedalus. As he
says;
You take to me of nationality, language & religion. I shall try to fly by
those nets.
He must fly to escape what he perceives to be his prison i.e. Ireland and the
“nets” that entrap him which are religion language & nationality. As he says;
When the soul of a man is born in his country, there are nets flung at it, to
hold it back from flight.
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The bird association also stretches to Egyptian god thoth, mentioned in chap v
by Stephen. Bird hight represents the freedom, Stephen longs for, when Stephen
watches the birds wheeling above in Chap v and asks;
What birds were they?
Here, Birds are a sign of the mysterious distant future that Stephen sees for
himself.
2. Joyce has also presented roses in a symbolic way. In general, Joyce uses roses
to symbolize beauty, art and women. Their meaning can change a green rose
seems to represent his desire to be an artist to create something, like a green
rose, that does not exist in nature.
Green is the colour of Ireland, of immaturity & of vegetable creation yet a
green rose is unnatural, art is unnatural too.
So, Stephen also consider green rose as an art because its an unnatural Hower.
On the other hand white roses are linked to purity. At school Stephen is
the champion of the white rose that loses to the red in an academic war of roses.
White & red roses symbolize Stephen’s passions, desires & even inner conflicts.
As his prayers ascend to heaven,
like perfume streaming upwards from a heart of white rose.
It is the red rose however, that attends his creative ecstasies near the bull wall,
after he resolves to follow mortal beauty & in bed, after composing a poem. His
soul Swooning in to some new world.
As Dante says;
A world, a glimmer or a Hower, glimmering trembling & unfobling, a
breaking light, an opening Hower, it spread in endless succession to
itself…. with its soft flushes, every flush deeper than other.
3. Women play an ambivalent but highly symbolic role in Stephen’s life, likely
inspired by the polarized depictions of women in Roman Catholism. They are
simultaneously objects of worship & revulsion. Only Stephen’s muse the girl on
the beach, appears to transcend this mixture of love and hate. Joyce has
presented women in a symbolic way;
James Joyce was a synthesizer trying in as much as he could. Women
associated with rose, embodies Stephen’s aspiration & increasingly his creative
power-Elieen , the girl who appears at the beginning of the book is the symbol
of blessed virgin. Mercedes , a dream who inhabits a garden of roses along the
milkmen’s road suggests the exile and revenge.
The holds of steamers wakened in him the unrest which had sent him
wandering in the evening from garden to garden in search of Mercedes.
After this, Emma, a teaser, replaces Mercedes as object of desire. Emma
appeals in glimpses throughout most of stephen’s yound life but she becomes a
symbol of pure love, untainted by sexuality or reality. Stephen worships Emma
as the ideal of feminine purity. In religions phase he imagines his reward for his
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piety as a union with Emma in heaven. As he says about his relation with Emma
in his diary;
During this process all these elements which he deemed common and
insignificant fell out of the scene…. nor did she appear vividly. The verses
told only the night & the balmy breeze & the maiden lustre of moon.
4. Colors also have symbolic importance Stephen associates the colors green &
maroon with his governess, Dante & with two leaders of the Irish resistance,
Charles Parnell & Michael Davitt. In a dream after Parnell’s death Stephen sees
Dante in red & maroon as the Irish people mourn their fallen leader. To Stephen
two colors represent conflict and when Fleming colors a world map with green
& blue, Stephen wonders;
which was right to be for the green & for the maroon.
We also see the red & white teams in the wars of the roses in math class
competition.
5. Bats seem to Stephen to represent something essential about the conflicted dark
mysterious Ireland of his childhood. He does not make the comparison entirely
clear, yet he refers to it several times, with strong feelings,
he felt the thoughts & desires of the race to which he belonged flitting like
bats across the dark country lanes.
He writes in one; &
She was a figure of the womanhood of her country, a bat like soul walking
to the consciousness of itself in darkness & secracy & loneliness.
At the turn of 19th century Ireland was emerging from many centries of British
domination to a strong sense of national pride. Stephen feels that Irish identity
and self awareness is like a blind bat flying in the dark.
6. A key symbol of the novel is that of binaries, seemingly irresolvable
oppositions between two things; hot & cold, sacred and profane etc. Heat is
generally associated with sin and passion while cold is associated with purity &
spirituality. These dualities acquire a great symbolic significance in the novel.
The joycean symbols are integral part of or the texture of novel. (OR) The
most reverend in his life is that, he has put in to his art not only his use of
words but also his use of symbols and motifs.
7. Stephen prayers are also symbolic. When Stephen is a schoolboy, Joyce
includes childish sincere prayers that symbolize the innocence of the mind. But
when Stephen prays after committing Sin his prayers are totally full of
lamentation. So, these prayers symbolize his inner feelings of repentance.
His eyes were dimmed with tears & looking humbly up to the heaven he
wept for the innocence he had lost.
8. Latin phrases also have symbolic importance. The Latin phrases like peace
over the whole bloody globe symbolize Stephen’s irreligious attitude. These
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types of linguistics jokes demonstrate that Stephen is no longer serious in

religious attitude.
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thought.
9. The image of skull is also symbolic. The skull is commonly used as a Christian
symbol. Once, Stephen notes a skull present in the Rector’s office at
Clongowes. Later, he emphasizes the prominent curves of the skull represents
the mysteriousness in Stephen’s life.
10. Girl also has symbolic importance. The girl represents call of art for the
Stephen. She becomes the cause of revelation that is the main purpose of his
life.
11. Water also has symbolic importance & has very recurrent & significant image
in the novel. The image of water in first chapter, assigned only by previous
associations, embodies his infantile career: “Dick, Pack, pock, Puck” go the
cricket bats,
like drops of water in a fountain falling softly in the brimming bowl.
If Stephen himself is suggested by this bowl & his development by an
ablaut series, water is not altogether bad. This possibility is established toward
the middle of the book where changing character water becomes good on the
whole and symbol of creation. On his way to the beach, Stephen still finds the
sea cold and “infra human”. The bathing boys repel him, but the sight of
wading girl gives water another aspect.
From the moment of baptism & rebirth inaudible music & the sound of
waters attend his creative ecstasies.
12. Music also has symbolic importance. Music, especially singing, appears
repeatedly throughout the novel. Stephen’s appreciation of music is closely tied
to his love for the sounds of language. Throughout the novel we have glimpses
of the music. Music appeals to Stephen to live a full life. We see this aspect
when Stephen suddenly feels at peace upon hearing a woman singing. Her voice
prompts him to recall his resolution to leave Ireland and become a writer.
Apologize, pull out his eyes, pull out his eyes, apologize.
13. Character are also symbolic. Uncle Charles is the symbol of consolation and
guiding star for Stephen. Cranly derives Stephen to exile. He becomes the
embodiment of all that has plagued the imperfect hero. Characters are no less
symbolic;
The two dwarfish eccentrics that Stephen encounters, one on the street and
the other in the library seem caricature of Stephen’s possible future.
14. Religions symbols are also included in the novel. These are numerous
references to various elements and rites of roman Catholism; the priest’s
sontane, the censor and the Sacraments of communion & confession.
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15. The five Senses; sight, sound, taste, smell, touch are recurrent symbols
throughout the wovel. Joyce considered the five senses to be indispensable tools
for the literary artist.
16. Broken glasses of Stephen, sym. of undarity or hindrance in artistic vision.
17. Weak eyeright symbol of blurred vision in childhood.