Conflicts in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

1. Conflicts in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Madeline Guzman Denise Ma Mariaelena Guerrero Tatiana Fernandez

2. Aim: How do we identify conflicts in The Portrait of the Artist? Do Now: Answer the following questions: • What are some types of conflict in literature? • Why do you think conflict is important in literature?

3. What is Conflict? Conflict is an opposition between two or more opposing characters or forces. It is an element of plot, whether that refers to plots within literature, plays or films. Conflicts are mainly divided into two branches: external conflict and internal conflict. Some situations in a novel may be a combination of the two,

4. External Conflict Struggles between a character and an outside force are external conflicts. The main divisions are: • Man vs. Man - mainly protagonist vs. antagonist • Man vs. Society - personifies society as a "character" with values and traditions that the protagonist goes against. • Man vs. Nature - often used to symbolize man's struggle against the universe or God's will.

5. Internal Conflict Conflicts between a character and something within himself/herself, i.e. a psychological struggle. The main divisions are: • Man vs. Self - usually involves a choice or overcoming mixed emotions. • Man vs. Faith - based on belief and the strength of that belief.

6. Chapter I Conflict within the novel begins with man vs. man and man vs. self: • Father Dolan unjustly punishes Stephen for not doing his work, not believing his story about breaking his glasses and calling him a "lazy little schemer" - Dolan is instantly projected as an antagonist that goes against Stephen. • Stephen deals with an internal struggle before he stands up for himself by reporting Father Dolan to the rector: "He could go... But he could not go. The rector would side with [Father Dolan]

7. Chapter II • Due to financial troubles the family faces, Stephen along with the rest of his family move to Dublin, he is forced to change schools because he can no longer afford to go to his old school Clongowes. • Stephen has slowly become more distant from his family, he believed that he was connected with them through money but later realized that he failed to bring his family together again.

8. Chapter III Stephen's internal conflicts continue as a young adult in the form of man vs. faith: • As a teenager, Stephen struggles with hormonal urges. He views them as sinful behavior that goes against Christianity. He makes his choice however by "giving in to temptation" and sleeping with a prostitute. • The regret that follows is a major source of conflict in this chapter that leads Stephen to think he will be punished for his "sins".

9. Chapter IV • Because of his fear of ending up in Hell, Stephen devoted himself in his religion. He wanted to find some form of salvation. He was so devoted that he was offered a position in priesthood but ultimately rejected it because it was not what he wanted to do. • The myth of Daedalus evokes Stephen to begin building a new figure that allow him to overcome his current troubles.

10. Chapter V • Man vs. Society: Stephen feels disappointment in his life, he feels like he is not getting an education at the university and his parents do not support anything he does, instead they criticize him. He becomes socially disengaged. • Stephen starts to lose faith in religion. He starts to rely on the aesthetics of Aristotle and Aquinas. • Later Stephen detaches himself from his friends and the university and devotes himself to his artistic plan.