Stephen, a mix of personalities

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is the story of Stephen Dedalus. It is through Stephen that we see his world, and it is his expansion from sensitive child to rebellious young man that forms the plot of the novel. There are many Stephens, often contradictory. He is fearful yet brave, insecure yet proud, lonely and at the same time afraid of love. One Stephen is a romantic who daydreams of boasting heroes and virginal heroines. The other is a practical person at home on Dublin's most squalid streets. One Stephen is too shy to kiss the young lady he yearns for the other readily turns to prostitutes to satisfy his sexual urges. One is an apprehensive outsider bullied by his classmates the other is courageous enough to confront and question authority. One earnestly hopes to become a priest and the other scornfully rejects religion. But why is Stephen so contradicting? Perhaps it is because of the people that his character is based on. Stephen is made up of three personalities: Sa...