Flight in James Joyce's “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”

“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” is a coming-of-age story. A story in which Stephen Dedalus moves from the insecurities of childhood to the confidence and determination of adulthood. Stephen always wanted the same basic thing: the freedom to live as he pleased free from the rule of others. Stephen’s name, Dedalus, is a reference to flight in Greek mythology. Like his martyred namesake, Stephen suffers because of his unique perception of the world. He works his way through the labyrinth of school, Dublin, and the church before he transcends this maze. Stephen reflects on life in Ireland saying “When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight” (220). Throughout the novel, Joyce relates flight and the beings of flight to the experiences that move Stephen in the direction of attending his goal. Stephen's ultimate desire to live for himself and to have the ability to realize his own dreams without the limitation...