Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man

Happiness is a strange concept in Portrait. Stephen's character seems so complex, and to him, happiness means more than marrying the girl of his dreams or having daughters that love him.

Stephen's soul appears to be in turmoil for the first half of the book. I think he has thoughts and emotions that he can't make sense of, and he has no companion that understands his personality. Also, Stephen seems to enjoy solitude. He doesn't relate to his family or his school mates; for this reason, he faces the prospect of becoming an adolescent alone. Throughout the novel, I wanted to dislike Stephen because he seems to brood over his conflicted and unhappy emotions; I wanted him to take responsibility for himself. Yet, I continued to remind myself that as an artist, Stephen thinks differently from most people. I think Stephen does achieve happiness eventually when he stops trying to fit society's norm and allows himself to be himself. My favorite part of the novel was when Stephen is on the beach, and he is elated with life after he refuses the offer to become a clergy member. To me, this signified Stephen's decision to remain true to his artistic soul and allow his artful life to unfold.