James Joyce DJ

"At last it had come. He knelt in the silent gloom and raised his eyes to the white crucifix suspended above him. God could see that he was truly sorry. He would tell all his sins. His confession would be long, long. Everybody in the chapel would know then what sinner he had been. Let them know. It was true. But God had promised to forgive him if he was sorry. He was sorry. Hr clasped his hands and raised them toward the white form, praying with his darkened eyes, praying with all his trembling body, sawing his head to and fro like a lost creature , praying with whimpering lips."

This passage comes from the moment right before Stephen confesses all of his sins. Joyce describes Stephen as taking on animal characteristics. He begins play wit his words and a rush of emotions come over him making him close his eyes, pray for forgiveness and eventually begins rambling, He says, "sawing his head to and fro like a creature." His moving back and forth reminds me of Icarus and his flight. Daedalus had told him to keep a constant path because either extreme would be dangerous. At this moment of desperation Stephen is rocking back and forth and feels emotions that resemble different extremes. He himself has gone to an extreme when he sinned with a prostitute. Both Icarus and Stephen were unable to find a middle way. Stephen want from being extremely religious and conservative to not having control of his emotions and having sex with a prostitute. Neither character was able to find a happy medium.

Feminist Chriticism

“A few pages later the masculine competition of Clongowes again forces Stephen to yearn for the womb… He longed to lay his head on his mother’s lap” (25-26)

When Stephen is being dropped off by his parents, his mother kisses him and tells him to be careful with the older boys. On the other hand, his father provides him with money. Here a difference is seen between thee female and the male. The father gives him money because he knows how bad the competition between males can be. Money is something that will help Stephen survives in his school. This is when Stephen begins to dislike the fact that his mother protects him. Now that he has to protect himself, all he can do is look for comfort in other “womb” like places.