A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Portrait of the artist as a young man tells the story of Stephen Daedalus, a boy growing up in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century, who gradually decided to break free of all his social, family and religious restrictions to live a life devoted to the art of writing. As a young boy, Stephen's Catholic faith and Irish citizenship had a huge influence on him. He studies at a strict religious boarding school called Clongowes Wood College. At first, Stephen feels lonely and homesick at school, but over time he finds his place among the other boys. He enjoys his visits to the house, despite the family tensions that escalated after the death of Irish political leader Charles Stewart Parnell. This sensitive topic becomes the subject of a furious and politically charged debate over the family's Christmas dinner.