Portrait Post

James Joyce has captured the cumulative signifigance of an individual's life in his novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Stephen--the protagonist--has always felt that he is "intended for greatness". However, throughout this novel there is no singular moment of evident triumph. Rather, each chapter ends in epiphany: complete unto itself. As a work, the novel details the developement of a conciousness, not a plot. It is interesting, and difficult, to examine because the novel must be viewed asa a whole. It is not a before and an after, but only a before--as it is set within an artist's youth. In which case, would Joyce agree that it is in our youth that our character is formed? That those who knew us as children know us best? Youth is so often discarded as a prelude to a story. Joyce has declared youth as the story itself: singularly significant.

Beloved

Beloved is a novel which exposes the emotional and mental scars brought about by the economic system of slavery. As humans, we are programmed to desire, to actively seek community. Slavery broke that inherent search within those it held captive and with whome it was most effective. Paul D at one point ascerts that one must "love small." If a slave were to love something or someone to passionately, then they would expose themselves. They would become vulnerable to the pain that would come when that which they love was inevitabely stripped away. Even Sethe's own milk was stolen from her breasts; slaves had ownership of nothing. Slaves could not allow themselves to form an emotional link which would create community, but rather the system severed their ability to create these ties by hurting the ones they love--just as Sethe's mother was hung. Perhaps this also cuts their ties to humanity itself...or strengthens them. After all, who was more human: the slave, or their master?

The Stranger

Camus The Stranger emphacizes the importance of truth. The main character Mersault appears to be an indifferent and simple character, however it becomes clear that he is perhaps simple because he represents and reflects the truth. He appears as a "stranger" to society becuase he acts often times as an observer. This is yet again an act of seeking the truth. Camus appears to disagree with the cliche that "the truth is rarely pure and never simple," but rather ascerts that if we strip ourselves of all other emotions and distractions, what we are left with is the truth.