Elements of Modernism in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

 

Modernism is a literary movement that shaped James Joyce’s writing extensively. In particular, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man reflects many of the ideals of modernist writing. The aspects of modernism within the novel influenced the development of the modernist movement and made Joyce a prominent modernist writer. In this semi-autobiographical novel, the modernist techniques connect the character of Stephen to Joyce; the artist himself. There are many examples of modernist techniques within Portrait of the Artist but the most prevalent are the “stream of consciousness” style, künstlerroman plot, individual v. universal themes, and unique language.

– Stream of Consciousness technique
In Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce creates an uninhibited free-flowing style, reminiscent of Stephen’s unrestrained conscious thought. This technique is an essential aspect of modernism in the novel because it creates a psychic reality, not a true reality.

What did that mean, to kiss? You put your face up like that to say goodnight and then his mother put her face down. That was to kiss. His mother put her lips on his cheek; her lips were soft and they wetted his cheek; and they made a tiny little noise: kiss. Why did people do that with their two faces? (113)

In this passage, Stephen reflects on what a kiss is, freely expressing his own innocent curiosity. The style is similar to an interior monologue; mixing second and third person, questioning reality and creating a personal reality.

– Künstlerroman Autobiography
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is semi-autobiographical. Stephen Dedalus is Joyce’s mythical representation of himself. The story details the process of Stephen maturing and cultivating an artistic aesthetic.

I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use, silence, exile, and cunning. (3308)

The use of first person in the fifth chapter cements the connection between the writer Joyce and the narrator Stephen. Once Stephen becomes aware enough to adopt his artistic identity, he becomes united with the artist of the work, Joyce.

– Focus on the Individual
Joyce’s use of modernist techniques extends to the themes he includes in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. He focuses on universal themes like freedom, humanity, individualism and exile from society. These themes reflect the modern focus on the development of the individual apart from the general problems of society.

I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not afraid to make a mistake, even a great mistake, a lifelong mistake and perhaps as long as eternity too. (3315)

In this section, Stephen declares himself as an individual separate from everything, an artist who requires exile to create. As Stephen becomes an artist he sheds his connections to the reality of his youthful past.

– Modern Language Technique
Joyce integrated his intellectualism to form a combination of mythology, history and literature to create innovative symbols and narrative techniques. Joyce uses symbols to reflect his themes. For example, Stephen is represented by a rose; the color reflects his conscious awareness.

White roses and red roses: those were beautiful colours to think of. And the cards for the first and second place and third place were beautiful colours too: pink and cream and lavender. Lavender and cream and pink roses were beautiful to think of. Perhaps a wild rose might be like those colours and he remembered the song about the wild rose blossoms on the little green place. But you could not have a green rose. But perhaps somewhere in the world you could. (80)

Joyce chooses the rose the symbolize Stephen on different levels, Stephen blooms into an artist, referencing his growth and maturity throughout the novel. Stephen discusses white and red roses, indicating the desire for a green rose. These colors seem to indicate purity, passion, and his love of Ireland.

Another symbol in the novel is flight and birds. This symbol reflects the theme of freedom, and the myth of Daedalus. For example, “His heart trembled in ecstasy of fear and his soul was in flight. His soul was soaring in an air beyond the world and the body he knew” (2247). Joyce uses flight to represent the freedom of his soul representing himself as a bird. In addition to flight, water is another symbol replete in the novel. For example, “Now at the name of the fabulous artificer, he seemed to hear the noise of dim waves and to see a winged form flying above the waves and slowly climbing the air. What did it mean” (2242)? Here Joyce combines the water symbol and flight to allude to the Daedalus myth.