1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce - Ch. 2
By Quentin Apodaca-Ward, Paul Carr, Victor Epstein, Philip Morrison, Christian Nunez, Wesley Olstad, Zach Siegel, and Tyler Satoda

2. Summary
Chapter two begins with Stephen and his family vacationing in a Suburb of Dublin known as Blackrock
Stephen spends most of his time with his “constant companion”, his Uncle Charles where he mostly runs errands
The chapter begins by documenting Stephen’s day to day life:
After errands, Stephen “practices” in the park with Mike Flynn (a friend of his father). Stephen doubts Mr.Flynn’s decorated past due to his current physical appearance
After training, Uncle Charles likes to go to the Chapel and pray. At this point, Stephen doesn’t even know what he is praying for.
On Sundays Stephen’s family “took their constitutional” (64), a walk through the country. His father and granduncle talk about Irish Politics and family history which Stephen does not understand
The little time he had to himself in the evenings he spent reading The Count of Monte Cristo. He marvels over a “dark avenger” (64).

3. Summary
Stephen makes friends with a boy named Aubrey Mills. They start a “gang of adventurers” (65) and often go with the Milkman to see the cows
September comes along and Stephen’s activities come to a halt: He is not sent back to Clongowes (this concerns him), Mr. Flynn goes to the hospital, and Aubrey becomes busy with school
Bored, Stephen dreams of Mercedes from The Count of Monte Cristo
The book quickly shifts to Stephen’s house being dismantled at the arrival of “two great yellow caravans” (67). Stephen’s mom is crying.
The family moves to a rather depressing home, and Stephen spends his time exploring the city (timidly)

4. Summary
Stephen is aging and his emotions clearly reflect that. He is often angry with himself as his family as they settle in to Dublin
We learn Stephen’s emotional troubles stem from his crush on a girl he meets at a party. He is overwhelmed and tries to talk to the girl, but when she doesn’t reciprocate his love, he is struck with anger
Over the next bit of the chapter, Stephen attempts to write a poem for the girl
Stephen’s dad bumps in to the Rector at Clongowes where they discuss getting Stephen in to a new school, Belvedere, and the incident with the glasses.
Time starts to pass quickly at Belvedere, and Stephen seems content. He is involved in a play, and is good at writing

5. Summary
Quite a bit of time passes, and Stephen has a run in with two boys, Heron and Wallis, who are smoking in a corner. The boys mess with Stephen, and he comes angered. They also mention the girl in the poem that Stephen still has a crush on.
Stephen seems to have a desire to prove himself now. As a result he tries to write the best essays in his class. One of which forces his teacher to accuse him of heresy.
Stephen once again runs into Heron again. They argue about about what they believe are the best poets.
The play comes around, and Stephen is very excited because Eileen will be there.

6. Summary
The play passes and we learn Stephen’s father is quite the drunk on a train ride to Cork, where his father is from. Stephen’s Dad is selling his land.
Stephen and his dad visit Queen’s College where Stephen becomes disgruntled after seeing the word Fœtus carved on a desk. It makes him start thinking of sin and sex
While his father reconnects with his past, Stephen feels very empty
Stephen wins some money for an essay he writes, and his spending seems to make the empty feelings go away, but they return when he spends it all
The chapter ends abruptly with Stephen being seduced by a prostitute

7. Applicable Chapter One Topics
Throughout the second chapter, many topics return from the first:
Isolation/Differentness- Stephen wanders streets alone at night. In a literal sense, he does this simply to get out and to have time for himself. This however, symbolically represents one of the book's central themes of the transition between adolescence and adulthood. In the beginning of the chapter he would walk with his uncle, and Mike Flynn, but now he walks alone. After winning his prize money, he spends all of it on inner and gifts to treat his family. When he realizes that he's been foolish and used, he becomes upset with himself, and feels alienated after his family uses his money as if his family is entitled to it all. Before the trip to Cork, Stephen observes himself restate his own name many times to assert his own identity. After the trip to Cork, Stephen feels isolated from his father due to Simon’s inability to connect with reality.
Perceived Hypocrisy and Betrayal of Catholicism- While out on one of his walks, Stephen is seduced, and has sex with prostitute. This was his first sexual experience, and is highly against the bible’s teaching. In church, observing his uncle pray causes him to question himself, and he doesn’t understand why he prays. Lastly, the sin of simony goes against the bible, and is used to show Stephen maturing, and letting go of his religion, symbolically.
Beauty/Art/Books/Words- The Count of Monte Cristo, is a story about adventure and love. The book symbolizes Stephen’s desire to escape society’s conformities. He and Aubrey use the book as a way to escape reality through the acting out of many scenes.

8. Stephen’s Alternating Faith Between God and Catholicism
Stephen and his father grow increasingly apart, Mr. Daedalus’ advice to be a good Catholic and gentleman holding less meaning
In acting as a teacher in the play, Stephen comes to discover more faults in his thinking as a child, finding life-like accuracy in art forms like the play
Stephen’s faith in Catholicism pulls away through experiences such as being accused of heresy in school for making an error in class
Stephen trying to buy his family things to mend relationships goes against his religion while upholding it (sin called simony)
Spends 33 pounds (age Christ was crucified) for family like his father (names Simon)

9. Stephen’s Desire to Escape
Due to his father often being incompetent and unable to support Stephen and his family, Stephen uses the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas as a way to escape reality.
Stephen befriends a young boy named Aubrey Mills who re enacts scenes from the novel with him.
The impact that Aubrey Mills has is refreshing to Stephen because Aubrey is the first character in the novel that makes him feel happy and less alone.
The impact of literature and how it allows Stephen to elevate above his current state and escape reality is essential to his growth as a person and his development into a man.

10. References to Any Significant Literature
Whilst reading, we find that Stephen has a desire and passion for reading and language. In this chapter Joyce writes that Stephen is reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Joyce goes into Stephen’s head where we see his true desires of adventure, romance, and excitement. This is of great importance because it shows the reader Stephen’s true feelings and that although he may seem shy, quiet, and introverted, he still has a strong desire to be spontaneous and adventurous. It also shows his desire to leave the life he is in, in order to be reborn into a new and different life.

11. Stephen’s Relationship to His Family/Community
In the beginning of the chapter, Stephen is in a good place
Stephen spends time with his Uncle Charlie, runs with Mike Flynn, and plays with his “gang” of friends
Soon Uncle Charlie becomes senile, Mike Flynn can no longer run, and his group of friends are all at school and no longer have the time to play
After his family moves, Stephen feels very disconnected from the rest of community
Even at the birthday party he does not have any fun and separates himself showing that he is disconnected from the rest of the youth around him

12. Stephen’s Perceptions of Love/Sex
Stephens perception of love is in the form of his childhood love Emma Clearly. She is the one and only girl he thinks about. There is, of course, no real interaction between the two but in Stephen's mind they’re already practically married. She is the a symbol of love to him, all thanks to his parents for joking around about the two of them when he was very young. Throughout his childhood, he hardly talks to her and somehow he has all these thoughts about her, that she is the perfect girl. And shifting into chapter two, the mold of this woman Stephen lusts for is filled by Eileen. His perception of love is unrealistic. This relates to the book because as a child you don't have a grasp on reality, what things are and what they really mean. He doesn’t really know what love is, but to him it's this little girl.

13. Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo
The reference to Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo resonates throughout the entire second chapter. In the novel, the protagonist, Edmond Dantès is falsely imprisoned in the Château d’If prison after a conspiracy is laid against him by his former comrades. Datnès ponders the motivations of the conspirators, especially the woman that he loved, Mercédès the Catalan. While in prison, he is enlightened by the kind Abbé (Priest) Faria who blesses him with not only priceless knowledge, but also the countless wealth of the Count Spada that was hidden on Isla de Montecristo.
Alexandre Dumas ( )

14. Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo
In terms of The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the recurring references to Dumas’ novel draws some parallels between the two stories. Dublin can be seen as Stephen’s Châteu d’If, as it is a prison for him, in that he is displeased by the city, and he is unable to leave. He is also frustrated by all of those around him, especially his peers, who bully and harass him, much like Danglars, Mondego and Caderousse did to Dantès. However, while he is in Dublin, he is trying to educate himself in hopes of reaching his Mércedès, intellectual enlightenment. Stephen is drawn to Dantès because they posses similar characteristics: underappreciated, mysterious, intelligent, and misunderstood.

15. Cardinal Newman ( )
John Henry Newman - a former Anglican priest for the Church of England
Left the Anglican Church, received by Catholic Church, made priest
1879 appointed Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII
Founded Catholic University of Ireland, later changed to University College Dublin (today’s largest Irish university)
Active theologist, wrote many literary works such as poems (The Dream of Gerontius),
James Joyce was a great admirer of the Cardinal’s writing style and mimicked parts of Newman’s structure in this book

16. Lord Byron ( )
Lord Byron (George Gordon) was an anglo-scottish poet during the romantic movement.
He wrote numerous works such as Don Juan (1824), Prometheus (1816) and, Heaven and Earth (1821)
His hero, the Byronic hero, is an idealistic but flawed character who has passion and talent but has no respect for the rank or privilege although he has both.
We learn that Stephen believes Byron is the best poet while he is arguing with Heron

17. Alfred Lord Tennyson
Tennyson ( ) was an English poet during the 19th century
Arguably the most well known English poet
Wrote poems from a young age while he was being taught by his father
He wrote a lot about heroism in poems such as Maud and The Charge of the Light Brigade
He also delved into the medieval story of King Arthur in his series of poems Idylls of the King
Heron claims Tennyson is the best poet while he is arguing with Stephen

18. The Confiteor
The Confiteor is one of the prayers of repentance that can be said during the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass of the Roman Rite in the Catholic church. The word confiteor itself is Latin based meaning “I confess” or “I acknowledge”. In the text, Stephen begins reciting the confiteor to his friend in a joking manner. This could be foreshadowing for when he has sex with a prostitute and later feels bad for his sin.

19. How well do you know chapter two?
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20. Works Cited
Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 27 Sept
"Blackrock, Dublin." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Sept
"Lord Byron (George Gordon)." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Sept
"The Definition of Confiteor." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept
Topic, By. "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." Novelguide. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept