The use of Epiphany by

James Joyce

DEFINITIONS

“ A sudden revelation of thought”

MEANING AND CONCEPT

Quote by James Joyce

Dubliners: Epiphany

Dubliners: The Dead

Epiphany examples from James Joyce Novel: “ A portrait of the artist as a Youngman

James Joyce’s novel “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” shows two examples of epiphany. Stephen Dedalus, the main character of “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”, experienced his first epiphany when he was sixteen and in a boarding school.

One day he goes back to his room. He was depressed by the sins he committed, he falls ill and makes a decision to reform himself. He goes to church for confession where the priest is very kind. So, Stephen finds a new course in life by becoming a priest.

Stephen’s second epiphany was when his life took another turn. He realizes that he cannot waste his life living as a priest. He wants to live in the real world and be creative like an artist. He sees some boys diving from the rocks, and sees and follows attractive girls standing in the water – this moment in the novel is Joyce’s “epiphany”. It is an emotional moment with an emotional meaning which marks a realization leading to a transformation in Stephen’s life.

REFERENCES

1.www.google.com

2.www.literarydevices.net