Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Lesson Plan

James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882, in a wealthy Dublin suburb called Rathgar. His family was, initially, well-off, with bloodlines connecting them to old Irish nobility. However, the Joyce family's wealth and income steadily diminished over the years, forcing the family to move frequently. A young James attended the Clongowes School, a Jesuit institution that was regarded as the best preparatory school in Ireland. The school features heavily into Joyce's later writing, specifically with regard to Stephen Dedalus. Joyce did well at the Clongowes School and later at Belvedere College. For a time, it seemed evident that Joyce would enter the priesthood, but he soon made contact with...