Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Examine Stephan's personal relationships with the women, both real and imagined, in his life.
Show what effect they have upon his emotional development.
Show what effect they have upon his emotional development.
Stephen has a problem with women. He compartmentalizes them thus making them beyond his reach. Stephen sees women in extremes. They are either chaste and pure, beautiful and unattainable, impure and sexual, or merely common. His only physical relationships are with prostitutes which makes actual meaningful relationships, like with Emma, especially difficult.