Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Final Project

 

The assignment is typed, double-spaced, and at least five pages in length.  It may be turned in at any time up to and including Wednesday, February 10.  The completed essays should be emailed as .doc or .rtf attachments.  Note that I cannot read .wps files.

 

Note that these are separate questions, intended to be separate responses.

 

Section 1 (2+ pps): Personal Response

 

What did you struggle with in this novel?  What ideas and concepts were hard to digest?  This is not a question relating to how long it took you to read, how many words you had to look up, or even if you liked or disliked the book.  It should be related to Joyce’s view of cognition (think of the entire structure of the novel and his “thinking about thinking”) or his struggle to define art and become an artist (what elements were necessary for this to occur?) or the role of family, church, school, Irish politics, etc. in Stephen’s life and self-exile.  Be specific with examples from the book.

 

Section 2 (1.5+ pps): Comparison w/ Personal Response

 

Take the time to make some comparisons to My Name Is Asher Lev and the personal struggle that Asher goes through in that novel.  Perhaps you might even dive all the way back to the “art quotations” we discussed several months ago.  How do these two novels illustrate the necessary development of the artist?  Or do you think that Potok and Joyce are exaggerating the negative influences of society on art?

 

Section 3 (1.5+ pps): Analytical

 

Answer one of the following in an organized short essay with textual references:

 

1.      Explain Stephen’s theory of art as it relates to his vision of himself as The Artist.

2.      Discuss the villanelle (poem) in Chapter 5 as the culmination of Stephen’s pining for Emma and the girls of his youth.

3.      Discuss Stephen’s relationships with his college friends and the point that Joyce is making through them.

4.      Explore the final “diary” entries: why does the book end this way and what does it say about Stephen?

5.      Examine the use of humor in Chapter 5 and its effect on our perception of the character of Stephen.

 

Rubric for grading:

 

Section 1:

  1. displays thoughtful analysis of a complex issue facing Stephen in the book
  2. shows how the student overcame difficulties to understand these complex issues
  3. uses well-selected references from the book correctly with clear understanding
  4. displays knowledge of a deeper meaning of the book as a whole

 

Section 2:

  1. displays knowledge and insight of the deeper meaning of the book as a whole
  2. shows a personal relationship to the meaning of the book (or a lack of a personal relationship to it)
  3. shows effort in understanding personal cognition

 

Section 3:

  1. shows clear organization including thesis, conclusion, etc.
  2. uses text well for support
  3. displays understanding of the meaning of the book and insight into the character of Stephen

 

Overall Considerations:

  1. The rules of grammar and writing mechanics apply.
  2. Edit and proofread your work!
  3. Personal voice is always appreciated but not at the cost of sloppy writing.

 

J

 

Questions about anything?

 

Email me!