The pure, white image of Mary as Stephen likely imagines it
Stephen's thoughts during the retreat provide further evidence of his deep reverence of the Virgin Mary. While we first saw Stephen's worship of Mary as merely a result of his religious education, we see in Chapter 3 that he separates God and Mary quite definitely: "Their error had offended deeply God's majesty...but it had not offended her whose beauty is not like earthly beauty, dangerous to look upon, but like the morning star which is its emblem, bright and musical."(102). Although Stephen recognizes his "sin", i. e. his sexual encounter with the prostitute, and fears God's punishment, he views Mary as a graceful divine being who will forgive him. Stephen has apparently always seen the Mother of God as such a forgiving figure, for even with the prostitute he does not act and instead "surrenders" himself to her maternal nature. I also find it interesting that he uses a quote in which Mary is identified as "musical" since we learned on the first page of the novel that Stephen's own mother plays music. This leads me to believe that Stephen suffers from the Madonna-whore complex, and he sees every woman as a pure figure with whom he should not engage sexually, but his yearning for masculinity urges him toward sexuality as well. As a result Stephen has clearly become extremely confused sexually. It seems, however, that the retreat has inspired a change in Stephen. What is this resolution he has found? Has his fear of God's wrath and his wish to please Mary inspired him into denying his own sexuality?
I don't think that religion, or God are the source of Stephen's rejection of his less-than-kosher behavior. If anything, it is either the Madonna or Emma. Throughout the beginning of part 3 and into the second subsection, Stephen shows ambivalence of God and denies His omnipotence. Moreover, his image of the Madonna is much more maternal than anything else, detached from her strictly religious importance. He admires her ability to remain pure (a virgin) throughout her life and projects that sustained innocence onto Emma. This love and near reverence for Emma guides him to seek God's forgiveness, though he is "too far from him."
In his vision of God and Mary, God, taking the paternal role, is "offended deeply" further distancing him from reconciliation while Mary remains "not offended," fulfilling the comforting mother archetype. In the end, when he sees his hand join Emma's, it is Mary, not God, that guides them.
I think that you raise an interesting question at the end, regarding Stephen’s fear of God’s wrath as denying his own sexuality. After all, this is in fact one of the reasons Stephen goes from total obedience toward God in the beginning of chapter one, to his rebellion when be believes that his “soul lusted after its own destruction” (103) in chapter three. However, I think it is key to notice that Stephen has a flawed sense of sexuality. Earlier in chapter two, we saw him as passive and separated in his relationships with girls, waiting to be transfigured by his first sexual experience. Instead of pursuing his sexuality by trying to flirt with girls his age, he goes straight to the town brothel. He’s too scared to talk to E.C. in the tram, but he surrenders himself to a prostitute? His sense of sexuality is pretty messed up and this inner mix-up is what pushes Stephen away from God. I don’t really think that it’s God who is making Stephen deny his own sexuality.
I don't think that religion, or God are the source of Stephen's rejection of his less-than-kosher behavior. If anything, it is either the Madonna or Emma. Throughout the beginning of part 3 and into the second subsection, Stephen shows ambivalence of God and denies His omnipotence. Moreover, his image of the Madonna is much more maternal than anything else, detached from her strictly religious importance. He admires her ability to remain pure (a virgin) throughout her life and projects that sustained innocence onto Emma. This love and near reverence for Emma guides him to seek God's forgiveness, though he is "too far from him."
ReplyDeleteIn his vision of God and Mary, God, taking the paternal role, is "offended deeply" further distancing him from reconciliation while Mary remains "not offended," fulfilling the comforting mother archetype. In the end, when he sees his hand join Emma's, it is Mary, not God, that guides them.
I think that you raise an interesting question at the end, regarding Stephen’s fear of God’s wrath as denying his own sexuality. After all, this is in fact one of the reasons Stephen goes from total obedience toward God in the beginning of chapter one, to his rebellion when be believes that his “soul lusted after its own destruction” (103) in chapter three. However, I think it is key to notice that Stephen has a flawed sense of sexuality. Earlier in chapter two, we saw him as passive and separated in his relationships with girls, waiting to be transfigured by his first sexual experience. Instead of pursuing his sexuality by trying to flirt with girls his age, he goes straight to the town brothel. He’s too scared to talk to E.C. in the tram, but he surrenders himself to a prostitute? His sense of sexuality is pretty messed up and this inner mix-up is what pushes Stephen away from God. I don’t really think that it’s God who is making Stephen deny his own sexuality.
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