Well, he finally did something about it (it being his
depraved soul). After all the florid language of Stephen’s thoughts and all the
heartache about his teenage hell-bound impiety, a nightmare about goats at last
spurs him on. I’m skeptical.
Maybe I’m slightly disenchanted with the language of this
subsection. Don’t get me wrong though: I concede that Joyce is a linguistic
artist. But really, reading these pages, I found that much of it was overblown
and points to Stephen’s egregious lack of perspective, which emerges from
something resembling narcissism. Take, for example, Stephen’s course of action
after having the nightmare with the “rictus of cruel malignity” (131 in my
edition): “He flung the blankets from him madly to free his face and neck.” (Ok
I’m fine with this) “That was his hell.” (Here we go) “God had allowed him to
see the hell reserved for his sins: stinking, bestial, malignant, a hell of
lecherous goatish fiends. For him! For him!” (I mean, come on.) I’m not sure if
Joyce is criticizing Stephen along with me, but I’m certainly criticizing
Stephen. Regardless, the language of Stephen’s thoughts becomes laughably
self-centered on his way to confession: “He wept for the innocence he had lost,”
“He cowered in the shadow of the thought, abasing himself in the awe of God Who
had made all things and all men…he prayed mutely to his angel guardian to drive
away with his sword the demon that was whispering to his brain” (133). What we
see here is the worst of the Catholic tradition, of which I’m critical, and the
worst of Stephen’s self-importance, of which I’m critical, and the downright
ridiculousness of this entire episode, of which I’m taking note.
And then, after confession, suddenly everything is fine and
dandy, but still overblown: “his prayer ascended to heaven from his purified
heart like perfume streaming upwards from a heart of white rose” (139). I
suppose Joyce is calling attention to the reality that Stephen places far too
much value in confession and does not effect an sort of internal change. He
feels a change, but does not seem to actually reform himself. Ultimately, I
think Joyce and I could be on the same page—Stephen lacks perspective because
he is so far steeped in a backward Catholic tradition and stuck in his own
head. We’ve mentioned this sentiment in class before, but I really felt it
resonated with me tonight in this reading.
I agree with you that Stephen lies to himself about the success of his confession and his thought that he has changed.
ReplyDeleteWhen he goes to enter the confessional, he "stood up in terror and walked blindly into the box" (124). When the priest goes to absolve him of his sins, he is "[b]linded by tears and by the light of God's mercifulness" (126). While the "cause" of his blindness is different, nonetheless Stephen is in the same physical state. Emotionally, he may have changed, but physically he did not. His urges towards sin will probably still continue.
He also insists that God will save him if he is truly sorry, but the way he continuously repeats to himself, "he was sorry" three times makes the sentiment seem disingenuous (125). Almost as though he has to tell himself he is sorry to prove it to himself. The desire to be sorry may be there, but he doesn't truly feel it.
I agree that the sudden switch to piety is meant to be overblown and Stephen is very self-centered. But his focus on avoiding torment instead of loving God is even demonstrative of his selfishness than his dramatics are.
ReplyDeleteThe Latin spoken at the end of part 3 is part of the declaration of eternal life. The statement comes in bits and pieces, separated only by Stephen's thoughts, which also focus on redeeming himself first and foremost. He would be "purified" into "another life", freed from his past evil (118). As part four begins, these thoughts continue and Stephen even compares praying for the suffering souls in purgatory to using a "cash register" (120).
While this effectively proves Stephen's selfishness and lack of genuine piety all by itself, it also raises the question of blame for the Church. I think it might be the case that the Church is blatantly attempting to extort faith out of fear, as the priests' rants demonstrate.
Everyone here is fully responsible.