In the first half of Chapter 2, Stephen’s world begins to break down around him. His family’s financial situation declines markedly, and the adults in his life, such as Uncle Charles and Mike Flynn, are becoming noticeably more decrepit as they age. It is precisely at this time that Stephen, as Justin pointed out, throws himself into the The Count of Monte Cristo. Stephen’s identification with the protagonist, Edmund Dantes, the Count, marks the second time in Joyce’s novel that we see Stephen relate strongly to the main character in a story, with the first being his identification with “Baby tuckoo” in the story that his father reads him.
Obviously, Stephen’s use of literature is an idea worth discussing, as already he has explicitly identified himself with two literary characters. While there are various ways to approach this issue, I think that, first and foremost, it is important to realize that Stephen is an artist. The very title of the novel indicates to the reader that he is witnessing the development of an artist and his attempts to understand the society around him. As a result, I think that we are supposed to view Stephen as possessing an artist’s sensibility, which includes a heightened level of sensitivity. I think that Stephen himself is uneasy about his own sensitivity and possesses a vague uneasiness about his naturally sensitive nature, because he realizes that he is unusual. He even remarks how “the noise of children at play annoyed him and their silly voices made him feel, even more keenly than he had felt at Clongowes, that he was different from others.” Stephen appears to process the world in a more sensational and artistic way than his peers. This is why he reads Dumas’ novel, because only there can he find the adventure and intrigue that his imagination craves. It is noteworthy also that he does not just read for the thrill of the plot but for the beauty of the imagery. Joyce writes that he would up “an image of the wonderful island cave” on his table, and he would call to mind the “bright picture of Marseilles.”
In addition, Stephen is able to bond with Aubrey Mills over their shared love of adventure. It would seem then that Joyce is not saying that Stephen’s use of literature is purely escapist and that he seeks to isolate himself through identification with a fictional world, but that his ability to relate to literature makes him different and perhaps even intellectually superior, as he can no longer participate in the mundane play of young boys.
Lastly, to address Justin’s point about Stephen’s awkward dealing with the E.C., I believe that it is crucial to look at Stephen’s actions after the event in order to properly understand his supposed paralysis. Stephen says, “I could hold her and kiss her.” This realization is important, because it shows that Stephen is not oblivious or socially illiterate. He makes a conscious choice to neither hold nor kiss E.C. In the next paragraph, Stephen begins to write a love poem to E.C. in the style of Lord Byron. This makes clear that Stephen chooses to avoid holding or kissing the girl because he would rather express his love and desire through poetry. His artistic sensibility is such that he finds it more fulfilling to compose a poem about the girl than to kiss her on the train. However, I believe that Stephen himself fails to understand his own strong inclination towards artistic expression, which is why he incorrectly associates his sensitivity with vague apprehensions about his sexuality. I would have to disagree with Justin and say that Stephen’s sexuality is not so much being discussed, as is his current inability to properly understand his own artistic nature. The fact that Stephen would begin to question his masculinity is more a criticism of Dublin’s values and lack of culture.
Also, this a small point, but Edmund Dantes (The Count) is more of a clever, scheming, and intellectually proficient hero as opposed to a hero who “acts with masculine decisiveness around girls and who enjoys adventure in his life.” Dantes does not ultimately marry Mercedes, as she ends up wedding Danglars, whom Dantes despises yet mercifully spares in the end. This is more for Justin, I didn’t know if this would alter his understanding of Stephen’s identification with Dantes. However, I did read the book in seventh grade, so I might not have gotten all that information correct.
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