“Eleven! Then he was late for that lecture too. What day of the week was it? He stopped at a newsagent’s to read the headline of a placard. Thursday. Ten to eleven, English; eleven to twelve, French; twelve to one, physics. He fancied himself the English lecture and felt, even at that distance, reckless and helpless. He saw the heads of his classmates meekly bent as they wrote in their notebooks the points they were bidden to note, nominal definitions, essential definitions and examples or dates of birth or death, chief works, a favourable and an unfavourable criticism side by side.”
In this passage, Stephen is walking from his house after his father rudely yells, “Is your lazy bitch of a brother gone out yet?” Stephen leaves the house and contemplatively wanders around. As Stephen is thinking, he realizes that he has missed his English lecture and “is late for that lecture too,” in reference to the French lecture. This is significant because Stephen casually and nonchalantly understands that he neglected to attend his class. Not only this but he asks the question, “What day of the week was it?” Just in the last part of the novel, Stephen not only knew what day of the week it was (always), but he always knew what he would be doing on that day. His obsessive, anxious personality would never have allowed him to behave in this way. Stephen has grown to a calmer person, and isn’t upset that skipped his class, but rather goes on to say, “He saw the heads of his classmates meekly bent as they wrote in their notebooks the points they were bidden to note…” suggesting that these students are not happy and are not thinking for themselves. Joyce uses the word “meekly” to describe the college students that are actually in class taking notes suggesting that these students are not happy and are not thinking for themselves. Joyce uses the word “meekly” to describe the college students that are actually in class taking notes implying they are submissively and unhappily doing what they are told. He also says “the points they were bidden to note” hinting that the students are not thinking for themselves (completely the opposite of Stephen) and are simply regurgitating what the professor tells them. Stephen always thinks for himself. The inner workings of his mind are very artistic and unique, and cannot be confined like the college students he refers to.
A symbol can also be found in this passage. The college students that mindlessly write down the information they are given without question symbolize the average human being. Stephen is a special, different person, and the students are not. They symbolize the product of people not pushing the limits, not questioning, not wondering why. This symbol of quiet acceptance of what is presented to them provides a great contradiction to Stephen’s personality, and highlights the positivity of his individuality. The robotic presentation of the students is not very appealing (with the use of "meekly"), and shines a delightful beam of light on Stephen's way of life.
A symbol can also be found in this passage. The college students that mindlessly write down the information they are given without question symbolize the average human being. Stephen is a special, different person, and the students are not. They symbolize the product of people not pushing the limits, not questioning, not wondering why. This symbol of quiet acceptance of what is presented to them provides a great contradiction to Stephen’s personality, and highlights the positivity of his individuality. The robotic presentation of the students is not very appealing (with the use of "meekly"), and shines a delightful beam of light on Stephen's way of life.
Review
I did not enjoy reading this novel in the slightest. The stream of consciousness style makes it a quite unpleasant read. I much prefer the structured plot line of a book; the opening, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. This is not to say I cannot appreciate a book that doesn’t follow this template exactly, but a book like “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” and “We” that rambles on in no obvious direction does not leave me anxious to read the next part. Everyone has his/her own individual mindless stream of consciousness in everyday life and we do not go about stating this out loud. There is a very good reason for that. These things are not interesting and do not need to be acknowledged or shared. Unfortunately, I gleaned no fulfillment from James Joyce’s novel, but I can recognize that the actual writing, the diction, though difficult to understand, was really eloquently put once I understood what he was trying to communicate.
