English 334: Paper #1 topics

Spring 2003: Due February 24

You are encouraged to come up with your own paper topic, but feel free to use or modify one of the topics I have suggested below.  All papers should give evidence of close reading of the text being discussed.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

  1. What is the relationship between Stephen's experience of religion--particularly sin--and his experience of beauty?  You might in particular examine the beginning of Chapter 3 and the end of Chapter 4.
  2. Stephen claims that he will use, in his defense, "silence, exile and cunning."  In what ways does the text suggest problems with these defense mechanisms?
  3. What is the relationship between the author and God in this text? Think not only about Stephen as author, but perhaps also Joyce as author.
  4. Compare one of Joyce's poems with one of Stephen Dedalus's.
  5. Create a brief portrait of the artist.  Interpret this however you would like; it should, however, be somehow relevant to the Joyce text.

Dubliners

  1. Explore one of the following concepts/metaphors as it appears in one or two (but no more than two) stories:
    • The East
    • gnomon
    • simony
    • confession
    • teeth
    • contract
    • manners (and gender)
  2. How might the phrase "let him learn to box his corner" (2) tie to the larger themes present in "The Sisters"?
  3. "Joyce, as an author, is like a priest."   So spake learned critic Kathryn Conrad.  Examine this claim.