Stephen and the ‘Uncreated Conscience’ of His Race: Exploring the Native Concerns in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man explores what it means to be an artist in late nineteenth century Ireland, fraught with religious and political strife. The novel is an account of the formative days of Stephen Dedalus, the protagonist, who comes to realize that before he can become a true artist, he must rid himself of the stultifying effects of the religion, politics and essential bigotry of his background in late nineteenth century Ireland. During the course of the narrative he breathes in something of every wind that blows in Ireland. He believes that beyond the coasts of erstwhile Ireland, poor and culturally deprived, is the culture of the world. His eclectic perception makes him determined to use his art to reclaim emancipation for the soul of his native land. The homeless Irishman in Ireland, the homeless genius in the world, Stephen resolves to fly off like Icarus, onward and upward, and ‘forge’ in the smithy of his soul the ‘uncreated conscience’ of his race. The present paper intends to study A Portrait in light of its historical, social and cultural context as well as to discuss Stephen’s encounters with and reactions to the notions of nation and nationalism, society and culture, religion and liberty