Stephen Dedalus

Stephen Dedalus Escaping from Catholicism to Express Himself As a Young Man Stephen, relying on his “…night prayers…” began to identify himself with his surroundings. His strength was his prayers. Only “…God understood what all the people who prayed said…”. Stephen found comfort in his prayers. He “…blessed himself…” because he was terrified of the idea of “…going to hell when he died…”. Once Stephen had remind “…hell…” to himself his “…shaking would stop…”, but …showed first 75 words of 600 total…

…showed last 75 words of 600 total…cried “…Heavenly God!…” in a burst of “…profane joy…”. As a consequence of this encounter he decided to go to the university and he started to drift away from the church. Stephen, now a believer “…in the power of the mind…,” decided to go into art. His separation from the church was final. He “…neither believed in it nor disbelieved in it…”. At the end, Stephen “…tried to love God…”, but he just could not.