Paired Repetition as a Formulaic Element in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Abstract

One stylistic element of James Joyce's A Portrait of Artist as Young Man is Stephen Dedalus' remembrance of events he experiences earlier one or more paired repetitions close proximity within chapter, or appearing at later point novel. my argument means passage repeated two or three times with slight variation or differentiation second and third instances. The second and third instances of repetition are often very close to first form, are usually remembrances of first experience and generally are about significantly pleasurable or painful feelings. Joyce uses Stephen's remembrances or recollections as synectic (1) triggers for ellipted tellings of first event, just expressed differently. These remembrances are selective details and often differ form which they are remembered. It is my purpose this paper to show that paired repetitions Portrait (P) function as neo-Homeric formulaic elements, and serve to develop theme as well. This type of repetition illustrates Joyce's deep interest language and his stylistic ingenuity assimilating and extrapolating techniques of other writers to his purposes for developing theme. As John Rickard points out (joining ranks of other critics who say that nature of personal identity is central question Joyce's work), as Kunstlerroman, Joyce's portrait of Stephen focuses on attempts to find himself (in terms of vocation of course), but also to establish a coherent sense of self (15). My argument here is that pattern of paired repetition Portrait shows how Stephen's recollections serve to establish coherent sense of himself. Using Northrop Frye's well known definition of theme narrative-according to which narrative literature may also be seen as theme, and theme is narrative, but seen as simultaneous unity (z)-we see that Stephen's memories of earlier experiences form pattern of paired repetition which functions as theme. The stylistic similarity between paired repetition Portrait and repetition formulaic elements Homer, with which Joyce was familiar from his reading of Homer, is notable. Of course, there are great differences between two types of repetition. Repetition Portrait is not direct imitation of Homeric formulaic elements, and analogy is functional that characteristic paired repetition enhances our understanding of Joyce's style yet another dimension. R.B. Kershner reminded us 1986 that was thirty years ago that Kenner, echoing Eliot, suggested that Joyce had many voices but no 'style'; twenty years ago Scholes and Kain [also] noted that 'it becomes increasingly apparent that Joyce had either an actual or literary source mind for almost every passage A Portrait' (The Artist as Text 881). (2) Paired repetition Portrait prompts reader to connect specific situational contexts by recognizing thematic words, phrases, or sentences, thereby understanding themes and sub-themes as well. Kershner observes that in wake of Barthes and Derrida, it is more acceptable to see Joyce as enormously inventive and resourceful arranger, paradoist, pasticheur of texts of world, simultaneously master of and mastered by language, rather than creator whose authenticity, selfhood, and patriarchal status as origin is reflected privileged logos (881). He argues that Bakhtin perhaps offers accurate metaphor of heteroglossia ... and surely no author illustrates more elegantly than Joyce Bakhtin's image of novel as consciously structured hybrid of languages (881). He points out that the implications of this view for Joyce's portrait of an artist are manifold, and may help to illuminate several aspects of most noticeable among which is strikingly unusual but seldom remarked characteristic of text, its frequent use of incremental (882, my emphasis). …