James Joyce's "Potrait of an Artist as a Young Man" counters my past readings which contend overcoming adversity requires outside help. Frustrated and confused about his unorthodox, artistic personality, Stephen seeks "outside help" in all manner of places: his father, prostitutes, and the Virgin mary/ the Church. However, Stephen seems to come to terms with himself, and accepts both his religious and sensual tendancies without assitence nor guidence.
This basically ruins everything. I can't write an essay argueing it is neccessary to have outside help when overcoming adversity with the glaring exception of Sthphen Daedalus illustrating the antithesis to my claims. What enabled Stephen to prevail over his internal struggle without any help? In ohter words, why couldn't he be whiny and helpless like Rodia and King Lear?
I think the answer lies primarily in his creative and artistic character. His artistic development would not have been authentic or successful if he had not grown and matured on his own.
Also perhaps, he did have outside help, but instead of it coming from one source at one time it was the amalgamation of the aforementioned disperate experiences which collectively represent the source of his outside help.
