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Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man tells the semi-autobiographical account of James Joyce's first 20 years, but it is also a profound investigation into the perspective and formation of an artist. Originally intended to present the protagonist Stephen Daedalus as a renegade Catholic artist-hero, the story also succeeds as a testament of what it means to be alive and filled with curiosity, desire, and sensitivity -- in short, to be an artist.

CliffsNotes on Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man helps you understand the overall structure of the novel and the actions and motivations of the characters by providing you with chapter-by-chapter summaries and commentaries. Other features that help you study include

• A chronology of the author's life offers insight into his writing style
  
  
• Descriptive character analyses
  
  
• Glossaries to define new and unfamiliar terms
  
  
• Critical essays on Joyce's use of imagery and autobiography
  
  
• A review section that tests your knowledge
  
  

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