Artists such as Lily Briscoe from Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse and Stephen Dedalus from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce are also affected by the way society interprets their art. They embody these two authors' perspectives on what it means to be a true artist. These two characters receive very contrasting messages from the society around them, which in turn affects how they view their art and the effect it will have on the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Each artist receives very different treatment from society. Stephen is an intellectual and sensitive person, even as a young boy. Although he had several brothers and sisters, he was the one his parents sent to the expensive Clongowes Wood College. Initially, he is an outcast, but by the end of his studies, he has proven himself to be both intelligent and capable of speaking out against injustice. Stephen's time at Belvedere College further illustrates his intellectual superiority. He has a reputation as one of the smartest boys in school and his classmates and teachers respect his intelligence. A consequence of this positive reinforcement is that it gives Stephen the confidence to be his own isolated person and eventually leave Ireland to pursue his art. “I'm not afraid to be alone...And I'm not afraid to make a mistake, even a big mistake” (Joyce 218). Through the encouragement and respect he received from his classmates, priests, and society at large, Stephen is able to find the courage to face the world alone for the sake of his art. This is almost the exact opposite of the reactions Lily's art provokes. Mrs. Ramsey doesn't take her seriously and Lily knows it. According to those around her, Lily's role in society is to marry and take care of her husband and home. No one in his life seems to encourage him like the people in Stephen's life encourage him. Mr. Tansley is Lily's biggest critic and non-believer, "whispering in her ear, 'Women can't paint, women can't write...'" (Woolf 48). These lines recur in Lily's thoughts throughout the novel, clearly weighing on her. Whether given explicit instructions or simply remembering them from memory, Lily is constantly reminded of her duty to get married and stop painting. The consequence of this is that she does not have the confidence that Stephen has and that she has very different feelings about his art than Stephen feels about his. She also seeks connections with the world around her, unlike Stephen. Stephen does not seem to desire these (non-sexual) relationships because he is confident in his life choices. These two characters view their art and its effect on the world in extremely different ways. Stephen has many criticisms of Irish society and sees his writing as a way of pointing out these flaws and hoping to change them. In the final lines of the novel, when Stephen leaves to become an artist, he reflects on his choice, declaring: “I will encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and forge in the forge of my soul the uncreated consciousness. of my race” (Joyce 224). He wants to be the voice of Ireland and the voice of its culture, exposing both the good and the bad aspects of it. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this use of the term "uncreated" could have the traditional meaning of not having been created yet, but it could also mean "self-existent or.