The protagonist's need for artistic expression by Stephen Dedalus is emphasized in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Joyce juxtaposes the creativity of Stephen Daedalus with a commitment to his Catholic faith as he continues his odyssey to find his identity. Which vocation will he respond to: artist or priest? The text follows the protagonist through his positive and negative experiences with priests and his first revelations of artistic talents. Stephen is surrounded by financial, political and religious tensions in his family and reveals to them how crippling these influences can be on one's life. Joyce conveys the artistic manifestation that seems inherent in Stephen throughout his journey, while portraying Stephen in a constant battle to accept the priesthood while often doubting the importance of religion. Joyce delivers an account of A portrait of the artist as a young man who believes that art is superior to religion. This idea embodies the depiction of Stephen's love of art versus his apprehension for theology, which points to a plot that implies that art is better than religion. Stephen grew up in a Catholic family, with his mother and his nanny Dante, the most pious; this creates a tension between Stephen's dual vocation for art and theology. From the beginning, we see the world through the eyes and mind of young Stephen and we realize that he has a very imaginative mind. As his father tells him a story, his imagination kicks in and he thinks, “That was a baby tuckoo.” The cash cow came down to the street where Betty Byrne lived: she was selling lemon dishes” (3). Stephen is already showing the artistic qualities he will continue to develop on his journey to manhood. Stephen also has his first exp...... middle of paper ......rt, similarly if he indulges in sexual pleasures it would also take away his ability to create. Stephen finally has the final revelation when he sees the young woman alone on the beach. They look at each other without exchanging words and Joyce writes: “Her eyes had called him and his soul had leapt to the call. Live, make mistakes, fall, triumph, recreate life from life! (213). Here, Stephen knows he must create art from the beauty around him. Throughout the text, the narrative presents the artist as the hero and the priest as living a life of torment and boredom. Thus, reflecting that art is superior to religion because it allows one to discover the beauty of the world and create and recreate works of art. Works Cited Joyce, James. A portrait of the artist as a young man. New York: Viking, 1964. Electronic publication.