The Daedalus of Greek myth was a skilled inventor who built the Labyrinth of Crete for King Minos to house the monstrous Minotaur. Once he had completed his work on the Labyrinth, Minos trapped Daedalus and his son, Icarus, inside. To escape, Daedalus fashioned both him and his son a pair of wings to fly out of the Labyrinth. However, Icarus's hubris got the better of him, and he flew too close to the sun, causing the bindings on his wings to melt. Icarus's wings fell apart and he fell to his death into the Icarian Sea.
What we see of Stephan's character throughout the story seems closer to Icarus's character than Daedalus's. Stephan is often prideful, demonstrated in his disdain for human interaction or companionship, during the early chapters. Icarus's mortal sin was pride as well, linking Dedalus more to Stephan than Daedalus.
Stephan aspires to be like Daedalus, wishing "to create proudly out of the freedom and power of his soul, as the great artificer whose name he bore". This kind of put Daedalus on a whole other playing field, similar to how a son would look up to his father or something (hint hint).
Interestingly, Stephan never mentions either Daedalus or Icarus by name. Icarus is never alluded to, while Daedalus is alluded to 3 times as the "great artificer". I think Stephan doesn't even want to think about the possibility that he could be closer to Icarus than Daedalus.
I agree that Stephen seems more like Icarus than Daedalus. You brought up the point that Stephen's pride makes him more like Icarus. I think that totally fits, because pride would be something that would make it hard to see himself as Icarus. Like... because he's prideful, he refuses to see that maybe he relates to Icarus... who is also prideful? idk sort of makes sense. What I'm trying to say is that you made a good point, and I'm trying to explain how your good point is working in my brain.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that you contest this side of the argument. While I agree, we as readers are pushed to think the other way. Great provoking post!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I am not well verses in Greek mythology and it took me a while to fully get the Daedalus Icarus analogy. That said I thought the way it was used in the book was cool. I didn't feel that stephen was clearly either character and that instead he fluctuated based on where in his life he was.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that having Stephen, whose last name is Dedalus, resembling Icarus more than Daedalus is very ironic. Right up Joyce's alley. Also, I find your comment at the end about the book never alluding to Icarus and that being related to Stephen not wanting to realize that he may be more like Icarus is very interesting. He wasn't always a reliable narrator, so it is entirely possible.
ReplyDeleteYou make a lot of good points, but I would argue that Stephen has characteristics of both Icarus and Dedalus. It's really interesting that Stephen never alludes to Icarus and what the possible implications of this may be. That hadn't even crossed my mind!
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel I was under the impression that Stephen corresponded with Icarus, as he tends to fly too close to the sun quite a bit. This is exemplified when he goes through the phase of being a devout Catholic who makes nightly trips to brothels. Stephen also displays an unhealthy level of arrogance during practically all of the stages of his youth.
ReplyDeleteI like to emphasize the strong sense of unrealized potential at the end of _Portrait_: he isn't *yet* an "artificer" (like Dedalus), but he is about to *try*. The future remains unwritten--he might indeed fly to close to the sun (figuratively speaking), and this all might be a fatal and eternal mistake (as he acknowledges somewhat melodramatically to Cranly), but he views the risk as worth taking. He's neither Icarus or Daedalus at the end of the novel--not yet. But he *could* be either.
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