There is no painting in this book... some portrait.

Symbol:
One major symbol in this book was the birds and flight. Birds are discussed in almost every chapter throughout the novel and show Stephen's desire to "take flight" and get away from his situation in life. Stephens last name, and plight are similar to Daedalus. Both want to escape from where they are. Daedalus built wings out of twine, wax, and feathers to fly away and Stephen (and his strikingly similar last name) too wants to fly out of his current situation. Both manage to do so.
Quote:
"Is a chair finely made tragic or comic? Is the portrait of Mona Lisa good if I desire to see it? Is the bust of Sir Philip Crampton lyrical, epical, or dramatic? Can excrement or a child or a louse be a work of art? If not,why not?" Page 232

I found this particular quote interesting. This part in the novel is Stephens true turning point towards his realizations on life. His questioning of things that are, such as a finely made chair, are fascinating. He sees here that things have two sides. The chair, while finely made will see nothing but some one's rear. This could be both tragic (as a lot of work and love has been put into the chair) or comic (which is self explanatory.) The chair itself is, in essence a view of life. He continues this thought by question the value of something based on desire. Again, these are the kinds of questions that lead him to realize himself in his entirety. The idea that anything can be a work of art is showing that he has learned; that beauty of any kind is in the eye of the beholder is a new concept to him, as he has been so oriented around his standing for a good part of his life.

Opinion:
I found that the novel was easier to understand with class discussion. Perhaps a second reading of this book would enable me to further enjoy it, however I did have a rough time with it. I liked the authors use of simple language initially and that the language progressed with Stephen himself, and I found that to be an effective tool in helping me to understand the changes in his life. Joyce's life is exposed throughout the novel, which makes it even more compelling to me. Overall I liked the book but really do feel that to truly appreciate it I need to reread it.