Class Discussion Notes: 10.11.2005

• “by becoming aware of the little details of our lives we could see through to some greater underlying meaning” –Ben

• self-knowledge –Rachel

• power of place –Sharon

• semioticians- “people watching” –Willy

• discovery learning through art, especially drama –Cheryl, May

• “reality of experience” (253) –Ben

· Illusion of justice—goes to the rector believing he will achieve justice and be held in the regard of these famous heroes and martyrs but in the end he is simply mocked

· vverzealous and blind approach to faith seems like its only preparing itself for another disappointment”

· “That’s what you fellows want: and plenty of time to you work” (125)—foreshadow

· Contrition

· perfect contrition “arises from a love in which god is loved above all us”

· imperfect contrition- from threats and fear

§ rector encourages imperfect contrition from fear

§ the school only covered “fear”—love vs. fear

• when he prays at the end of the section (135), is this a true epiphany?

· epiphany- manifestation of a divinity (greek)

· did he gain some access to the divine at this moment?

· does an epiphany have to be dramatic?

· are his feelings coming out of guilt or is it really a realization?

· “walk asking questions” (Zapatista)—stephen is weaving in out of these questions and the meaning of being

§ the mystery- always walking around questioning

· prayer

§ an incantation- the rhythm supposedly gets you from the left side of the brain into the right or into your heart

· “Ah yes, he would still be spared; he would repent in his heart and be forgiven; and then those above, those in heaven, would see what he would do to make up for the past: a whole life, every hour of life. Only wait.” (126)

§ seems like an absolute and unrealistic problem

§ irony? is this Joyce commenting on the issues of adolescence now that he has grown up?

• how will the redemption finally come? –Rachel

· finding the divine in small things –Ben

· emotionally connect back to the world by establishing a sense of place –Sharon

§ couldn’t connect to his father’s story about childhood

§ sees the desk in his father’s college- helps him reconstruct an image of what might have happened there

§ preacher uses vivid imagery to create a sense of hell as a place—Stephen feels really bad and decides to confess

· “This morning we endeavored, in our reflection upon hell, to make what our holy founder calls in his book of spiritual exercises, the composition of place” (127)

· art

§ discovery learning- perhaps in order to know how to behave, he has to act it out

§ “fake it until you make it” –bump

• power struggle—Stephen wants to be able to reject the girl