A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

A novel detailing the intellectual and artistic awakening of Stephen Dedalus, Joyce's fictional alter ego. The story tracks Stephen's development from childhood to young adulthood as he grapples with his Catholic upbringing, complex family dynamics, and the socio-political landscape of late 19th-century Ireland. Ultimately, Stephen rejects the constraints of the Church and his country, leading him to a personal epiphany and his decision to leave Ireland for Europe to pursue his destiny as an artist.