Does change necessarily imply improvement? How does one walk only by looking straight down? What exactly does fermented urine smell like, and is there any scent worse than it? These are some of the many questions that went on through my head as I read this chapter, arguably the most interesting installment in Stephen's life.
So where do we start? First off, let's recall what occurred at the end of the last chapter (let us also notice that the most pivotal moment of each chapter is at the end): Stephen was so guilty and traumatized by the sermons about the torments of hell that he confessed his sins and vowed to turn his life around. We now see in this chapter the exact means that he will use to "turn his life around".
Stephen devotes his life completely to religious pursuits, praying constantly and forcibly restraining his own senses to resist temptation. The manner in which he goes about doing this was by far the highlight of the chapter, if not the book, for me. Some of his attempts to avoid worldly temptations included looking straight at the ground to prevent wandering eyes, not drying his face after washing it, and smelling urine that has been left outside for a while. This entire process, while very comical for those reading the chapter, demonstrates an incredible amount of sincerity and self-discipline in Stephen. We can immediately tell from these details that he is dedicated to this lifestyle and earnestly trying his best.
However, the narrative of the text also changes in this chapter. There is noticeably less detail and everything becomes more... boring. As Stephen dulls his senses to the outside world, we are also dulled to the happenings of this chapter. The previous life and intellectual curiosity that is seen in Stephen dies, and it makes the reader feel dreary as the chapter becomes monotonous.
Thankfully, this all changes (once again) at the end of the chapter. After being invited to live a life as a priest, Stephen carefully considers his future and judges whether he would be happy in the priesthood. However, the thought of eternal boredom makes him uncomfortable and he seeks an escape. Through a bit more wandering and searching, his encounter with a girl standing in the landscape shocks his senses open again. I can only imagine this encounter being even greater than before because of his previous attempts to mortify his senses. Although he did not achieve his original goal in attaining enlightenment through religious zealousness, his efforts allowed the contrast between the pure joys of life and the monotony of forced behavior to shine. In this way, it seems that Stephen finally found his own form of enlightenment at the end of ths chapter..
John, What a fun and jaunty blog on a "boring" chapter! Although I may be a bit overwhelmed by the number of rhetorical questions in the opening of the piece, I can tell you what "fermented horse urine" smells like and I can assure you that there are a great number of things that smell worse. That said, what is missing here is a return to the text a quotation of sufficient length for us to examine your claims instead of just being told about them. Evidence exists for a reason and every good book reviewer knows that a proper quotation is the anchor to a good piece of criticism.
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