Just finished the second chapter. The first thing I noticed in this chapter is in the beginning Stephen to me seemed more confident and had a brighter outlook and seems to have had a pleasant summer adventuring with his new found friends.

This seems to be first overshadowed then totally overtaken by his adolescent lust first for the character Mercedes from the count of Monte Cristo then for the girl from the party at Harold's Cross.

I wonder if his detachment from the world is a result of his artistic temprement or from guilt brought on by his catholic upbringing and his overriding feelings of lust?

I had the same thought. Anyone else thinking along these lines? Thoughts?

Something that struck me about the early chapters is how disconnected Stephen is and Joyce was when young.Clongowes was a boarding school where children were sent by mainly middle class parents.They spent most of the year there except for holidays Stephen has younger siblings he scarcely knows.His mother is barely sketched and in ch 2 he is impatient with his Father who has brought the family to relative penury and mostly drinking .So even when very young he has to fight for himself over his unfair punishment.The household servants are ghostly almost non persons and other pupils are "the fellows".He seems to live largely in his own mind and imagination .