The soul is born, he said vaguely, first in those moments I told you of. It has a slow and dark birth, more mysterious than the birth of the body. When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets.
In James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," the character reflects on the nature of the soul's emergence. He describes this process as mysterious and gradual, contrasting it with the physical birth of a person. The soul's birth involves challenges and obstacles that hinder its freedom and development.
The speaker highlights how societal constructs such as nationality, language, and religion serve as constraints that prevent individuals from realizing their potential. Despite these limitations, he expresses a determination to transcend these barriers and embrace his true essence.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
