The story of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is about the life of a teenaged boy named Stephan and his journeys throughout his young adult life and how he faces the trials and tribulations which challenge the very essence of what he was brought up to believe. Throughout this novel, it becomes evident that Stephan's education and his artistic imagination mature as he experiences a series of significant episodes which helps to shape him as an artist. This genre of story is an example of a kunstletrroman. In this complex and sometimes difficult read, Stephan experiences many incidents which influence his thoughts and his path as an artist.

In order to understand the path of an artist, one must realize what an artist is. During Stephan's conversation with a school teacher, it was agreed upon that "the object of an artist is the creation...