the student toward their authority. Stephen even considers never dealing with it anymore. It shows how the authority works well in repressing student’s freedom to
speak out. Such situation surely emerges the impression that there is a certain gap
between students and their teachers. The concept that they bond in a father-and-son- likely relationship is not implemented as similar as the instruction of Jesuit school.
Students and teachers at Clongowes are not that close. The point that is really happened in their interaction at school is the admission of teachers’ power as the
representation of father and the obedience of students who represents the sons. The function of the father to show reality to the infants results in a need to
teach them how to repress their desire into something which is more acceptable by that reality. At Clongowes, the institution of school plays role as the father who needs
to lead its students into certain reality happened in and around the school. In order to get the students accustomed to it, school needs to do action of repression. The
repression that is usually done by school is limiting students’ freedom and making them adjustable to the regulation that school makes. This kind of repression is done
through a certain kind of relationship between the people who are involved in. A superior position is occupied by the educators at Clongowes. This position
powers them with certain authority which enables them to give pressure and force to the lower positioned participants. Hence, students are positioned under the power of
the educators. By this kind of relationship, students are not able to directly take an action against the authority of the teachers. As the consequence, teachers own the
authority and receive very little resistance toward it. The gap between these two groups of participants is the means that supports repression happening at school.
The implementation of discipline, regulation of students’ religious routine, and the interaction between students and teachers imply that repression toward
students at school is done through the rule of the school and the relationship between students and teachers.
C. Revealing the Repression toward Students
The explanation about the elements of the school that become the means of repressing action at school needs to be elaborated. A further discussion in this
subchapter deals with a deeper analysis on how such elements represses students. The mechanism of repression is observed through some events happened in the novel.
These events mostly involve Stephen Dedalus, the main character of the novel, as a student at Clongowes and later in a university. The discussion also takes a look at the
interaction between Stephen and other participants in each event. The existence of repression can be recognized through a method called
symptomatic reading. Appearance of the symptom is the gate to look beyond the unconsciousness of the person whom the symptom belongs to. Afterwards, the role of
the Other shall be known in order to analyze how that Other makes the limitation to the person’s desire. The understanding about the significance of the Other is used to
dive into the unconscious realm. That is where the analyst may find the closest
comprehension about the true desire of the person. Hypothesis about the desire then needs to be related to the symptoms. When it has a connection that explains the
symptom as the returning form of the repressed desire, then it can be concluded as a repression.
1. Stephen’s Wrong Punishment
The moment when Stephen Dedalus gets a wrong punishment from the perfect of studies is possible to occur since there is very little advocacy to prevent
him from being punished. In the time when he is interrogated by the Father Dolan, Stephen can only tell him that Stephen’s glasses are broken. Father Dolan accuses
him of telling a lie. Facing that statement, Stephen is only surprised. He says nothing to advocate himself. It is shown by the description below.
—Where did you break your glasses? repeated the prefect of studies. —The cinder-path, sir.
—Hoho The cinder-path cried the prefect of studies. I know that trick. Stephen lifted his eyes in wonder and saw for a moment Father Dolan’s
white-grey not young face, his baldy white-grey head with fluff at the sides of it, the steel rims of his spectacles and his no-coloured eyes looking through
the glasses. Why did he say he knew that trick?
—Lazy idle little loafer cried the prefect of studies. Broke my glasses An old schoolboy trick Out with your hand this moment Joyce, 1992: 37
P.S. The phrases ‘repeated the prefect of studies’ and ‘cried the prefect of studies’ are indirect expressions.
Father Dolan eventually punishes Stephen since no one states the converse of his assumption about Stephen’s reason. He assumes that anyone affirms the fact that
Stephen tells a lie about breaking his glasses.
The symptom that is obviously seen here is the unwillingness of the member of class to tell Father Dolan’s the truth. It is done not only by the students who are
positioned in a different level from Father Dolan, but also by the teacher of the class, Father Arnall. All of them do not even try to protect Stephen even though they know
well that Stephen’s glasses are truly broken. Stephen himself is not brave enough to defend his reason.
In this Stephen’s personal experience, the one who occupies the position as the Other is Father Dolan with his authority. This Other limits him to do some
actions. The presence of Father Dolan in the class certainly interrupts class activities. Before his visit, Stephen can follow the activities in the class as far as he can do
without glasses. The statement of Father Dolan about Stephen’s telling a lie makes Stephen totally stop doing anything in the class. He gets punishment because of doing
no mistake. In students mind, the person Father Dolan is automatically attributed with
certain authority that they cannot resist. This thought makes them unwilling even to try to tell the truth. They are in fear. This fear is what represses the students. They are
limited and pressed in case they need to state something. However, the statements they may make are probably against Father Dolan’s opinion on Stephen. Meanwhile,
according to school rules students have to obey their teachers. Such condition decreases Stephen and his friends’ chance to be treated fairly.
In psychoanalysis, symptom is always something contrasted to the desire. Since students’ unwillingness to respond Father Dolan’s accusation is the symptom
the students tend to show, the desire must be the opposite idea of it. Students of the class at that time actually want to tell Father Dolan that Stephen does not lie. Their
desire is to reveal the truth about the moment Stephen’s glasses were broken and his inability to study without them. This is affirmed by the event happened after the class.
Most of Stephen’s friends tell him that Father Dolan’s punishment is wrong and cruel, therefore he must tell the rector of the school. They are brave enough to say so
since there is no more fear that presses them each time they face the prefect of studies.
In this event, it is clear that school elite’s authority is truly a significant thing that influences how the rest of the school members act. Their respond toward the
authority is manifested in fear. This makes them choosing to act opposing their true desire. Hence, it is a repression. The moment when Stephen gets wrong punishment
from Father Dolan shows that authority of school’s elite represses the students.
2. Boys’ Doing Smugging
Once told in the novel that some students from higher class escaped from school. They do it because they are about to be punished by the prefect of studies and
the teacher. The reason why they escape is discussed among the other students. One of them gives the information that those boys escape after they stole some amount of
money from rector’s room.
—But why did they run away, tell us? —I know why, Cecil Thunder said. Because they had fecked cash out of the
rector’s room 1992: 29.
P.S. The phrase ‘Cecil Thunder said’ is an indirect expression. The gossip does not stop there. Another student tells a different story.
—You know the altar wine they keep in the press in the sacristy? —Yes.
—Well, they drank that and it was found out who did it by the smell. And that’s why they ran away, if you want to know 1992: 29.
The various reasons told by the students lead them into confusion. The discussion in that evening ends in another different information.
Athy lowered his voice and said: —Do you know why those fellow scut? I will tell you but you must not let on
you know. —Tell us, Athy. Go on. You might if you know.
He paused for a moment and then said mysteriously: —They were caught with Simon Moonan and Tusker Boyle in the square one
night. The fellows looked at him and asked:
—Caught? —What doing?
Athy said: —Smugging.
All the fellows were silent: and Athy said: —And that’s why 1992: 31.
All the boys who are involved in that discussion eventually believe in the later information.
‘Smugging’ is an Irish slang word for engaging in homosexual activities. This action happens in a school which is indeed homogeneous. Clongowes is only for
