could be a thin thin line there all round everything. It was very big to think about everything and everywhere 1992: 10.
Stephen tries to discover what comes after the universe. At first he just wants to write the identity of the owner of the book. He continues a little bit longer and
finds a question about the existence of the thing after the universe. Stephen questions something which is rarely thought by common people in common situation.
In other time, Stephen questions the punishment that is given to the students while they are in class. When Stephen and his friend, Fleming, are punished by the
prefect of the studies Father Dolan, a teacher named Father Arnall is teaching in that class. He does not do anything to stop Father Dolan from punishing his students.
Even that he knows that Stephen has no mistake, he lets Father Dolan punishes him. Stephen is confused by the system of the school where he studies. A teacher
may do physical punishment to the students without anyone advocates the victims. The authority of Father Dolan as the prefect of studies is the reason why Father
Arnall acts that way. Stephen’s habit to question things around him occurs many times and
continues along his life. Therefore, he may be classified as a critical boy.
a.4. Religious
Stephen is born in a Catholic Ireland family. The tradition of Catholicism is very strong in his family. This is also the reason why his parents enroll him at
Clongowes School which is managed by Catholic priests.
As a Catholic school, Clongowes rules its system based on the rules of Catholicism. Clongowes is a boarding school, therefore it is easier for the school to
manage the students following the religious activities. Since Stephen is one of the students, he also follows the religious routine along his school time. As the result,
Stephen grows as a religious person. At a moment, Stephen used to imagine himself dead and be brought in a
corpse to a mass. He thinks about his life. … the body had died and the soul stood terrified before the judgement seat.
God, who had long been merciful, would then be just. He had long been patient, pleading with the sinful soul, giving it time to repent, sparing it yet
awhile. … Now it was God’s turn: and He was not to be hoodwinked or deceived 1992: 86.
Stephen seems to have a close relationship with God that he can guess how long God has been waiting and what God has been doing along that time. He builds
his own imagination of God’s feeling toward sinful people. This can be done by Stephen because he has references from religion that talks about the judgement day
and how God treats human. Another case shows the religious self of Stephen. He does an evening praying
in his room. He does it for the sake of making himself feeling better. Why was he kneeling there like a child saying his evening prayers? To be
alone with his soul, to examine his conscience, to meet his sins face to face, to recall their times and manners and circumstances, to weep over them 1992:
104-105.
