Smugging emerges as the possible-but-prohibited way to overcome the problem that those students face. They eventually make certain excuse for themselves
in order to fulfill their need of sexual activity. Smugging leads them to the chance. It is done by them secretly. They do not want anyone to know because they are under
the pressure of the Catholicism values that they break. Here, smugging can be related as the returning action of what is repressed in the students’ unconsciousness. They
have the desire to engage in sexual activity with person with opposite sex. However, they are not allowed to meet one. Since every desire must eventually be released,
those boys choose homosexual activity as the way out. For what the students do is truly opposing their desire, this case can be
considered as a repression that is done through the Catholicism values which are applied at school.
3. Stephen’s Meeting Prostitute and his Guilty Feeling
Stephen’s family faces a crisis in their finance. Due to this problem, Stephen’s parents cannot send him to Clongowes any longer. It costs too much. Stephen is
eventually sent to another Jesuit school which is cheaper, Belvedere. Here, Stephen continues his personal religious journey that is started at Clongowes. Both schools
where he studies apply the same system since they are managed by the same
community, Jesuit. Stephen must still obey quite similar school rules and religious routine at Belvedere.
Stephen has a talent in writing. He wins an article writing competition. He gets an amount of money as the prize.
When they had passed into the great hall and stood at the counter for thirty and three pounds, and these sums, the moneys of his exhibition and essay
prize, were paid to him rapidly by the teller in notes and in coin respectively Joyce, 1992: 73.
Stephen is very happy to have this prize. He spends the money to buy many things for his family.
For a swift reason of merrymaking the money of his prizes ran through Stephen’s fingers. Great parcels of groceries and delicacies and dried fruits
arrived from the city. Every day he drew up a bill of fare for the family and every night led a party of three or four to the theatre to see Ingomar or The
Lady of Lyons. In his coat pockets he carried squares of Vienna chocolate for his guests while his trousers’ pocket bulged with masses of silver and copper
coins. He bought presents for everyone, overhauled his room, … opened a loan bank for his family and pressed loans on willing borrowers so that he
might have the pleasure of making out receipts and reckoning the interests on the sums lent 1992: 74.
Stephen really spends the money. He soon gets nothing with him and stops doing such things. He regrets it. In his depressing time, Stephen also sees that his
family faces the same thing. This situation frustrates Stephen more. While weeping his foolness, Stephen tries to find the way to prevent himself from being stressed out.
Stephen meets a prostitute. It is described in the novel that at first Stephen hesitates, but eventually he continues the interaction with the prostitute.
He tried to bid his tongue speak that he might seem at ease, watching her as she undid her gown, noting the proud conscious movements of her perfumed
head.
As he stood silent in the middle of the room she came over to him and embraced him gaily and gravely. … She passed her tinkling hand through his
hair, calling him a little rascal.
—Give me a kiss, she said. His lips would not bend to kiss her. He wanted to be held firmly in her arms,
to be caressed slowly, slowly, slowly. In her arms he felt that he had suddenly become strong and fearless and sure of himself. But his lips would not bend to
kiss her.
With a sudden movement she bowed his head and joined her lips to his and he read the meaning of her movements in her frank uplifted eyes. It was too
much for him. He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to her, body and mind, conscious of nothing in the world but the dark pressure of her softly
parting lips. They pressed upon his brain as upon his lips as though they were the vehicle of a vague speech; and between them he felt an unknown and
timid pressure, darker than the swoon of sin, softer than sound or odour 1992: 76-77.
P.S. The clause ‘she said’ is an indirect expression. It is a surprising thing that Stephen with that kind of characteristic meets a
prostitute for the sake of escaping his mind from the problematic stories of his life. He is known as a very silent boy at school. He is also obedient to each of school and
religion rule that he is taught. At that moment, Stephen seems able to forget all about them and make excuse for himself to do so, although it is not easy at first.
After that event, the description of the novel continues to a scene at Belvedere when the rector of the school announces the schedule of retreat that the students must
join. The topic of retreat reminds Stephen of a moment at Clongowes. He suddenly remembers the time when the boys of Clongowes are joining a retreat. Father Arnall
preaches at the chapel. This memory later brings a very significant influence to Stephen’s religious life.
Ever since Stephen lives at Clongowes, there are many things about religion that he questions. He does not lead a simple and easy religious life. The moment
when Stephen meets the prostitute shows that he does not consider religious values as a priority. He can, somehow, put them aside and live outside the bound of such rules.
In the situation where he does not give much attention to his religious life, the memory about Father Arnall’s preaching comes back to his mind. According to the
description in the novel, Stephen remembers even the details of the preaching. This preaching becomes influencing since it is very relevant to the condition
of Stephen’s life at that time. It talks about things related to death, judgement, hell, and heaven.
—… During these few days I intend to put before you some thoughts concerning the four last things. They are, as you know from your catechism,
death, judgement, hell, and heaven. We shall try to understand them fully during these few days so that we may derive from the understanding of them a
lasting benefit to our souls. And remember, my dear boys, that we have been sent into this world for one thing and for one thing alone: to do God’s holly
will and to save our immortal souls. All else is worthless. One thing alone is needful, the salvation of one’s soul. What doth it profit a man to gain the
whole world if he suffer the loss of his immortal soul? Ah, my dear boys, believe me there is nothing in this wretched world that can make up for such a
loss 1992: 84.
According to Catholicism values, what Stephen does by having a sexual intercourse with a prostitute is considered as a sinful action. As believed in religion,
any sin will result a consequence in the doer’s life. In Catholicism, it is believed that after humans’ life on earth, there will be
another forever lasting life in another world. Father Arnall in his preaching describes it through the concept of heaven and hell. Heaven is the picture of a happy and
perfect life for those who live following God’s will. Hence, hell is created with a permanent suffering for the people living a sinful life. Before entering heaven and
hell, human must face the judgement day that the Catholic believes as the day of God’s coming to the world. Out of that day, every human must finally die and is
judged whether to continue living in heaven or hell. The time when Stephen is reminded about that preaching is not long after he
has a sexual activity with a prostitute. He just does a sin. It requires him a punishment from God. Therefore, reminded by Father Arnall’s preaching, Stephen starts to think
about the consequence of his latest action. He realizes that his intercourse with the prostitute is a sin. As the result, Stephen feels guilty.
Every word of it was for him. Against his sin, foul and secret, the whole wrath of God was aimed. The preacher’s knife had probed deeply into his disclosed
conscience and he felt now that his soul was festering in sin. Yes, the preacher was right 1992: 88.
Stephen’s next action shows how influencing that preaching is. He decides to do a confession. In Catholicism, confession is done in front of a priest. Someone must
