1. Describe exactly what happens in this excerpt.
The text "Along the narrow dark corridor" is an excerpt from "A portrait of the artist as a young man" which was written by James Joyce in 1916. This excerpt is about a young boy, named Stephen Dedalus. He is a pupil at Clongowes Wood College, a Jesuit boarding school.
During the Latin lesson the teacher, Father Arnall, is very angry after giving out the theme-books because they are all "scandalous". After saying that he wants a pupil to decline the noun mare, the pupil tries to, but he can’t decline the plural of this noun. Father Arnall asks lots of other pupils till Fleming has his turn. But Fleming says that there is no plural and so the teacher gets in a wax. Fleming has to kneel down in the middle of the class. Some minutes later the prefect of studies enters the room with a pandybat. He disgraces Fleming in front of the class and flogs him.
Then the prefect of studies speaks to Stephen and asks him why he is not writing like the others. Stephen tells him very nervously that he doesn’t have to because of his broken glasses. But the prefect of studies thinks this is a trick and Stephen has to endure the same pain as Fleming. Stephen feels ashamed: "Why did the prefect of studies do this?". After the lesson the boys stand in the corridor and talk about what has happened. The boys try to convince Stephen that he has to go to the rector and tell him about the incident.
Stephen thinks about what his fellows said. He knows that he has to do it. After dinner Stephen decides to go to the rector. He plucks up all his courage and goes along the long dark corridor to the rector’s room. While he stands in front of the rector’s door his heart jumps but he knocks anyway. The rector says that he should come in. Stephen tells him what has happened and the rector says that he will speak to Father Dolan, the prefect of studies. Stephen leaves the room and runs through the narrow dark corridor. He is happy. He runs outside to the playground. His fellows close around him in a ring and Stephen tells them what the rector has said. All of them are happy and fling their caps into the air. But Stephen knows that he still will be quiet and obedient.
2.) Describe how Stephen’s character changes during this episode by examining his behaviour at the beginning, the feelings and experiences he has and what they eventually lead to.
Stephen is a young boy who is short-sighted. He is not very self-confident and tries to avoid attracting attention, so he seems to be very shy. If a fellow of him is flogged he feels compassion for him and prays that he himself does not get into the same situation. He feels what his fellows must feel when they are being beaten. After he is flogged by the prefect of studies he suffers and feels humbled but his fellows encourage him by saying he should go to the rector to tell him what has happened. At first Stephen does not dare. But then after talking to the rector he feels more confident because he overcame his fear.
3.) How is this development expressed in the way Stephen speaks to the prefect of studies and to the rector?
In the way Stephen speaks to the prefect of studies it becomes clear that he respects him and fears him. He stutters and cannot say a complete sentence. But as Stephen speaks to the rector he is more self-confident. He formulates clear sentences and tells the rector what has happened.
4.) What effect do the events have upon Stephen’s position among his schoolmates?
Due to this incident Stephen gets a higher position among his fellows. Now he is regarded as a hero because he did something nobody expected him to do.
After running outside to the playground Stephen is surrounded by his schoolmates. He becomes an object of interest for the other boys.
Ines
Invitation to Literature, Cornelsen 1990
