Icarus has decided to fly too high. Stephen decided to sin. Icarus decided to fly too low. Stephen decided to take a more selfish path. Icarus has fallen. Stephen is growing up. The story of Icarus is a warning to any man who is too arrogant. Stephen Dedalus, from James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, flies away like Icarus and gives in to temptation but ultimately decides to grow in the face of suffering before falling. A person's decision when faced with suffering leads to their growth or abandonment, suggesting that a person's development is determined by their decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Stephen's decision to give in to temptation and end the suffering of sexual frustration leads him to the identity of a sinner. Stephen does not feel free from his suffering. His faith and his fear of committing sin suffocate him, so when he finally gives in, he can finally feel some form of freedom, "...as he suffered the agony of her penetration...and the cry that 'he had been strangling for so long in his throat was coming out of his lips. It came from him like a cry of despair from a hell of sufferers…” (100) The opportunity he has to abandon himself to his suffering of sexual frustration fuels his continued abandonment to this sin. Pleasure overrides his faith as he descends into sin. “He was in another world: he had woken up from a centuries-old sleep. » (100) He abandons himself to his suffering and it ignites a passion greater than what his faith and restraint could offer. He has essentially surrendered himself to the world of hell, but hell has more passion than earth and so he gives in. “…almost burst into hysterical tears. Tears of joy and relief shone in his delighted eyes and his lips parted even though they didn't want to speak. (101) Stephen is like a boy again, full of wonder, and he lets his emotions go as he did when he was a child. He lets his emotions take over and show themselves physically. “He closed his eyes, abandoning himself to her, body and mind, conscious of noticing in the world only the dark pressure of her gently parted lips... he felt an unknown and timid pressure, darker than the fainting of sin, sweeter than sound or order. » (101) Stephen finds himself completely immersed in his new state of pleasure and abandonment. He feels relief and passion greater than he could have ever imagined. Which keeps him in the world of abandonment to sexual sin. Stephen's decision to go to college instead of the priesthood is, as selfish as it is, growth. This decision allows him to develop his new identity as an artist rather than a man chained to sin and faith. He exclaims once his choice is made: “University! So he had overcome the challenge of the sentinels who had been the guardians of his childhood and had sought to keep him among them so that he could be submissive to them and serve their purposes. Pride after satisfaction elevated him. (165) Stephen faces the challenge of breaking out of submission to the priests and into the freedom of the university. Even though it means his family suffers, he experiences great personal growth. "The end for which he was born but which he had not seen had led him to escape by an invisible path: and now it beckoned him once more and a new adventure was about to begin. open to him." (165) Stephen escapes the suffering linked to his faith. Rather, he sees the freedom of not knowing what will happen. Stephen thinks, as he crosses a bridge, that.