Stephen’s father is a kind-hearted but unreliable man whose leisure mostly includes getting drunk at pubs reminiscent about his past. Due to his poor financial judgments, he has lost all of his money sinking his family deeper into poverty every year. The role of a responsible father is also not for Simon. With his ardent Irish nationalism, overwhelming nostalgia, and no possible prospects, he has nothing valuable to teach his son except for his sad and miserable life. Once a prospective medical student, Simon ends up as an impoverished man with ten children and no possible way out. For Stephen, his father symbolizes tiresome family bonds as well as the burden of nationality he hasn’t chosen.
Simon Dedalus in the Essays
Author: Marshall Vasquez