<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> Stephen Dedalus--The main character of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man . Growing up, Stephen goes through long phases of hedonism and deep religiosity . He eventually adopts a philosophy of aestheticism, greatly valuing beauty and art . Stephen is essentially Joyce's alter ego, and many of the events of Stephen's life mirror events from Joyce's own youth . His surname is taken from the ancient Greek mythical figure Daedalus, who also engaged in a struggle for autonomy . </P> <P> Simon Dedalus--Stephen's father, an impoverished former medical student with a strong sense of Irish nationalism . Sentimental about his past, Simon Dedalus frequently reminisces about his youth . Loosely based on Joyce's own father and their relationship . </P> <P> Mary Dedalus--Stephen's mother who is very religious and often argues with Stephen about attending services . </P>

Where does a portrait of the artist as a young man take place