Portrait of the Artist page-by-page: p3

editions: 1916, archive 1917, ditto, 1918 1921 1922, archive, ditto, ditto 1928 html?
audio: librivox1 librivox2
annotated: genius
notes: gifford kershner spark shmoop gradesaver jjon

The wide playgrounds were swarming with boys. All were shouting and the prefects urged them on with strong cries.

about 300 students total

"prefects" = teachers with authority over a class

'Contrary to common belief the football game played here is not Rugby, but ‘Gravel’ football, which was organised long before any other game in Clongowes and seems to have been introduced from the Jesuit College at Stonyhurst, England soon after Clongowes was founded in 1814. It was the dominant game at Clongowes for most of the 19th century and unique to the school.' [more]

The evening air was pale and chilly and after every charge and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light.

He kept on the fringe of his line, out of sight of his prefect, out of the reach of the rude feet, feigning to run now and then.

3 'lines' = Higher Line 15-18yo, Lower Line 13-15, Third Line 9-13 (SD is 6 or 7)

He felt his body small and weak amid the throng of players and his eyes were weak and watery.

Rody Kickham was not like that: he would be captain of the third line all the fellows said.

in 1901 (and still in 1911) a brewer's clerk living with his mom

Rody Kickham was a decent fellow but Nasty Roche was a stink.

George Reddington Roche would have been Higher Line
41yo priest-professor at Clongowes in 1911?!?

or 28yo clerk in 1901??

Rody Kickham had greaves in his number and a hamper in the refectory.

leather shinguards

a private supply of treats in the dining hall (spoiled rich kid)

the Clongowes refectory and study hall were rebuilt in 1887 after an 1886 fire. In the ‘new’ study hall the two windows in the eastern wall were replaced by a very large single window decorated by stained glass panels.

Nasty Roche had big hands. He called the Friday pudding dog-in-the-blanket. And one day he had asked:
— What is your name?

if Roche was 12 years older than Joyce, these questions could have been simple curiosity about the youngest-ever student

perhaps a meat pudding with pastry crust? maybe intended as a special treat, so Roche is being ungrateful?

Stephen had answered:
— Stephen Dedalus.

Stanislaus claims that in 1907 Joyce intended to rename the Dedaluses 'Daly'

in his pre-1904 notes for "Stephen Hero" Joyce listed the family names as:
"Mary Daedalus
Simon Daedalus
Stephen Daedalus
Maurice Daedalus
Isabel Daedalus" [cite]

in his 1904 short stories he used Stephen Daedalus as his penname

— What kind of a name is that?

(he wouldn't have asked this about 'Joyce")

cf U4 Mulligan: "—The mockery of it! he said gaily. Your absurd name, an ancient Greek! "

And when Stephen had not been able to answer Nasty had asked:
— What is your father?

Stephen had answered:
— A gentleman.

Simon probably foresaw such a question and suggested this safe reply

Then Nasty Roche had asked:
— Is he a magistrate?

maybe he's curious why such a young boy was specially admitted?

He crept about from point to point on the fringe of his line, making little runs now and then.

cf above, close paraphrase (to jump us back into the 'present'): "He kept on the fringe of his line... feigning to run now and then."

But his hands were bluish with cold. He kept his hands in the sidepockets of his belted grey suit.

That was a belt round his pocket. And belt was also to give a fellow a belt. One day a fellow had said to Cantwell:

why would the belt go around the pocket?