Destiny and The Kept Man(Independent Study)

In The Kept Man, the main character Jarvis, must attempt to move on after her husband falls into a deep coma. This novel is clearly an example of soemone who determines their own future as Jarvis makes many decisions that in the long run make her unhappy. Perhaps it was fate that caused Jarvis' husband to accidentally fall off the ladder and go into a deep coma. Then again accidents happen all the time, and more likely it was just chance or carelessness that caused such a tragic fall. What is more important are the decisions that Jarvis makes on her own, such as deciding to keep to herself for so many years, cooped up in her apartment, or to sleep with another woman's husband while drunk and high on coke. Or finally, Jarvis' decision to take her husband off life support. Clearly, it is not fate intervening in Jarvis' life at all, rather she is making her own choices that affect her own life.

Fate and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce does not present fate or destiny as a prominent theme. However, I believe that fate does seem to play a role in Stephen's life. In the book Stephen must decide whether to follow the path of priesthood, or take the opportunities that life as an artist would present him. Inside, Stephen is truly an artist and has been since he was a little boy. He has always been interested by the arrangement of words, and the way they can convey his feelings. He is introverted, and appears to spend most of the novel in his own world, and realizing that indeed life as a catholic priest would be too structured, killing the artist inside of him. It seems that Stephen was always meant to be an artist because of who he was as a person. Perhaps Father Arnall's sermon, E.C., Eileen and other occurances helped Stephen to realize that he would be happiest only by abandoning his faith and pursuing his artistic talents. It was Stephen's destiny to become and artist.