A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man describes Stephen Dedalus’s development from a bright young student to a promising clergy student to an artist. Set in Ireland at the turn of the century, It begins with his earliest childhood memories and progresses to his grand epiphany, in which he announces to his closest companions his decision to pursue art rather than a religious life. Stephen’s decision results from a combination of factors: the temperament that colors his impressions of the world, his interactions with others, and his interpretation of social forces.