John Winthrop first coined the term “as a city upon a hill” in 1630 when speaking to his fellow Puritans. What he meant was to tell the people that they had an obligation to be upstanding citizens. Every move they made would be watched and scrutinized as if they were living on top of a hill. They were to be the leaders and set the precedent for the others who wondered what America could offer. I think this quote is relevant to the life of Stephen, in the way he analyzes every move each person in his life makes. In addition to evaluating each important person in his life, Stephen carefully examines himself and often judges himself and others.
The first time Stephen shows this “as a city upon a hill” mentality is in chapter one when he places so much detail on what others perceive of him. Stephen as young boy is very concerned with how the other boys treat him and if they consider him a member of the group. He carefully processes each incident multiple times in order to determine their response. Two of the most poignant times this mentality arises are when Wells pushes Stephen into the “square ditch” and when Stephen decides to go see the rector and take a stance. In the first instance Stephen continuously repeats the story of what happened slightly varying the details of smell, touch, and sound. He expresses that a wrongdoing has occurred and that he was treated badly. The second time he mentions the incident he adds how others also felt that Wells' actions were wrong and a terrible thing to do to another person. However, he also alludes to the fact that while others in the group may have felt the action was wrong; they never explicitly stated that they felt this way. Stephen was disappointed in himself as well that he could not find the courage to say that he felt mistreated. With regards to the second instance, Stephen was able to express himself and find his voice; however, he still cared about how the other boys would receive him. He was able to clearly state why Father Dolan had misused his authority and completely subdue his emotions throughout the conversation with the rector. Yet, Stephen in debating whether to approach the rector or not, still accounted for how the others would be affected by his actions. While these two narratives show how Stephen evolved, by the end of chapter one he still needs some improvement from his childhood self.
In chapter two Stephen also encounters this “as a city upon a hill” mentality. Stephen reaches a conclusion that being a milkman is not the worst thing that could happen to him. He ponders what his life would be like if he were to accept this prospect. Stephen is not bothered by this concept in the least yet, when he begins to think of his family and their expectations he cringes. He is also concerned about what others would think of him doing such a job. He feels as though his education would be wasted and the job would only please him for so long until he got bored. Therefore, despite his own opinions on the matter Stephen again caves to whatever pleases the masses. While Stephen may not have been considering this prospect too seriously, he was still intrigued by its allure. Stephen cannot seem to understand that it is his life and his decisions to make not everyone else's.
Stephen finally has an epiphany in chapter four when he watches his old classmates going skinny dipping in the ocean. He sees them from atop a hill and begins to introspect about his own life. When his supposed “friends” start mocking his name and adding Greek references to his name, the epiphany is sparked. Suddenly, Stephen realizes that in order to achieve freedom he must create his own self. No one else can interpret or help him in discovering himself. Stephen would have never realized this goal of his had his friends not joked about his name. Their jokes caused Stephen to think about the mythical connection to his name and finally come to the conclusion that it was solely up to him to invent himself. This epiphany occurs literally and metaphorically on the hill. Firstly, Stephen is sitting on an actual hill watching his friends when he realizes the truth. Secondly, in order for Stephen to grow, he has to experience and not just have the mentality of “as a city upon a hill”. He introspects and learns that in order to be free he no longer cares what others think of him. Stephen still thinks of himself as an exemplary model but in terms of his characteristics. He no longer makes decisions based on other people, rather he realizes he needs to do things for himself and because he wants to do so.
To summarize, Stephen begins as a novice in terms of “as a city upon a hill”. He is controlled by what others think and feel about him. As he experiences life he continues to let others determine his decisions. However, in chapter four Stephen finally realizes that he must be the ruler of his life and no one else. Stephen takes the control back into his own hands and shows how much he has grown from the young schoolboy in chapter one. He finally understands that his opinion is the only one that matters. The “as a city upon a hill” mentality only applies to himself now and he no longer feels as though he must reflect on how others perceive his actions.
This is a great connection between the Puritan saying "as a city upon a hill" and Stephen. I especially liked how you mentioned that his epiphany occured literally and figuratively on a hill - I found that really interesting.
ReplyDeleteNice detailing of the progression from his childhood to maturity. Perhaps this ability to ignore how others perceive him is what allows Stephen to eventually become an artist. In order to excel at his art, he needs to let go of the people around him (especially their judgements of him). By "creating his own self," as you say, not only helps him discover who he is as an individual, but helps create the artist he is to become.
ReplyDeleteI had actually never heard the saying "as a city upon a hill," but your post is very informative and interesting. Although for Stephen's development as an artist he may have had to regard his opinion as the only relevant one, but to me, that really only served to isolate him. Perhaps that is what made him so artistically free, but it seemed as if he wanted to be a lone house outside the city upon a hill, rather than a member of a group of like minded individuals.
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