The Dedalus Family
Stephen Dedalus Afflicted with poor eyesight and lacking both physical stamina and athletic prowess, Stephen develops an early, introspective, intellectual curiosity. Like many sensitive young men, Stephen is ashamed of his family's ever-strained finances. Later, he is troubled when he realizes the ineffectiveness and emptiness of both Irish nationalism and Catholicism. Eventually, Stephen feels himself becoming increasingly isolated from others. Finally, he vows to escape all forms of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual repression. He leaves Ireland for the Continent, in search of his artistic soul.
Simon Dedalus Stephen's ineffectual father; a good-natured, but weak and undependable man who prefers to live in the self-deluded reveries of his past rather than fulfill the role of a responsible parent. An overly sentimental, staunch Irish Nationalist, he is a poor role model for his son. Seemingly, Simon's only bit of advice for Stephen is to choose his friends well and never "peach" on them. In Chapter V Stephen describes Simon as less a father than "a medical student, an oarsman, a tenor, an amateur actor . . . a drinker, a good fellow, a storyteller . . . and . . . a praiser of his own past."
Mary Dedalus Stephen's mother; deeply religious and apolitical, she feels martyred by frequent pregnancy, poverty, and her burdensome, weak-willed husband. She fears that Stephen will be unhappy living abroad — away from family, friends, and the Catholic faith. She is heartbroken when he leaves Ireland at the end of the novel.
Maurice Dedalus Stephen's younger brother. Stephen's father calls Maurice a "thickheaded ruffian." Like Stephen, Maurice is sent to Belvedere College, a Jesuit day school.
Uncle Charles Stephen's granduncle (great-uncle) who lives with the Dedalus family. He is an aging, "hale old man with welltanned skin, rugged features and white side whiskers." He spends memorable mornings walking with young Stephen, visiting neighboring vendors, and pilfering items for Stephen's consumption. A relic of Ireland's hearty and spirited past, Uncle Charles resides with the family until his death.
Aunt Dante (Mrs. Riordan) Not an aunt by blood or by marriage, this "well-read, clever," and overzealous Irish governess of the Dedalus children values "God and religion before everything!" During Stephen's first Christmas dinner with the adults in his household, Dante's firm religious convictions clash violently with Mr. Casey's political opinions regarding Charles Stewart Parnell. Her final denunciation of Parnell, directed at Simon and Mr. Casey, leaves both men weeping over the fate of their fallen leader and the precarious future of their country.
Katey, Maggy, and Boody Dedalus Stephen's younger sisters. They appear only momentarily in Chapter V as they help Stephen get ready to leave for the university.
