Stephanie Coontz: Who you want to be and who your society will let you be is essentially what portrait e ars is about. So early enough in his life, stephen is seeing how there is a battle for who can be nearly second in command in irish society after british administration - nationalist politicians or catholicism. She says it's very much society of wrastling wits. And when we think of joyce, we always think of language a vasion and religion; so there is a double meaning there,. she adds.