The Quotation of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and the Transformation of the Catholic Church in Patrick McCabe's The Holy City

The Quotation of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and the Transformation of the Catholic Church in Patrick McCabe's The Holy City

This article examines how Chris McCool, the protagonist of The Holy City, addresses his homoerotic obsession through quotations taken from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and, in doing so, brings to the fore the changing position of the Irish Church with regard to sexual morality in the 1960s. Using an intertextual and socio-cultural approach, this study consists of three parts. The first part examines Chris's failing attempt to fit into either the Protestant or the Catholic community, only to find in the end that both are mired in the past. Unable to find a sense of belonging, Chris gradually becomes obsessed with Marcus Otoyo, a Nigerian-Irish Catholic. The next part will explore Chris's juxtaposition of his obsession with quotes from A Portrait. The focus will be on the role religion plays in the face of one's erotic desire. Finally, the article will explain the transformation of the Irish Church since the 1960s as reflected in Chris's juxtaposition. While the Church in Stephen's time was a monolithic institute, the Church in Chris's time, willingly or not, withdraws into the private sphere of individual faith.