Question

Which phrases in this excerpt from James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" portray the story's setting?

The wide playgrounds were swarming with boys. All were shouting and the prefects urged them on with strong cries. The evening air was pale and
chilly and after every charge and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light. He kept on the fringe of
his line, out of sight of his prefect, out of the reach of the rude feet, feigning to run now and then. He felt his body small and weak amid the throng of
the players and his eyes were weak and watery. Rody Kickham was not like that he would be captain of the third line all the fellows said.
Rody Kickham was a decent fellow but Nasty Roche was a stink. Rody Kickham had greaves in his number and a hamper in the refectory. Nasty
Roche had big hands. He called the Friday pudding dog-in-the-blanket. And one day he had asked
-What is your name?
Stephen had answered: Stephen Dedalus.

Answer 1

The phrases that portray the story's setting in James Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' are the wide playgrounds, the pale and chilly evening air, and the grey light.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phrases in this excerpt from James Joyce's 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' that portray the story's setting are:

• The wide playgrounds
• The evening air was pale and chilly
• The grey light

These phrases provide visual and sensory descriptions of the setting, revealing the spaciousness of the playgrounds, the atmospheric conditions of the evening, and the muted lighting. These details help establish the physical environment in which the scene takes place.

Learn more about setting in literature