Hello! A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Joyce, first published in 1916. It follows the intellectual, moral, and spiritual development of Stephen Dedalus, a fictional alter ego of Joyce and an allusion to Daedalus, the consummate craftsman of Greek mythology. The novel traces Stephen's growth from childhood to young adulthood within the context of early 20th-century Ireland and its relationship with Britain. The novel is divided into five chapters which roughly correspond to the five stages of Stephen's life: childhood, adolescence, and spiritual awakening. In each chapter, Stephen's experiences are shaped by his relationships with his family and friends as well as his interactions with Irish society at large. Through these experiences, Stephen comes to understand himself as an individual in relation to his family, religion, nationhood, and art. The novel is written in a highly symbolic style that reflects Joyce's interest in language and its power to shape our understanding of reality. He uses stream-of-consciousness narration to capture Stephen's inner thoughts and feelings as he struggles with questions about identity and morality. The novel also contains many references to Irish history and culture that provide insight into the political climate of early 20th-century Ireland. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is considered one of Joyce's most important works and has been praised for its innovative use of language and its exploration of themes such as identity, morality, religion, nationalism, artistry, sexuality, family dynamics, and social class. It has been widely studied in schools around the world for its literary merit and cultural significance.