At one point, a character named Buck Mulligan even mocks Stephen's last name for its Greek connection. Stephen Dedalus makes another appearance in James Joyce's Ulysses, which is chock-full of mythological references (just check out the title, which is the Roman name for the hero Odysseus). In many ways, the ancient craftsman Daedalus was the ultimate artist, so it's symbolic that Stephen shares his name. Stephen Dedalus (note the small spelling difference) is a young man with artistic aspirations.
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,the last name of one of the main characters pays homage to Daedalus. He even knows about Greek mythology, as evidenced by his name-dropping of Icarus. In Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451, Captain Beatty is a book-burner who secretly loves books. If you have three minutes, it's short and well worth a read. Auden mentions Icarus' descent in " Musee des Beaux Arts", a poem about humanity's indifference to suffering. Vladmir Nabokov references the myth in his sensual short story " Spring in Fialta." Nina, one of the story's most beguiling characters, dies in a car that Nabokov refers to as "a long yellow-bodied Icarus." Hmmm, symbolic! Shmoop has something to say about that connection.īritish poet W.H. Ovid, that fanciful poet, wrote one of the more beautiful and compelling versions of the Daedalus and Icarus story in his The Metamorphoses. Read all about it in Shmoop's summary of Virgil's Aeneid. Shmoop Connections Explore the ways this myth connects with the world and with other topics on Shmoopĭuring his tour through Italy, Aeneas stops at a temple built by the crafty Daedalus. With its dangerous journey and clever solutions to tricky problems, the tale of Daedalus and Icarus reads like a really intense episode of the Amazing Race… except with a much more tragic ending. But don't worry, it's not just boring adult stuff.
So yeah, this is an age-old tale of parents always know best. Icarus obeyed his father's advice for a little while, but eventually he soared too close to the sun, and his wings melted like M&Ms in your mouth.
Before embarking on a father/son hang gliding adventure with a pair of wax wings, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high. Unfortunately for Icarus-the son of genius inventor Daedalus-ignoring his dad's words of wisdom came with catastrophic consequences. As much as we hate to admit it, sometimes parents are right. And that extra scoop of ice cream you ate for dessert? A steep price to pay for the terrible stomach ache you ended up with. That triple axel you did while rollerblading? Probably not worth the broken arm. And while some of it is total bunk (fact: you don't need to wait 30 minutes after you've eaten to go swimming-10 minutes is fine), some of it is spot-on. Never invite a vampire into your home (unless, of course, he's an upstanding gentleman like Edward Cullen). Your support will help fund exhibitions, educational programming, and preservation efforts.Make your bed. Programs Learning resources Plan a field trip Educator professional development Education monthly theme Stories Topics Collections On demand For researchersīring the Air and Space Museum to your learners, wherever you are. National Air and Space Museum in DC Udvar-Hazy Center in VA Plan a field trip Plan a group visitĭiscover our exhibitions and participate in programs both in person or virtually.īrowse our collections, stories, research, and on demand content. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC. The moral lesson of Daedalus and Icarus’ story is that you should always. He is also the father of Icarus, who drowned in the Mediterranean because he flew too close to the sun with his artificial wings. Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Daedalus is a Greek mythological figure who was known for his clever inventions as well as the architect of Crete’s Minotaur’s labyrinth.