More from Bloomsday at Q.L.C.

James Joyce and his characters were discussed at length during the Bloomsday celebrations at Quills. His characters inspired us to look back into our lives and come up with potentially obscure moments that actually went on to define what we were.

Here are some more members with their attempt at The Dedalus Challenge!

Juveria Tabassum: Mole-umental Discoveries:

It was three days ago when I discovered that I had a tiny mole on the inside of my left index finger. I just stared at it for some seconds. I even tried to see if I could scratch it out. But, no. It stayed there, like it had all these nineteen years- a tiny, brown, sneaky little spot. I found this disturbing.

But, from that moment of bewilderment, came a solemn epiphany.

When I'm still unaware about the complete physical form of my own hands, there should be no way that I can claim to know everything about other people, or indeed, anything, in this world. I realized that all we can ever do is learn. Just learn and stay humble with the fact that we'll never learn all. We can only learn and keep learning and find peace comfort, and a zest for learning even more in our discoveries. 

Weird little things, moles. Hm. Must learn more about them. 

Keerthi Rathi:  Career Conundrums:

Finding one's passion is an important part of growing up. For the most part, I was extremely confused and undecided on my goals. I wasn't interested in any of the mainstream career choices that are often presented to us. I didn't particularly enjoy any subject in school, either. This troubled me for a long time. Math especially was a tough nut for me to crack. 

One day, I took out my Math textbook with contemptuous emotions since I had to complete my homework. Suddenly, my eyes fell on the girl on the cover of the textbook. The thing that struck me was the clothes she was wearing. I spent a good amount of time analyzing them. In that moment, I realized that I was seriously interested in fashion. I felt genuinely happy at this epiphany. It seemed like it was always there for me to see, but I had just been overlooking it. All thanks to that moment of awakening, I found my passion, and dare I say, developed an interest in Math!

Guna Priya: Why Should Boys Have All The Fun?!:

At our school, group leaders in classes were always boys. For
some reason this fact started peeving me. So when I was in
9th grade, I went up to the Headmistress and asked her why
this strange custom was being followed. She pondered over
this and decided that she would give us girls a chance to
prove ourselves. To test our leadership qualities, she set us a
skill test. To my absolute pleasure and surprise, I came on
top of that test and was given the opportunity to become
group leader.
Our Headmistress appreciated me for the frankness and
ability I showed. That day was an unforgettable moment and
it gave me a sense of responsibility, self confidence and the
skills to communicate with people. From that moment I
decided that if I wanted to do something, I'd just believe in
myself and never give up.

I.Soujanya: Realizing Reality:

After my tenth grade, I decided that I wanted to become an air hostess. I talked about my plans with my parents. My mom shared my views. But, when she talked about it to my aunt, she disapproved. She said that it was inappropriate for girls from our society to take up this profession. I could not get her let me pursue my dreams and she convinced me to pursue something I was not really interested in.

After this experience, I realized that whatever our aims maybe, they can only be achieved when our parents, families, and the society accepts them. We cannot to much my rebelling against the society we live in. That, I realized, was my reality.

Stephen Dedalus's journey from a quiet, inquisitive boy, to a conflicted and rebellious young man was all about those seemingly insignificant moments, which were, in fact so momentous, that they shaped him into the person he eventually became. Sharing their moments with the rest of the club gave our members a different perspective on their experiences. Even as they shared the lessons they had learnt, they heard about similar instances from the other members and this made them realize how big a role one's perception of an incident can play. 

James Joyce was an exceptionally gifted writer, and throughout his life, he produced works of literature that have stood the test of time and are relevant even in today's day and age. 

Quills Literary Club's tribute to James Joyce and his immortal characters, was one filled with eager and articulate ladies sharing experiences and emotions that brought forth laughs and tears, sighs and smiles, all in equal measure.