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Mary Dedalus is Stephen’s mother, and although she is not one of the novel’s major characters, her presence nevertheless has an impact on how Stephen navigates his childhood and adolescence. She is the ultimate caretaker, devoting her life to raising her many children and maintaining a sense of peace about the Dedalus house. This role shapes Stephen’s perception of his mother from an early age, and she becomes a figure of warmth and kindness in the novel’s earliest pages. From joyfully playing music for Stephen to crying when dropping him off at school, Mary clearly has a deep love for her son that influences everything she does. Even when Stephen is not the primary focus, such as during the Christmas dinner scene, Mary does her best to ensure that he feels safe. She repeatedly attempts to shut down the harsh, combative political argument that erupts between Mr. Dedalus and Dante over dinner because of the unrest that it brings into her home.
Mary also looks out for the wellbeing of her son by leaning into her faith, aiming to raise him as a devout Catholic like herself. Unfortunately, her unwavering religious beliefs begin to create a rift in her relationship with Stephen as he ages. He engages with religion in a number of different ways during his time in school, but he ultimately decides to reject the prospect of joining the priesthood and comes to view religion as yet another force that will restrict his personal development. While Mary does not necessarily reject her son for making this choice, she does express concern about him attending university and eventually leaving the country. This perspective, along with her insistence that Stephen uphold Catholic traditions as a young adult, highlights just how important faith is to her. Mary would not be willing to sacrifice her relationship with her son for something inconsequential. Instead, religion proves itself to be the main structuring principle in her life, and she clings to it as her world begins to change.
