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Aside from Stephen, Simon Dedalus has one of the most substantial character arcs of the novel. He first appears to the reader as a gentle, loving father, but by the time Stephen prepares to leave home, he has fallen so low that he essentially rejects all family obligations. While Simon’s downward spiral is certainly not Joyce’s focus, it undoubtedly impacts Stephen’s journey of self-discovery. One of the first notable aspects of Simon’s character is his unwavering support for the Irish Home Rule movement and Charles Stewart Parnell. He jumps to defend the movement whenever someone begins to criticize it, and this impulse suggests that politics are one of the major structuring principles of his life. Much like how his wife, Mary, views the world through a religious lens, Simon emphasizes the importance of national loyalty and cultural pride.
As the Home Rule movement begins to falter, however, the Dedalus family begins to slip as well. Financial losses cause Simon to spend a great deal of his time reliving his past experiences, losing himself in his own sentimentality. By creating a parallel between Ireland’s political crises and Simon’s personal downfall, Joyce emphasizes the burdens that Stephen's family and nationality place upon him as he grows up. To Stephen, his father is an embodiment of the steep costs associated with a life too closely tied to an institution like politics. Simon began his adult life as a medical student, a symbol of upward mobility and success, but years of increasingly hopeless jobs reflect the gradual destruction of his potential. The man he ultimately becomes is self-ruined, and, instead of facing his problems, he drowns them in alcohol and nostalgia. Ironically, Simon attempts to advise Stephen about what type of man he should aim to become, using his own life as an example. The fact that he fails to recognize the link between his own behavior and the increasingly dire situation of his family emphasizes just how narrow his worldview truly is.
