DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L312106
Authors: Danny R. CHEN
Abstract: Paul Auster ponders on “solitude” in both his fictive works and non-fictions, which, in his opinion, exists merely as one of the conditions of being human. Throughout his writings, Auster depicts the journey of a man’s/woman’s growth as a potential writer, as well as the danger of being too absorbed in his/her own contemplations. He seems to argue that one must live and write through memory to endure the sufferings brought by sudden catastrophes, especially when he/she is devoured by isolation. Therefore, his novels can be seen as an exploration of how his protagonists grow as writers and also how they as writers grow into better men and women, after they figure out the way to write in solitude and live through memory.
Keywords: writing; memory; solitude; identity
Updating...