Dead No Longer

Abstract

In a traditional sense, subjectivity in literature is the equivalent of creating the protagonist’s psychological realm. On the one hand, Realist authors favor the creation of round characters that are considered a mirror to reality. On the other hand, the modernists use language as a structure through which they depict a character’s inner world. However, the postmodern consensus negates such conceptualizations of a humanistic subject. Indeed, postmodern literary production, informed by poststructuralist critiques such as Derrida and Barthes, believe in the de-centered subject and the death of the author. In line with their oppositional stance against all monolithic human constructs, namely Essentialism and Universalism, Postmodern authors create anti-humanist subjects. That is to say, the human as character is no longer the center of a work of art. The contemporary scene, however, is frustrated with the postmodern perspective on subjectivity and strives to re-humanize the subject in literature. As Quentin Kraft points out, in the postmodern quest to deconstruct all dogmatic views of the world, it has robbed the individual of all constructive tools, including those used to create a meaningful sense of self. In her study of the contemporary endeavor to forge a new sense of self beyond postmodern thought, Nicole Timmer diagnoses three main issues faced by characters on such a quest. For one, the central characters in the novels she analyzes face a paralysis of choice, in that, they are unable to choose a particular identity in a world that presents them with a myriad of possible personalities. Furthermore, these characters are incapable of naming and appropriating their feelings, despite feeling them. Consequently, these characters are in need of human connection, in order to gain understanding of their feelings. Thus, this paper proposes to read Paul Auster’s novel Man in the Dark in light of Timmer’s main questions, how does the novel’s main character choose an identity from those he is presented with? How is he able to make sense of his feelings? And how can he relate or connect to others?