“To stroll is a science, it is the gastronomy of the eye. To walk is to vegetate, to stroll is to live.” (Balzac, "Physiologie du Mariage")
'City of Glass' is Paul Auster’s first novel, published in 1985, after being rejected by several publishers. The first part of 'The New York Trilogy' has been translated into 17 languages so far, a fact that pleads for the novel’s commercial success nowadays. An indication for the literary importance of 'City of Glass' is the continually growing number of essays, anthologies and monographs all over the world. It is undeniable that its selling success is related to the general fascination for the cosmopolitan city of New York and for detective stories, as — at first sight — Auster’s novel follows the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe. However, he follows the tradition “as creator of ‘the lost ones’”, as — on closer inspection — the reader has to realize that the real mystery is one of confused character identities and realities. 'City of Glass' does not meet the reader’s expectations about a typical New York ‘city novel’: Auster created an adequate text for a modified, postmodern cityscape where all objects of the city seem like linguistic codes that need to be deciphered. The risks of the city result from the confusion of language and perception. The fear of an identity collapse comes along with the apparent collapse of the cityscape. Auster picks out the loss of stability and security in the city as central theme. He describes a world begging for order and interpretation where “nothing is real except chance”. (...)
Auster's character Quinn is a deconstructed character of postmodernism, he acts like a 'flâneur', but does not feel comfortable while walking through the city, he seems lost. New York is the ‘nowhere’ Quinn has built around himself. Professor Stillman also seems to stroll like a 'flâneur', but he has to fulfill an operation (in contrast to the “classical” 'flâneur' who has no aim). Auster deconstructs the postmodern figure of the flâneur as he deconstructs the classical detective novel. Ironically, these very deconstructions help to shape the novel. Quinn can be read as flâneur adapted to a postmodern world, I argue.
In the following, I will explore the relations between Auster’s 'City of Glass' and concepts of 'flânerie', strolling urban observing. In order to discuss 'flânerie' in Auster’s work, it is essential to take a closer look on the term first. (...)
Table of Contents
I INTRODUCTION
II MAIN PART
1 The concept of flânerie
2 Walking through Paul Auster’s City of Glass: flânerie in (post)modern New York City
2.1 New York as adequate space: the (post)modern city as place of despair
2.2 Paul Auster’s flaning protagonists
2.2.1 Quinn: flâneur-detective
2.2.2 Stillman Sr.: manic anti-flâneur
III CONCLUSION
IV BIBLIOGRAPHY
Objectives and Topics of the Thesis
This work examines the representation of urban strolling, known as flânerie, within Paul Auster's novel "City of Glass". It explores how the classical figure of the flâneur is deconstructed and adapted to the fragmented, postmodern landscape of New York City through the novel's main protagonists, Daniel Quinn and Peter Stillman Sr.
- Theoretical foundation of the flâneur concept (Baudelaire, Benjamin, modern interpretations)
- New York City as a postmodern, dystopian urban space
- Deconstruction of the detective novel tradition through flânerie
- Comparative analysis of the protagonists' walking behaviors and identity collapse
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1 Quinn: flâneur-detective
The main protagonist, Daniel Quinn, is introduced as a disenchanted and lonely ex-lyricist, essayist and translator. After the deaths of his wife and his son Peter, Quinn confines himself to writing hard boiled “whodunits” under the name of William Wilson; Max Work is the detective of the stories. Quinn is not very much involved with society and his life is rather senseless, he “continued to exist” (City of Glass, 5). “He no longer wished to be dead. At the same time, it cannot be said that he was glad to be alive” (City of Glass, 7). Quinn’s identity problems, which are closely linked to his strolls, begin with this “triad of selves”. He has peculiar relationships to his narrator and to his detective figure since he does not see himself as the creator of the figure, but this figure as his alter ego:
Over the years, Work had become very close to Quinn. Whereas William Wilson remained an abstract figure for him, Work had increasingly come to life. In the triad of selves that Quinn had become, Wilson served as a kind of ventriloquist, Quinn himself was the dummy, and Work was the animated voice that gave purpose to the enterprise. If Wilson was an illusion, he nevertheless justified the lives of the other two. If Wilson did not exist, he nevertheless was the bridge that allowed Quinn to pass from himself into Work. And little by little, Work had become a presence in Quinn’s life, his interior brother, his comrade in solitude. (City of Glass, 8)
Summary of Chapters
I INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of Paul Auster's "City of Glass", highlighting the novel's postmodern characteristics and its deviation from traditional detective fiction.
II MAIN PART: Analyzes the theoretical concept of flânerie and applies it to the specific urban setting and character development within the novel.
1 The concept of flânerie: Traces the historical and academic origins of the flâneur from Baudelaire to modern urban theorists, defining the key characteristics of the aimless urban observer.
2 Walking through Paul Auster’s City of Glass: flânerie in (post)modern New York City: Connects the abstract theory of flânerie to the practical application within the novel's unique New York cityscape.
2.1 New York as adequate space: the (post)modern city as place of despair: Discusses the transition of New York into a postmodern, dystopian space that defies traditional navigation and meaning.
2.2 Paul Auster’s flaning protagonists: Introduces the primary characters whose interaction with the city space redefines the act of strolling.
2.2.1 Quinn: flâneur-detective: Examines Daniel Quinn’s transformation from an author to a detective-figure, analyzing his identity crisis through his aimless walks.
2.2.2 Stillman Sr.: manic anti-flâneur: Analyzes Peter Stillman Sr.'s ritualistic, obsessive walking as a subversion of the flâneur figure.
III CONCLUSION: Summarizes how flânerie functions as a narrative device that mirrors the disintegration of stable identity in a postmodern urban context.
IV BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lists all primary and secondary sources used for the analysis of Paul Auster’s work and literary theory.
Keywords
Paul Auster, City of Glass, Flânerie, Flâneur, Postmodernism, New York City, Daniel Quinn, Peter Stillman, Detective Fiction, Urban Space, Identity, Deconstruction, Narrative Device, Literature, Modernity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the literary and philosophical concept of flânerie as it appears in Paul Auster’s "City of Glass". It examines how the act of walking through the city serves to mirror the internal state of the protagonists.
What are the central themes of the work?
Central themes include the intersection of urban space and human identity, the deconstruction of the traditional detective novel, and the breakdown of communication and meaning in a postmodern society.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The primary goal is to analyze how Auster modifies the classical 19th-century figure of the flâneur to reflect the disorientation and existential despair inherent in the postmodern city.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The work employs a qualitative literary analysis, drawing on various critical theories from scholars such as Charles Baudelaire, Walter Benjamin, and Chris Jenks to contextualize Auster’s narrative techniques.
What topics are discussed in the main part of the thesis?
The main part provides a theoretical framework for flânerie, discusses the symbolic representation of New York City as a dystopian "garbage dump," and performs a character study of Daniel Quinn and Peter Stillman Sr.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Paul Auster, Flânerie, Postmodernism, Identity, Detective Fiction, and Urban Space.
How does the role of the detective change in "City of Glass"?
Unlike traditional detectives who solve mysteries and restore order, Quinn acts as a 'flâneur-detective' who becomes increasingly lost, eventually losing his sense of self and purpose.
What distinguishes Stillman Sr. as an "anti-flâneur"?
While the classical flâneur walks aimlessly to observe, Stillman Sr.'s walking is manic and ritualistic, serving a specific, albeit bizarre, project of collecting and naming objects, rather than passive observation.
How does the city environment affect the characters' identities?
The city of New York is depicted as an impenetrable labyrinth of signs. The characters struggle to decipher these signs, which leads to the collapse of their stable identities and their eventual social withdrawal.
- Citation du texte
- Jeanette Gonsior (Auteur), 2006, Walking Through Paul Auster’s "City of Glass": "Flânerie" in his Novel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/122120
