Hunger, chance, disappearance and solitude are the central themes of Auster’s fiction.1 Sometimes these themes are easy to detect but in their core more complex as they seem to be on first sight.
With the New York Trilogy Paul Auster has created a powerful and deep going tripartite work which made him popular all over the world. In 1989, he received the Prix France Culture de Littérature Étrangère for this, his first novella and many other prices followed for other works he has published until now.
City of Glass2 deals with reality and coincidence – failure and identity in the frame of a detective story. “It was a wrong number that started it”3 is the first sentence the reader detects when one begins to read the novel. A story about a writer named Quinn that used to be a quite talented writer. After he had lost his wife and son, he publishes detective stories under the pseudonym William Wilson. Isolated from his fellow humans Quinn gets involved into a sequence of events marked by chance and solitude. He accepts to work on a case as a detective after he had received a strange phone call asking for Paul Auster the famous detective. Quinn accepts the case and from now on works under the name of Paul Auster. Him and the caller Peter Stillman meet and Quinn gets to know the details of his work – he is to protect Peter from his father Mr. Stillman senior who as Peter’s wife thinks is planning to kill his son. This marks the beginning of Quinn’s long journey through New York City.
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1 Dennis Barone: Beyond the Red Notebook,University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 1995, S.2
2 Auster, Paul: The New York Trilogy, Faber and Faber Limited, London 1987
3 Zit. Auster, Paul: The New York Trilogy, Faber and Faber Limited, London 1987 S.3
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Short information about Paul Auster and his work
- 3. 'Reading the City' - urban spaces and their readability in Paul Auster's City of Glass
- 3.1 Getting lost in the labyrinth New York - the concept of urban space and its impact on the main character
- 3.2 Urban space as a text
- 4. City of Glass as a detective story and the concept of language
- 4.1 City of Glass a classical detective story?
- 4.2 Language: Tool of the detective. Role and function of language in the novel
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the concept of language in Paul Auster's City of Glass, focusing on how urban spaces and the detective genre contribute to the novel's themes. The author aims to analyze the role of language within the narrative structure, exploring how it shapes the characters' experiences and the overall meaning of the story. The paper will also provide a brief overview of Auster's life and career in relation to his literary works.
- The impact of urban space (New York City) on the protagonist's experiences and identity.
- The blurring of reality and fiction, and the role of chance and coincidence.
- The function of language as a tool of deception and self-discovery within the detective genre.
- The exploration of themes of solitude, identity, and the search for meaning.
- Auster's personal experiences and their influence on his writing.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the analysis of Paul Auster's City of Glass. It establishes the central themes of hunger, chance, disappearance, and solitude prevalent in Auster's fiction, highlighting their complexity. The chapter introduces the New York Trilogy and Auster's critical acclaim, framing City of Glass as a work exploring reality, coincidence, failure, and identity within a detective story framework. The introduction outlines the paper's structure, signaling the forthcoming discussions on Auster's life, the portrayal of New York City, the novel's genre conventions, and the crucial role of language. The opening sentence, "It was a wrong number that started it," is presented as a pivotal element foreshadowing the narrative's focus on chance encounters and their profound consequences.
2. Short information about Paul Auster and his work: This chapter provides biographical information on Paul Auster, tracing his life from his childhood in New Jersey to his literary career. It emphasizes his early interest in literature, his travels through Europe, and his experiences at Columbia University. Auster's personal struggles, including his parents' unhappy marriage and his sister's mental illness, are presented as influential factors shaping his writing. His career trajectory is outlined, highlighting his early work as a translator and poet, the financial impact of his father's death, and his eventual success with the New York Trilogy. The chapter emphasizes the pivotal role of chance events, such as wrong-number phone calls, in shaping both Auster's life and his literary output, underscoring the intersection of biography and creative work.
3. 'Reading the City' - urban spaces and their readability in Paul Auster's City of Glass: This chapter delves into the portrayal of New York City in City of Glass, exploring how the urban landscape influences the narrative. It analyzes the city's labyrinthine nature, its impact on the protagonist's sense of disorientation and alienation, and its presentation as a textual space itself. The chapter explores how the city's physical characteristics contribute to the novel's atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty and reflect the protagonist's own mental state. By analyzing the city as both a setting and a symbol, it establishes the foundation for subsequent examinations of language and narrative structure in the context of the detective genre.
4. City of Glass as a detective story and the concept of language: This chapter examines City of Glass through the lens of the detective genre. It analyzes the extent to which it conforms to the conventions of a classical detective story and explores how language functions within this context. The chapter questions whether language serves a similar purpose in Auster's novel as in traditional detective fiction, suggesting that in Auster's work, language is a tool not only for investigation but also for self-deception and the construction of reality. This chapter explores how Auster uses language to create ambiguity, undermine traditional narrative structures, and ultimately challenge the reader's understanding of truth and identity within the narrative.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Paul Auster, City of Glass, New York City, detective fiction, language, urban space, identity, solitude, chance, coincidence, reality, fiction, narrative structure, ambiguity.
Paul Auster's City of Glass: A Comprehensive Analysis - FAQ
What is this document?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of an academic paper analyzing Paul Auster's City of Glass. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords. The focus is on the role of language, urban space, and the detective genre in shaping the novel's themes and narrative.
What are the main themes explored in the paper?
The paper explores several key themes, including the impact of urban space (New York City) on the protagonist, the blurring of reality and fiction, the function of language as a tool of deception and self-discovery, solitude, identity, the search for meaning, and the influence of Auster's personal experiences on his writing.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured into four chapters: an introduction setting the stage; a biographical overview of Paul Auster; an analysis of the portrayal of New York City and its influence on the narrative; and a discussion of City of Glass as a detective story and the role of language within it.
What is the role of language in City of Glass according to the paper?
The paper argues that language in City of Glass is not merely a tool for investigation, but also for self-deception and the construction of reality. It explores how Auster uses language to create ambiguity and challenge the reader's understanding of truth and identity.
How does the urban landscape of New York City contribute to the novel?
The paper analyzes New York City as a labyrinthine space that contributes to the protagonist's disorientation and alienation. It examines the city as a textual space itself, reflecting the protagonist's mental state and contributing to the novel's atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty.
How does the paper situate City of Glass within the detective genre?
The paper examines the extent to which City of Glass conforms to the conventions of a classical detective story and explores how language functions differently within Auster's unique approach to the genre.
What are the key takeaways from the chapter summaries?
The chapter summaries highlight the importance of chance encounters, the exploration of themes of hunger, disappearance, and solitude, the complexities of reality and identity within a detective story framework, and the intertwining of Auster's personal experiences and his literary work.
What keywords are associated with this analysis of City of Glass?
Keywords include: Paul Auster, City of Glass, New York City, detective fiction, language, urban space, identity, solitude, chance, coincidence, reality, fiction, narrative structure, ambiguity.
Who is the intended audience for this paper?
The intended audience is primarily academic, focusing on those interested in analyzing themes in a structured and professional manner within literary studies.
Where can I find the full academic paper?
The full academic paper is not included in this preview. This document serves as a comprehensive overview of its contents.
- Citar trabajo
- Sebastian Bohl (Autor), 2008, “Reading the City”: The concept of language in Paul Auster’s "City of Glass", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/213383
