In this term paper, Paul Auster’s “City of Glass” is going to be analyzed from a psychoanalytical point of view to explore the protagonist's development. The main question of this paper is: Is “City of Glass” a traditional detective novel? The term paper is divided into the Lacanian theory, the development of Daniel Quinn and the development of the detective novel. The paper will focus on the protagonist and analyze his behavior, his inner life, the process of his search for identity and identity formation. The emphasis lies in how Paul Auster places the protagonist, Daniel Quinn, in connection with a traditional detective novel.
The question of identity and individuality is a significant subject in Paul Auster’s books. In each short story of the New York Trilogy, every protagonist represents the role of a detective. They are positioned in these specific situations which are inexplicable and beyond comprehension.
To answer the question of identity, Jacques Lacan’s theory of psychoanalysis is used to analyze Daniel Quinn’s character. The first detective novel is credited to Edgar Allan Poe with his short story “The Murders in Rue Morgue”, written in 1841. Poe is the so-called father of the detective genre. He paved the way for the next century and the coming authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, and Raymond Chandler.
Table of Contents
- Introduction.
- Jacques Lacan's theory
- The Symbolic.
- The Imaginary.
- The Real.
- Development of Daniel Quinn
- Quinn's multiple identities..
- Quinn and the detective world.
- Quinn's loss of control.
- City of Glass - a traditional detective novel?.
- Conclusion........
Objectives and Key Themes
This term paper analyzes Paul Auster's "City of Glass" from a psychoanalytical perspective, focusing on the protagonist's development and exploring the question of whether the novel is a traditional detective novel. The paper examines the concept of identity and individuality within the context of Auster's work, specifically through the lens of Jacques Lacan's theory of psychoanalysis.
- The role of identity and individuality in Paul Auster's writing.
- The impact of Jacques Lacan's theory of psychoanalysis on understanding character development.
- The relationship between Daniel Quinn's character and the conventions of the traditional detective novel.
- The exploration of the Symbolic, Imaginary, and Real in shaping Quinn's identity.
- The implications of Quinn's psychological journey for understanding the nature of the detective genre.
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the central focus of the term paper: an analysis of Paul Auster's "City of Glass" through a psychoanalytical lens, specifically examining the protagonist's development and the question of whether the novel is a traditional detective novel. The chapter also highlights the significance of identity and individuality in Auster's work and introduces the use of Jacques Lacan's theory of psychoanalysis to explore these themes.
- Jacques Lacan's theory: This chapter presents an overview of Lacan's psychoanalytical theory, which divides the psychic spheres into three parts: the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real. The chapter explores the relationship between these three spheres and their role in the formation of human identity and experience.
- Development of Daniel Quinn: This chapter analyzes the protagonist's psychological development using Lacan's theoretical framework. It focuses on Quinn's multiple identities, his involvement in the detective world, and his eventual loss of control.
Keywords
The central focus of this term paper revolves around the concepts of identity, individuality, psychoanalysis, detective fiction, and the application of Jacques Lacan's theory to understand the development of Daniel Quinn's character in "City of Glass." The term paper also examines the relationship between Quinn's psychological journey and the conventions of the traditional detective novel, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of both Lacan and established detective fiction scholarship.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2016, Analysis of Paul Auster’s "City of Glass". A traditional detective novel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/372034
