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
1. Introduction
2. Jacques Lacan’s theory
2.1 The Symbolic
2.2 The Imaginary
2.3 The Real
3. Development of Daniel Quinn
3.1 Quinn’s multiple identities
3.2 Quinn and the detective world
3.3 Quinn’s loss of control
4. City of Glass – a traditional detective novel?
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines Paul Auster's "City of Glass" through a psychoanalytical lens, specifically utilizing Jacques Lacan's theories to analyze the protagonist's identity crisis and the novel's subversion of the traditional detective genre.
- Psychoanalytical interpretation of Daniel Quinn's character development.
- Application of Jacques Lacan's psychic spheres (Imaginary, Symbolic, Real).
- Analysis of identity formation and fragmentation.
- Deconstruction of the "traditional detective novel" genre conventions.
- The role of trauma in the dissolution of the protagonist's sense of self.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Quinn’s loss of control
Daniel Quinn’s loss of self-starts when he pretends to be Paul Auster, but it intensifies when Quinn goes to see Mr. Stillman Sr. Each time he pretends to be someone else and tries to be someone who might be able to get close to Mr. Stillman Sr., but fails drastically. At the first time, he introduces himself as Quinn, the second time as Henry Dark and then as Stillman’s son. Quinn plays with his opportunity to change his identity to the fullest. It does not matter what identity he adopts, Stillman Sr. does not recognise him. He also fails his mission by losing the trace of Stillman Sr. “There were no clues, no leads, no moves to be made” (Auster 90). Due to the fact that Stillman Sr. did not recognise him after each encounter, means that Mr. Stillmann Sr. is not a threat to Peter Stillman. His failure distresses him and disturbs his logical detective system. Though being a 'real' detective Quinn does not give up and tries another way. He starts looking for the real Paul Auster. However, it turns out that the famous the detective Paul Auster is actually a writer. The real Paul Auster cannot help him, so he tries to call Mrs. Stillman but he cannot reach her. Quinn is devastated after this incident and does not know what to do. He has nothing, not even a trace he could follow. His symbolic order is completely disarranged. The clients are gone, the alleged threat is nowhere to be found and the famous detective is not a real detective. The Real Order dominates again over the Symbolic Order. It turns out that the detective world is not at all logical and in orders but rather senseless and confusing as his old life.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the psychoanalytical approach to Paul Auster's work and establishes the research goal of exploring the protagonist's identity and genre conventions.
2. Jacques Lacan’s theory: Provides the theoretical framework by defining the three psychic spheres of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real.
3. Development of Daniel Quinn: Analyzes the protagonist's psychological shifts, the creation of multiple identities, and his eventual descent into loss of control.
4. City of Glass – a traditional detective novel?: Critiques the novel's subversion of classic detective tropes, suggesting it functions as an anti-detective story.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the investigation's findings, characterizing the work as a metaphysical detective novel where the mystery is replaced by an impossible search for self.
6. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and primary literature used for the analysis.
Keywords
Paul Auster, City of Glass, Psychoanalysis, Jacques Lacan, Daniel Quinn, Identity Crisis, Detective Fiction, Symbolic Order, Imaginary, Real, Metaphysical Detective Novel, Anti-Detective Novel, Trauma, Genre Theory, Subjectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on an analytical study of Paul Auster’s "City of Glass," specifically exploring how the protagonist, Daniel Quinn, experiences identity fragmentation through a psychoanalytical perspective.
Which theoretical framework is primarily applied in the study?
The study primarily utilizes Jacques Lacan’s theory of psychoanalysis, specifically his concepts of the Symbolic, the Imaginary, and the Real.
What is the primary research question regarding the genre?
The paper investigates whether "City of Glass" conforms to the standards of a traditional detective novel or if it subverts these conventions.
How is the protagonist's development described?
Quinn's development is described as a descent into madness and a loss of self, triggered by traumatic life events and exacerbated by his attempt to assume multiple, artificial identities.
What does the term "anti-detective novel" imply in this context?
It implies that the novel deliberately plays with and breaks the rules of classic detective fiction, leaving mysteries unsolved and focusing on internal psychological dissolution rather than solving a crime.
Which main thematic fields are covered?
The fields include identity construction, the influence of trauma on the psyche, the structure of detective fiction, and the nature of human language and reality.
Why does Quinn create alternate identities like William Wilson and Max Work?
Quinn creates these identities to escape his own reality, which is dominated by the trauma of losing his family, and to navigate spheres of life he feels he can no longer access as himself.
What happens to Quinn when he tries to be "Paul Auster"?
Pretending to be Paul Auster represents an attempt to become a "real" detective in the real world, but it ultimately leads to the complete erasure of his original identity as the case dissolves.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2016, Analysis of Paul Auster’s "City of Glass". A traditional detective novel, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/372034
