IDENTITY FORMATION IN SOLITUDE IN MICHEL TOURNIER'S NOVELS: A NARRATOLOGICAL APPROACH
Keywords:
Michel Tournier, identity, solitude, novel, narratological approachAbstract
The paper focuses on the formation of identity via narratological analysis in Michel Tournier’s seven novels. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur’s theory that personal identity is constructed through narration and dialogue with others, the paper examines how identity is formed in solitude. The main characters, often portrayed as marginal or isolated, undergo a complex process of self-identification influenced by their inner reflections and limited social interactions. Gérard Genette’s theory of narrative focalization is discussed, distinguishing between omniscient, internal, and external points of view. Tournier often blends the first-person internal narration with the third-person omniscient narration to present both the characters’ subjective experiences and an objective overview. The direct discourse of the main protagonists is brief and poor. It is above all through the diaries and the interior monologues that we observe and study the process of the evolution of the identity of the main characters.
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