V. S. Naipaul: Displacement and Autobiography

by Judith Levy

Overview

Originally published in 1995. V. S. Naipaul, a Trinidadian of Indian descent living in the West, has written in many forms. Through an analysis of five works by Naipaul written in different modes and periods of his life, this study posits a relationship between a cultural condition and a choice of genre and narrative, or more specifically between cultural displacement and the writing of autobiography. Examining an aspect of Naipaul’s development as a post-colonial writer, this book is of interest in exploring the way that concepts of self determine the writing of texts. It considers ‘deflected autobiographies’, genre boundaries, quests for origin and expression, and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138939370
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/07/2015
Series:	Routledge Library Editions: Autobiography , #4
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr Judith Levy specializes in the novel, particularly the Post-Colonial novel, and teaches at the Hebrew University or Jerusalem.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. A House for Mr Biswas 2. The Overcrowded Barracoon 3. In a Free State 4. Finding the Centre 5. The Enigma of Arrival. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

Growing up in colonial Trinidad as an English speaker, Levy states, Naipaul lacked a myth of origin and all his writings became thwarted attempts at autobiography. Drawing upon post-structural, particularly Lacanian, psychoanalytic theory, the author examines the relationship between cultural displacement and autobiography and postmodernism and post- colonialism in the construction of the self, positing Naipaul as a post-colonial who employs the device of combining fiction and history in his quest for autobiography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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