Mechanisms of Externalizing the Problem in Saul Bellow's Fiction: A Therapeutic Perspective

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master’s degree in the Department of English Language and Literature and Linguistics, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature and Linguistics, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

The present thesis is a reading of Saul Bellow's Dangling Man, The Victim, and Seize the Day in terms of Michael White's and David Epston's notion of 'narrative therapy.' Saul Bellow's subtlety in his portrayals of the modern man's struggle against problems is present throughout all his novels. The existence of problems as dominators of the mind has become an integral part of his fiction. Each protagonist attempts to tell stories about his lived experiences using different ways of expression, including writing a journal, remembering past events, ruminating on fixed and unexamined narratives, and writing letters. Thin descriptions force them to dangle and wonder about 'the truth.' Different difficulties give them the postmodern realization that specific versions of events cannot become more privileged than others. Although the protagonists fail to end their dissociation from relatives and society, they show their intentions in doing so. The study analyzes different depictions of American society, whether as a war-worn atmosphere, a repudiator of Jews, or a reckoning place for unsuccessful men. The role of prevailing culture as a controlling factor that affects people's perception of problems is common in the three novels despite the distinguished demonstrations of society in different eras. Joseph, Leventhal, and Wilhelm utilize therapeutic techniques like naming the problem, tracing the history of it, evaluating its effects, finding unique outcomes, and re-authoring to deconstruct totalizing stories. Bellow writes about men seemingly at the rope's end and their remaining hope to recover from past mistakes.

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Literary Discourse Analysis
Volume 2, Issue 3 - Serial Number 6
December 2024
Pages 77-100

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