Marcel Proust Defines the Self in Remembrance of Things Past

Marcel Proust Defines the Self in Remembrance of Things Past Proust seems to be unique among the twentieth century authors in that his denial of rational thought is through the use of sensation to respond to the problem--instead of experience, for example--by defining the self as a retrievable essence comprised of all past experiences. Our human condition is defined by mortality, contingency, and discontentment. This reality combined with the new outlooks of relationships between our lives and the objects that surround us in our world, have caused authors in the twentieth century to question traditional Western thought. In Remembrance of Things Past, Marcel Proust extends these comparisons to include ones use of memory and†¦show more content†¦(5-6) The phrase, and might now very possibly be, exemplifies Prousts idea that although literally he is not anywhere aside from in his own bed, Marcel is--in some way--still at a time and location he experienced previously. The memory fills his body thus making his partial existence whole, a feat that alone--that is, without these subconscious thoughts--he could not accomplish. We see here a bit of foreshadowing de lesprit, as those same, undeterminable thoughts, Marcel will understand later, are some of the pieces to the solution he fails yet to realize he is searching for. Proust continues his illustration of the importance of memories though their connection to habit. We all have the need for a certain order in our lives. The protagonist however (although not quite an obsession) does seem to have problems functioning in the absence of routine. The authors intention is revealed through Marcels character, calling to our attention the true nature of a magic part of human life. That is, that objects themselves cannot be labeled familiar--they need a human connection to be described as such: Habit! that skilful but slow-moving arrangerShow MoreRelatedResponse to George Berkeleys Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous1009 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween Hylas and Philonous, in which he argues that the Cartesian notion of substance is incoherent, that the word matter as Descartes uses it, does not mean anything. This essay is also about words as memories, and about the two fictional Marcels, young and old. Hylas is a Cartesian thinker, and Philonous is Berkeley’s voice of reason. Words are like vessels—they are merely novel constructions of sounds empty of meaning until we fill them. They mean only what we discern in themRead MoreAwareness6564 Words   |  27 PagesIntroduction In the writing of their fictional works, novelists often have to reflect on the functioning of memory, for memory lies at the heart both of inner life and of human experience in general. It is indeed in the works of writers such as Marcel Proust or Jorge Luis Borges that the best exemplifications of the subjective experience of memory are to be found. However, from a strictly mnemonic point of view, literature provides more than a means of reflecting on memory: it is also the site of theRead MoreMultiple Intelligences Seminar and Workshop14464 Words   |  58 Pagesto control ones body movements and to handle objects skillfully 6. Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others. 7. Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes 8. Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature 9. Existential Intelligence -- sensitivity and capacity