| Proust's novel, A la recherche du temps perdu, is often read as a Bildungsroman: the hero, Marcel, initiated into society by Swann, reaches adulthood in his transition from child to Artist (the Narrator). This relationship can also be understood as an example of the Oedipal triangle where the child, Marcel, desires to appropriate the father's place (the worldly Swann, the place of authority). The Narrator, as a figure of authority and knowledge, is the sign of Marcel's mastery over Swann: the Narrator writes the failed artist, Swann. The transition from child to Narrator is, therefore, predicated upon the myth of the Narrator's control over (appropriation of) language and thus exemplifies the discourse of mastery. The Narrator can also be understood in terms of the discourse of analysis, however. An examination of Charlus's failure to appropriate the world through naming will demonstrate that, in order to become the Narrator, Marcel must first acknowledge language's resistance to appropriation. Then, Marcel must find a model that, while acknowledging the inappropriateness of language, still enables him to write. The mother's kiss illustrates the reunion or juxtaposition necessary for artistic creation. Marcel's understanding of the reciprocity of the kiss between mother and child transforms him into the Artist: as analyst, the Narrator creates by describing the space between self and other rather than, as in the discourse of mastery, creating by displacing the other. Swann's place in the novel demonstrates the reciprocal reunion between mother and child (between self and other). The Narrator, as analyst rather than master, is censored by language yet still is able to create with language by telling the story of the people he knew--a story which thus reflects his own life. The novel, thus written, opens up a new space of interpretation between the text and its readers. |
