The Crisis Of Self-identity And The Search For A Way Out In The New York Trilogy

With a unique perspective and distinctive characteristics,Paul Auster presents the true picture of modern Western society in his novels.The New York Trilogy combines entertainment and philosophy,and as his famous work,it constructs the possibility of individual subject identity.At present,there are many academic achievements in The New York Trilogy,but the research on identity issues still needs to be enriched.Paying attention to the survival experience and self conflict of the characters in the novel,and analyzing the identity and self in the novel,not only plays an important role in understanding the theme of the novel,but also has important significance in understanding Paul Auster’s creative spirit and his philosophical thinking on the truth of modern life.Based on the above,the paper is mainly divided into three parts to solve relevant issues: The first part analyzes the self identity crisis presented in The New York Trilogy from the perspectives of language,the other and existence.Self stability is gradually dissipated in the infinite extension of the meaning of words,the exchange of identities between the subject and the other,and the process of the characters becoming invisible.In the second part,by combing the character’s images and behavior tracks,it is found that the characters have been in a lost state of self exclusion due to their failure to correctly position themselves.Due to completely relying on the projection of original experience to recognize the other,it leads to abandonment of the true self and failure in tracking the results.At the same time,under the attention to external conditions,it is found that the characters are always unconsciously in a passive state of being manipulated,which makes the self gradually move towards fragmentation with the continuous change of social circumstances.The third part reveals that what the author attempts to express through the novel is the survival dilemma of modern people who are difficult to reach themselves,as well as their openness to identity issues.The trilogy’s questioning of self-identity reveals Auster’s reflection on the complex truth of modern society and urban life.The characters constantly evolve from seeking themselves to becoming others in the process of subjectification,and the extension of identity causes the self and itself to remain in a state of inconsistency.Paul Auster’s thinking on the issue of self identity is formed under the influence of real life,and the dilemma brought about by language,the other,and existential insecurity hangs over modern people.The root cause of character crisis lies in the instability of self.Although the open-ended ending of the novel suggests that the confirmation of self identity is actually a pursuit of nihility,he opens up his own thinking about identity issues and attempts to explore himself through the text,revealing his inner world to the public.This not only has the positive significance of inspiring us to persist in our pursuit,but also enlightens each of us in a unique way.