Writing as ‘Compearance’ in Diário da Queda by Michel Laub |
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Authors: | Emily Mary Baker |
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Institution: | University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK |
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Abstract: | Diário da Queda (2011) by Michel Laub has been described as autoficção (autofiction), the Brazilian translation of the concept coined by Serge Doubrovsky to describe the narrative working-through of trauma through fictional autobiography. This article re-examines the definition of ‘autofiction’ and argues that Laub's narrative process more closely resembles Jean-Luc Nancy's notion of a singular voice ‘compearing’ experiences in a process of ‘sharing’ that, when combined with touch and affection can – according to the novel – more successfully help to overcome trauma. At stake are questions regarding the inheritance of Holocaust memory, as well as its politicised deployment in contemporary conflicts. |
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Keywords: | autofiction Brazilian literature Holocaust Jean-Luc Nancy memory studies Michel Laub |
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