Brooklyn Follies - Text Analysis - Overture
©marie morgan 2007
- The Brooklyn Follies From until p. 4 “and do something””
Situation of the passage : This passage marks the very beginning of Paul Auster’s novel, which is entitled Brooklyn Follies. It was published in France before the United States, where it was released in 2005.
◊ To entitle the first chapter of the novel, Auster used a musical term ‘Overture’1. In an opera, an overture is played by musical instruments before the actual opening scene. Indeed, Auster starts his story on a solemn and quite pompous note. ◊ From the very beginning, the reader learns the main details of the character’s existence : he is 59 years old, he is divorced. He used to live in Bronxville, he has cancer and believes he might die soon. ◊ “artful (habile, astucieux), because we learn those details as the story goes, one thing leading to another ex à we know about Brooklyn because he is moving back there. Intertwined with the plot ◊ What we learn about his personality : bitter, pessimistic, self-deprecating. Does not seem to have a very high opinion of himself (=compares himself with a dog) and he describes his life as being “sad and ridiculous”. He seems to have led an unsatisfactory and dull life.
I. An Artful autobiography (don’t spend too long on these details)
II. Paradox and contradiction:
◊ A beginning and also an end --> an oxymoron2, as the novel starts with the evocation of the death of the narrator. But since he is the narrator – and unless the narrative voice changes later, we know that this death is not about to happen, as the story has to go on. ◊ Although the narrator announces an end from the very beginning, hope and future are present through “hints” that imply that everything is ready for a new start : “First Street” (l.10), “Prospect park” (l. 11) ◊ Permanent coexistence of death/life, despair/hope ... ◊ This new beginning coexists with the omnipresent theme of the “loop3” : From Brooklyn to Bronxville and back to Brooklyn, there are only a
- The Brooklyn Follies From until p. 4 “and do something””
Situation of the passage : This passage marks the very beginning of Paul Auster’s novel, which is entitled Brooklyn Follies. It was published in France before the United States, where it was released in 2005.
◊ To entitle the first chapter of the novel, Auster used a musical term ‘Overture’1. In an opera, an overture is played by musical instruments before the actual opening scene. Indeed, Auster starts his story on a solemn and quite pompous note. ◊ From the very beginning, the reader learns the main details of the character’s existence : he is 59 years old, he is divorced. He used to live in Bronxville, he has cancer and believes he might die soon. ◊ “artful (habile, astucieux), because we learn those details as the story goes, one thing leading to another ex à we know about Brooklyn because he is moving back there. Intertwined with the plot ◊ What we learn about his personality : bitter, pessimistic, self-deprecating. Does not seem to have a very high opinion of himself (=compares himself with a dog) and he describes his life as being “sad and ridiculous”. He seems to have led an unsatisfactory and dull life.
I. An Artful autobiography (don’t spend too long on these details)
II. Paradox and contradiction:
◊ A beginning and also an end --> an oxymoron2, as the novel starts with the evocation of the death of the narrator. But since he is the narrator – and unless the narrative voice changes later, we know that this death is not about to happen, as the story has to go on. ◊ Although the narrator announces an end from the very beginning, hope and future are present through “hints” that imply that everything is ready for a new start : “First Street” (l.10), “Prospect park” (l. 11) ◊ Permanent coexistence of death/life, despair/hope ... ◊ This new beginning coexists with the omnipresent theme of the “loop3” : From Brooklyn to Bronxville and back to Brooklyn, there are only a