Proustian Bodies

Abstract

<p>What role does the body play in Marcel Proust's A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu? Concentrating particularly on Combray and Un Amour de Swann, the following study traces Proust's transformation of the physical body by metaphor. Because the presentation of the body is a barometer indicating both a character's conscious and subconscious thought, critical interpretation of the body is a vital part of understanding Proustian desire. In "chapter one" on the metaphors of bodily processes, the narrator's desire is discussed. Swann's love for Odette is the focus of "chapter two" on the body of desire. Finally, "chapter three" which deals with the body as "sign" in the social world, describes the problems which accompany the interpretation of the body in the text.What role does the body play in Marcel Proust's A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu? Concentrating particularly on Combray and Un Amour de Swann, the following study traces Proust's transformation of the physical body by metaphor. Because the presentation of the body is a barometer indicating both a character's conscious and subconscious thought, critical interpretation of the body is a vital part of understanding Proustian desire. In "chapter one" on the metaphors of bodily processes, the narrator's desire is discussed. Swann's love for Odette is the focus of "chapter two" on the body of desire. Finally, "chapter three" which deals with the body as "sign" in the social world, describes the problems which accompany the interpretation of the body in the text.</p>