Juxtaposition and Essence: Shattuck's and Deleuze's Views of Proustian Reality and Truth

• Main Authors: Chih-hon Hu, 胡志宏
• Other Authors: Reinhard Duessel
• Format: Others
• Published: 1994
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87487862025450566819

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 西洋語文研究所 === 82 === The search for reality and truth as a central theme of "A la recherche du temps perdu" has been confirmed by Proust and interpreted by others from different perspectives on the novel. For Proust, reality is an unique relation between sensations and memories, which is also where truth will begin. Only through positing this unique relation, reality and truth are to be re-discovered. Reality and truth re-discovered are for us to capture in metaphor as well as for the writer to preserve in his beautiful style. Shattuck expounds the mode of re-discovery of Proustian reality and truth by the principle of binocular juxtaposition as it is already manifest in Proust's own positing of reality and truth. Juxtaposition is also the principle underlying four mental operation and reading process. Indeed it is the most basic mode of our cognition and perception. Through juxtaposition of two images, the spatialization of time is effected in Marcel's moments bienheureux, which reveal to him a time in pure state. On the other hand, Deleuze characterizes Proustian truth as essence. The revelation of artistic essence is the ultimate goal of Marcel's apprenticeship in reading signs. Essence as pure difference constitutes each individual with the double powers of difference and repetition. All identities are simulated as an optical "effect" by difference and repetition. Juxtaposition is indeed the inverse operation of the powers of difference and repetition. While reality and truth are hidden behind the play of difference and repetition, we can only resort to the juxtaposition of two repetitions for their re-discovery. The comparison between these two views of Proustian reality and truth is intended as a juxtaposition resonant with their difference and similairty. In turn, the Proustian reader can resort to his or her own juxtaposition in reading Proust, and thus experiences a pure reading pleasure in his own moments bienheureux.