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Wandering and Freedom: A Lacanian Reading of Subjectivity in The Adventures of Augie March

Author

Listed:
  • Wei Tao

    (Science and Technology College of Nanchang Hangkong University, Jiujiang, China)

  • Shihan Zhang

    (Science and Technology College of Nanchang Hangkong University, Jiujiang, China)

  • Pengcheng Zhan

    (Jiangxi Tellhow Animation Vocational College, Nanchang, China)

Abstract

The Adventures of Augie March, a seminal work by Saul Bellow, descripts the protagonist Augie's wandering and self-exploration in mid-20th century American society. Augie is not a traditional hero; instead, he constructs a dynamic and fragmented subjectivity through a series of choices, failures, and existential reflections. This paper applies Jacques Lacan's theory of subjectivity as its analytical framework, tracing four stages in Augie’s development: childhood (mirror stage), adolescence (symbolic order), adulthood (split subject), and ongoing future (lack and becoming). It explores how Augie negotiates the question "Who am I?" in the tension between external social discipline and inner desire. The novel, with its open ending and resistance to narrative closure, critiques the traditional American Dream and offers a profound literary reflection on modern identity.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei Tao & Shihan Zhang & Pengcheng Zhan, 2025. "Wandering and Freedom: A Lacanian Reading of Subjectivity in The Adventures of Augie March," International Journal of Literature Studies, Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development, vol. 5(2), pages 56-59, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:alk:ijls00:v:5:y:2025:i:2:id:10331
    DOI: 10.32996/ijts.2025.5.2.6
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