Kriza reprezentacije: potraga za jezikom u romanu Grad od stakla Pola Ostera

Abstract

The goal of the paper is to present the novel City of Glass by Paul Auster within the context of Jacques Derrida’s concepts of trace and différance. We shall examine the manner in which the concept of the sign changed from the initial concept as proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure into Derrida’s playful sign. Central to our analysis is the idea of the broken sign, namely, a sign in which there is a gap in signification, a break between the signified and the signifier thus leading to the doubling of the signifier which ultimately leads to a crisis of representation. The concepts of authorship, narration and identity are questioned in post-structuralism due to a change in perception of the text and language itself. By analyzing the textual universe of the novel, the paper aims to exemplify the forms in which language is presented, its function and the effect it has on the development of the characters.