MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI
Many modern readers, particularly those sharing reviews through blogs, social media, and personal channels, tend to interpret literature through a psychological lens. By relating characters’ experiences to their own mental health struggles, these readers create deeply personal interpretations that r...
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"1 Decembrie 1918" University of Alba Iulia
2024-11-01
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| Online Access: | http://inimag.uab.ro/upload/23_441_12_ursa_15_1_2024-297-317.pdf |
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| author | Andra-Iulia URSA |
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| author_sort | Andra-Iulia URSA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many modern readers, particularly those sharing reviews through blogs, social media, and personal channels, tend to interpret literature through a psychological lens. By relating characters’ experiences to their own mental health struggles, these readers create deeply personal interpretations that reflect their individual challenges. This paper explores the various interpretations of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi (2020), focusing on how various readers have connected the novel to themes of mental illness, personal identity, and philosophical inquiry. While many have drawn parallels between the protagonist’s experiences and psychological conditions such as dissociative identity disorder (DID) and schizophrenia, others see the novel as reflective of living with chronic illness, particularly long COVID-19. The analysis considers these interpretations while emphasizing Clarke’s broader thematic concerns, such as enchantment, perception, and the philosophical conflict between knowledge and feeling. Drawing from sources like Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom and Owen Barfield’s theories on the evolution of consciousness, the paper argues that Piranesi transcends psychological readings, instead offering a meditation on the loss of an enchanted view of reality. Through an examination of key passages from the novel, the paper demonstrates how Clarke invites readers to contemplate deeper philosophical questions, suggesting that the labyrinthine House serves as a metaphor for the human mind and its intricate relationship with knowledge, freedom, and identity. The conclusion emphasizes that Piranesi resists singular interpretations, encouraging readers to engage with its mysteries on multiple levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-33b51baf68344d46bce7b26218b5d93f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2501-2169 2601-5137 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | "1 Decembrie 1918" University of Alba Iulia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Incursiuni în imaginar |
| spelling | doaj-art-33b51baf68344d46bce7b26218b5d93f2024-11-24T14:41:29Zeng"1 Decembrie 1918" University of Alba IuliaIncursiuni în imaginar2501-21692601-51372024-11-0115129931810.29302/InImag.2024.15.1.12MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESIAndra-Iulia URSA0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2158-4338“1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba IuliaMany modern readers, particularly those sharing reviews through blogs, social media, and personal channels, tend to interpret literature through a psychological lens. By relating characters’ experiences to their own mental health struggles, these readers create deeply personal interpretations that reflect their individual challenges. This paper explores the various interpretations of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi (2020), focusing on how various readers have connected the novel to themes of mental illness, personal identity, and philosophical inquiry. While many have drawn parallels between the protagonist’s experiences and psychological conditions such as dissociative identity disorder (DID) and schizophrenia, others see the novel as reflective of living with chronic illness, particularly long COVID-19. The analysis considers these interpretations while emphasizing Clarke’s broader thematic concerns, such as enchantment, perception, and the philosophical conflict between knowledge and feeling. Drawing from sources like Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom and Owen Barfield’s theories on the evolution of consciousness, the paper argues that Piranesi transcends psychological readings, instead offering a meditation on the loss of an enchanted view of reality. Through an examination of key passages from the novel, the paper demonstrates how Clarke invites readers to contemplate deeper philosophical questions, suggesting that the labyrinthine House serves as a metaphor for the human mind and its intricate relationship with knowledge, freedom, and identity. The conclusion emphasizes that Piranesi resists singular interpretations, encouraging readers to engage with its mysteries on multiple levels.http://inimag.uab.ro/upload/23_441_12_ursa_15_1_2024-297-317.pdfinterpretationmental illnessphilosophy of freedomidentitypiranesi |
| spellingShingle | Andra-Iulia URSA MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI Incursiuni în imaginar interpretation mental illness philosophy of freedom identity piranesi |
| title | MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI |
| title_full | MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI |
| title_fullStr | MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI |
| title_full_unstemmed | MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI |
| title_short | MENTAL ILLNESS, IDENTITY, AND PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY IN SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI |
| title_sort | mental illness identity and philosophical inquiry in susanna clarke s piranesi |
| topic | interpretation mental illness philosophy of freedom identity piranesi |
| url | http://inimag.uab.ro/upload/23_441_12_ursa_15_1_2024-297-317.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andraiuliaursa mentalillnessidentityandphilosophicalinquiryinsusannaclarkespiranesi |