Dissecting George Miles: Objectification, the Gaze, and Ontological Uncertainty in Dennis Cooper's Closer
This article offers a close reading of Dennis Cooper's 1989 cult novel Closer. Despite focusing on the experiences of gay males, I argue that Closer transcends identity politics by problematizing the status and treatment of the other in a contemporary Western setting. In doing so, the novel exp...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Föreningen Tidskriften Moderna språk
2013-12-01
|
| Series: | Moderna Språk |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://publicera.kb.se/mosp/article/view/8062 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | This article offers a close reading of Dennis Cooper's 1989 cult novel Closer. Despite focusing on the experiences of gay males, I argue that Closer transcends identity politics by problematizing the status and treatment of the other in a contemporary Western setting. In doing so, the novel explores the theme of objectification from both a superficial and ontological perspective: Superficially, the objectification of the protagonist George Miles seems to mirror the way that women are objectified under patriarchy, however, from an ontological perspective, Closer's symbolism suggests a much deeper search for meaning that precipitates from its character's ontological uncertainties. I argue that Closer engages the reader in this search by making them aware of their own gaze, thus incriminating them in a figurative search for meaning within the textualized body. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2000-3560 |