The application of self-valuation system within the framework of fictional/factual positioning can be remarkably useful in providing a new approach to the analysis of the relation between the novelist and his/her fictional hero. In this paper we are examining the valuation system of the protagonist of the novel Man in the Dark (2008) by Paul Auster. Based on Hubert Hermans’ Valuation Theory, we examine the meaning units and their affective connotations in the narratives of the protagonist/author during his factual storytelling and his fictional confrontation with his hero. Moreover, basic motives of self-enhancement and the contact and the :union: with others and finally their affective profiles are discussed based on the model presented in the paper, i.e. Virtual Fictional/Factual Positioning (VFP). The findings of this research truly indicate that the art of storytelling helps the protagonist to rebuild his own identity and fix the ruins of his past. The dynamics of fictional and factual positioning motivate the I-as-storyteller position, which could effectively overcome the challenges created by I-as-husband and I-as-creator-of-war position and eventually develop new positive perspectives for the future. 

Keywords: author-centered criticism, self-enhancement, valuation system, Man in the Dark, Paul Auster

Full-Text [PDF 648 kb]   (2743 Downloads)