1 Allison Le Professor Miller 02 December 2019 English 1170 Final Essay Throughout the first volume of Marcel Proust’s work, In Search of Lost Time, he presents the theme of reality, identity, and the importance of time. Similarly, Haruki Murakami also writes about these themes in his work, After Dark. In both of these texts, time is used as a tool to access grey areas of limbo or worlds that lie between reality and a dream-like state. One of the first similarities between the texts is the utilization of a realm between dream and reality; Proust’s In Search of Lost Time focuses on the role that time plays in the manifestation of memory and the past, whereas Murakami’s After Dark utilizes time as a portal between the world of the day and the world of the night. While both of these works present similar themes and metaphors, they deviate in the meaning and significance behind their use of time and the limbo world. As readers begin to read In Search of Lost Time, a young boy narrates from his point of view. He opens with, “For a long time, I went to bed early” (Proust 1137). This line creates an effect on the reader by sending them back in time through memory. The narrator continues to describe the alteration of his surroundings acquired through sleep, and as the passage progresses, it is evident that the narrator isn’t just recalling his memories, but is rather reliving the memories. He describes, “I would rest my cheeks tenderly against the lovely cheeks of the pillow, which, full and fresh, are like the cheeks of our childhood” (Proust 1137). This line is unique in its usage of verb tense, which creates a suspension of time in the narrator’s mind. Although at first glance the introduction may seem overly abstract and seemingly shapeless, it becomes evident that the introduction is meant to mimic and evoke the same emotions from childhood. It also enforces the
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