Reconstruction of Memory through Photographs in Postmodern Autobiographies

The inclusion of photographs in autobiography is intriguing for it allows the writer to re-construct his/her memory. Exploring the significance of such a medium to re-thrive lost memories is the concern of this discussion. In this regard,three postmodern autobiographies, Sebald, Perec, and Auster’s are chosen to show whether this medium succeeds inshedding light over the absence within the minds of the writers. To comprehend the role of photographs in Austerlitz, Wor The Memory of Childhood, and The Invention of Solitude, Roland Barthes’ theories of photography and the conceptsof punctum and stadium in particular are taken into account. The three writers fail to satisfy their quest of remembering the past since the element of absence and invisibility acts as an obstacle to this quest

کلیدواژه ها:

Photographs ، Post-memory ، Ronald Barth ، Autobiography ، Sebald ، Auster ، Austerlitz