Narrative and the Self

By Anthony Paul Kerby

Book Overview

Examining the constitutive role of language and narration in key areas of human experience, Narrative and the Self articulates a view of the self as the implied subject of narrative utterances. Anthony Paul Kerby draws on the diverse insights of recent work in philosophy, literary theory, and psychology to synthesize a coherent and provocative view of narrative identity and selfhood. Invoking the writings of Benveniste, Ricoeur, Merleau-Ponty, Lacan, Taylor, and other theorists, he argues that language and narration play a central role in key aspects of human experience such as emotion, values, recollection, and sense of history.

Fundamental to Kerby's exposition is a defense of the quasi-narrative nature of our everyday experience. Kerby delineates a convincing narrative model of the self and offers a valuable overview of contemporary philosophical issues surrounding the place and role of narrative in human experience.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0253331439
• ISBN13: 9780253331434
• Release Date: November 1991
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 9.2"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher