Georges Perec’s W or the Memory of Childhood is a work of postmodern literature. From my personal viewpoint, the style and the experience of reading it is comparable to reading the use of surrealism in Louis Aragon’s Paris Peasant. Both are works that need more time for reflection on the abstract concepts about life that are constructed for their readers. The details of the world are profound and are more deeper than what people are able to sense. This leaves the text indirectly accessible because of not being as concrete to read for a traditional English audience. Furthermore, I am deeply invested in the relationship between the individual and the society that is depicted as functional units that help W, or how I would like to think about it, the world!
The novel tackles the subjects of politics, economics, and sociological aspects of postwar Europe and recovery. For example, civilization is recursive because it is composed of systems within systems. A group of individuals forms an organization and a group of organizations can form an alliance. The particular athletes who are selected to compete in big events are symbols of pride and nationalism of W and are role models for the next generations. They are the ones who inspire others to achieve victory and motivate them to achieve their goals. They are symbols of power for the individual to seize the day. The author also gets personal with the content by introducing an autobiographical element into the narrative as well. As suggested from the title, this is about childhood memories recalled from a distant past and many of these factors play a part in the influence and perception of people.
One interesting feature I noticed is the use of italics to signify something historical. The memory is a type of nostalgia that is deployed from the way the work is presented. The author does not seek to tell his memories, but it was as if I was running through his mind and dived into his thoughts that were a collection of facts from a different world, however real or illusory they may be, I can feel the memory itself blending the two together into something different. It still tells the truth, but very differently from what may be expected. Perec offers something different to explore. The text is a fiction of a fiction and the author decides to leave lots of room for interpretation. After reading this particular text, I noticed the importance of no right or wrong answers when asked for my opinion on what I just read.
I don’t know if my question is related or unrelated to the reading, but one question I have after reading this novel is: if the government watches over us, then who watches over the government and how does this aspect relate to trauma if it does?
David,
A great insight into the political, social and economic consequences from the allegory of W. It really helped me to develop a clearer interpretation of its role in the book. To tackle your question, it makes me think of one thing that is central to politics: the goal of those in power is to maintain the status quo. W remains a society of arbitrariness and savagery because nobody thinks to challenge the status quo. Thus, the ones who watch the government are the ones whom the government watches. The Administration of W cleverly lies in the shadows. If it intervenes, it is to ensure the status quo of its social hierarchy remains intact.
Hey David!
I also liked how the narrative is split between different stories and how the author uses style to distinguish them. How Perec plays with the line between fantasy, memories, and reality is also fascinating.
To answer your question, I think the government’s actions are controlled by people. Like David said in his comment, challenging who is in power and holding the government accountable is our society’s way of watching over the government and avoiding injustice. It is in societies of oppression – like W – where people are not allowed to challenge the government that trauma and injustice become a problem.