Paul Bowles : an existentialist nomadic orientalism

Abstract

This project aims to demonstrate that Paul Bowles, the American writer, was affected by the doctrines of existentialism through a close examination of his writings. In addition, living in North Africa had a great impact on his writings, as depicted in his novel The Sheltering Sky and in his short stories from which I have chosen "The Delicate Prey" and "A Distant Episode." The question about Bowless motivations will be explored in this thesis by highlighting elements of existentialism and Orientalism. Topics like ethnicity, language, landscapes, the self and the other will be highlighted within Orientalist studies. The thesis will be framed within theories of existentialism, especially Jean Paul Sartres Essays in Existentialism, and theories of Orientalism referred to in Edward Saids Orientalism. These two perspectives will provide a greater understanding of The Sheltering Sky, "The Delicate Prey" and "A Distant Episode," and will help develop an understanding of Bowless underlying intentions in writing them.