Santiago Rodríguez Guerrero-Strachan

Placelessness in Stuart Dybek's short stories : the new tramps

Introduction

Placelessness in stuart dybek's short stories : the new tramps. Explore placelessness in Stuart Dybek's short stories, focusing on vagrants and social exclusion. This analysis applies Derrida's hospitality to 'Childhood' and 'The Coast of Chicago'.

Abstract

The article explores the sense of placelessness in two collections of short fiction by Stuart Dybek: Childhood and Other Neighborhoods (1980) and The Coast of Chicago (1990). It examines the role of vagrants in "The Palatsky Man", "Chopin in Winter", "The Wake", "Sauerkraut Soup" and "Nighthawks", in comparison with the places occupied by other characters. By using Jacques Derrida's notion of hospitality as a discourse on space, the article explore the function of place in these stories in terms of the degree of exclusion of marginal populations and explore the dichotomies of place/placelessness and inclusion/exclusion. The places he describes in his stories create a dialectics of inclusion and exclusion, one that he represents by placing vagrants and immigrants in specific narrative scenarios. There are indications that immigrants want to enter the area of inclusion, whereas this drive is less clear cut in the case of vagrants.

Review

This article proposes an engaging and timely examination of the theme of placelessness in Stuart Dybek's short stories, specifically drawing from *Childhood and Other Neighborhoods* (1980) and *The Coast of Chicago* (1990). The core argument centers on exploring how space functions within these narratives through the lens of Jacques Derrida's concept of hospitality, focusing on the representation and experiences of marginal populations. By analyzing the roles of vagrants in selected stories—"The Palatsky Man", "Chopin in Winter", "The Wake", "Sauerkraut Soup", and "Nighthawks"—in comparison to other characters, the study aims to unravel the intricate dichotomies of place/placelessness and inclusion/exclusion inherent in Dybek's depiction of urban environments. The article makes a valuable contribution by selecting Dybek, an author whose work often subtly explores the fringes of urban existence, as its primary subject. The application of Derrida's hospitality, a concept rich with implications for understanding spatial dynamics and ethical boundaries, offers a sophisticated theoretical framework for analyzing how characters navigate or are denied access to 'place'. The abstract effectively highlights the specific stories to be examined, promising a grounded analysis. Furthermore, the explicit distinction drawn between immigrants and vagrants regarding their desire for inclusion is particularly intriguing, suggesting a nuanced understanding of different forms of marginality and their relationship to spatial belonging. This differentiation provides a promising avenue for exploring the complexities of identity and agency within the context of placelessness. While the proposed research holds significant promise, the abstract could benefit from a slightly more explicit outline of how Derrida's intricate notion of hospitality will be *applied* to specific textual analysis beyond simply stating it as a "discourse on space." Clarifying the methodology for comparing the spaces occupied by vagrants versus "other characters" would also strengthen the article, ensuring the comparative aspect is robust. Finally, the abstract points to a fascinating observation regarding the differing drives for inclusion between immigrants and vagrants; elaborating on *how* these "indications" are identified in the text and what broader implications this distinction carries for understanding Dybek's social commentary would further enhance the paper's impact and originality. Ensuring the full article thoroughly unpacks these complex dynamics will be crucial for its overall success.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.