Concepts of Truth and Reality in Don Delillo’s Zero-K
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Date
2021-06
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UNIVERSITY MOHAMED BOUDIAF - M’SILA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The quest for the truth has been for a long time the concern of many philosophers and authors. In
the contemporary era our lived reality has a relation to concepts such as hyperreality, and
philosophies such as Existentialism which have enriched the debate about the quest for truth and
concept of reality in literary criticism. Therefore, this dissertation aims to examine and explore
the ways to reach the truth, and the complex concept of reality in Don DeLillo’s Zero K (2016).
Additionally, it illustrates the intended meaning of ‘the truth’ in the novel and its relation to the
concept of ‘hyperreality’ as a deformation of the authentic reality. It also it provides a reading of
an analogy between Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and the experience that the protagonist goes
through in the story in order to understand the multiple nuances of truth and reality. Such an
illustration enriches the analysis of three main aspects in the novel. First, it explores the quest
that the protagonist found himself involved in. Second, it examines the existential journey that
accompanied the protagonist inside the hyperreal setting. Third, it seeks to shed light on the
deformed reality causing a blur to his quest. To achieve this, the dissertation relies on Plato’s
Theory of Forms and The Allegory of the Cave, Jean Baudrillard concept of hyperreality and
Simulacra in addition to other concepts Existentialist Criticism.
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Keywords
Keywords: Quest, Truth, Reality, Hyperreality, Existentialism, Zero-K.
Citation
UNIVERSITE MOHAMED BOUDIAF - M’SILA