Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory

As best evidences of our narrative identity language-games, autobiographies unveil the illusive power of language in purporting a unitary self. Drawing upon Ludwig Wittgenstein’s no-reference view of “I” and studying its use as a necessary formal tie in autobiographical memory, it is contended that...

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Main Authors: Zohreh Ramin, Sara Nazockdas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of English Studies 2022-09-01
Series:Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies
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author Zohreh Ramin
Sara Nazockdas
author_facet Zohreh Ramin
Sara Nazockdas
author_sort Zohreh Ramin
collection DOAJ
description As best evidences of our narrative identity language-games, autobiographies unveil the illusive power of language in purporting a unitary self. Drawing upon Ludwig Wittgenstein’s no-reference view of “I” and studying its use as a necessary formal tie in autobiographical memory, it is contended that sense of self through time is constituted in narrating and being narrated in memories. It is argued that Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory illustrates the lack of reference of the first-person pronoun in autobiographical memory, its formal and inventive emergence, and its diversity in narrative compositions. As the title hints, the self does not speak in memory; it is spoken in autobiographical language-games of composition.
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series Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies
spelling doaj-art-c4cb431b74674d7f93706a0218b2acfd2025-08-20T02:51:23ZengInstitute of English StudiesAnglica. An International Journal of English Studies0860-57342022-09-013118510510.7311/0860-5734.31.1.05Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, MemoryZohreh Ramin0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1347-1592Sara Nazockdas1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7450-5656University of TehranUniversity of TehranAs best evidences of our narrative identity language-games, autobiographies unveil the illusive power of language in purporting a unitary self. Drawing upon Ludwig Wittgenstein’s no-reference view of “I” and studying its use as a necessary formal tie in autobiographical memory, it is contended that sense of self through time is constituted in narrating and being narrated in memories. It is argued that Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory illustrates the lack of reference of the first-person pronoun in autobiographical memory, its formal and inventive emergence, and its diversity in narrative compositions. As the title hints, the self does not speak in memory; it is spoken in autobiographical language-games of composition.autobiographyautobiographical memoryhermeneutic rememberingnarrating the selfvladimir nabokovludwig wittgenstein
spellingShingle Zohreh Ramin
Sara Nazockdas
Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
Anglica. An International Journal of English Studies
autobiography
autobiographical memory
hermeneutic remembering
narrating the self
vladimir nabokov
ludwig wittgenstein
title Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
title_full Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
title_fullStr Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
title_full_unstemmed Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
title_short Who Speaks in Memory? Self-Reference, Life-Story, and the Autobiography-Game in Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak, Memory
title_sort who speaks in memory self reference life story and the autobiography game in vladimir nabokov s speak memory
topic autobiography
autobiographical memory
hermeneutic remembering
narrating the self
vladimir nabokov
ludwig wittgenstein
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