The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas | The Representation of Experience in Stein's Book
Semansky is an instructor of English literature and composition. In this essay, Semansky considers the representation of experience in Stein’s book.
Conventionally, the relationship in autobiography between language and experience has been one in which the author uses words to describe events, chronicle change, and mark emotions. This is evident in most fiction and biography as well. Stein’s book, however, complicates this relationship, as it is founded on a lie: it is not what it says it is. Stein, of course, confesses as much in the book’s last sentences, but her narrative ‘‘trick’’ is more than simply a joke played on unsuspecting readers. Along with the style in which the book is written, the use of a narrator who is...
[The entire page is 1288 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas at eNotes.
