The Representation of Rosemary's Memory in Karen Joy Fowler's "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" (PDF)

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this thesis is to examine the manipulation of memory by Rosemary Cooke in Karen Joy Fowler's novel "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves". To this end, different aspects which are linked to the representation of memory will be looked at.

The first aspect is the construction of memory. This is crucial to distinguish between the non-linear narrative and the actual timeline. Essential questions are: What is the timeline of the story? Who manipulates memory? How is it manipulated?

Also, unreliability linked to the mental time travel that as a narrative technique will be looked at. Fowler uses Franz Kafka's "A Report for an Academy" as an intertext in her novel. Passages from the text appear before every chapter and leave a space of interpretation for the reader. The last chapter of this thesis presents a brief analysis of the report, with a special focus on the Ape's memory and how he considers being a human as a way of being free.

Clearly, through a stream of consciousness point of view, it is Rosemary who tells the story. However, her family members had a great impact on her mental health and the way she receives information as a minor. Therefore, it is important to take into consideration whether her memories are intentionally falsified or whether this happens subconsciously. Second, a focus lies on the unreliability of the narrator. The loss of Fern causes traumatic stress responses in the family members. It is particularly Rosemary who suffers from her loss; therefore, her grieving causes her to develop a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Hence, even though she avoids her past, she recalls vivid memories, both good and bad ones. To identify whether she is an unreliable or reliable narrator, certain categories of unreliability as a literary device will be discussed.

To some extent, Fowler puts the audience in a challenging ethical position when revealing why Fern had to be separated from the family. However, the reason is not narrated by Rosemary until the last third of the novel. Therefore, the reader gets an insight into the narrator's psyche to avoid biases against her. Furthermore, the chapter addresses Rosemary's identity crisis and how it affects her role as a narrator. Also, unreliability linked to the mental time travel that as a narrative technique will be looked at.