The Complexity of the Personal Narrative
Life, in its essence, is presented as a maze full of unexpected turns, as Michel de Montaigne suggested when compared to a drunkenness that fails to keep his way. This image brings us to the fundamental question: How can we translate our confused memories into a coherent story?
The essence of human experience
The philosopher Gale Strawson argues that the narrative may not be the most effective tool for expressing the past. If our memory is fragmentary, we can ask ourselves: Is it possible to capture human experience in words? Through these questions, Professor Xavier Pla seeks to decipher the biographical genre and its role in the construction of identity.
Xavier Pla’s trip
Pla, an expert in contemporary Catalan literature at the University of Girona, has devoted a decade to the creation of a furtive choir, a thorough biography of Josep Pla. In his speech at La Mercè Cultural Center, Pla raised fundamental issues on how we relate to biographies and the need to relate our lives to validate our existence.
Chekhov’s inspiration and everyday life
In his essay, Pla refers to ‘The student’ by Anton Chekhov, a text that has generated multiple interpretations. From this story, Pla reflects on the nature of the narrative and its ability to reflect human emotions, from melancholy to happiness. Chekhov’s vision of life as an authentic reflection is a starting point for his exploration.
Vicenç Pagès Jordà’s vision
Pla emphasizes the perspective of Vicenç Pagès Jordà, who emphasizes that the true quality of Chekhov lies in his ability to show life as he is. This idea challenges the notion of biography as an artifice, and invites us to consider everyday moments as essential for understanding our existence.
Reflections on the role of biography
As Pla explores the memories of Annie Ernaux and other authors who have addressed the complexity of writing about lives, he asks about the purpose of his own work. The life of Josep Pla, full of contradictions, becomes a mirror for the exploration of personal identity and freedom.
A unfaithful man himself
Pla describes Josep Pla as a ‘unfaithful man himself’, an individual who lived without the moorings of conventional morality. This reflection on the freedom and complexity of human existence is a central aspect in his biography, which challenges genre conventions.
An invitation to reflection
In a world where personal narrative is essential for the construction of identity, the questions raised by Xavier Pla on biographical genre encourage us to reconsider how we explain our lives. The complexity of human experience may not be reduced to a simple story, but its exploration is still a fascinating adventure.
Access to the book
If you wish to deepen these reflections, you can download the e-book here.