Defying the “nemo” : breaking conventional boundaries in john fowles' the collector

Abstract EN

This paper deals with the journey taken by the characters and the author in John Fowles' The Collector to overcome the “nemo, ” an important philosophical concept in Fowles' The Aristos.

The “conventional boundaries” referred to in the title are what Sartre refers to as “bad faith” which means the choice of following the traditional conception of meaning created by the herd and adverting the opportunity of embracing one's freedom in spite of the meaningless of existence to create an authentic self.

The nemo is the anguish that comes as a result of that challenge of choice imposed on the individual, and the latter can only overcome it by embracing its frustrating effect rather than finding ways to rid himself of that anguish.

However, even when the characters face a lack of success in overcoming the nemo, it only leads to an appealing balance of the text's structure with its content.

Without this balance, Fowles would have failed his own conception of “good art.

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