Abstract: Truman Capote is a famous American writer. As Truman Capote’s first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms has drawn great attention for its autobiographical plot and offbeat Gothic style. Grotesque scenes, awkward circumstance, personality disordered characters，all these features coincide with Sartrean Existentialism in the concept of “absurdity” and “nothingness”. What’s more, the metaphor-symbol in this novel, that is, a boy’s search for his father, is a symbol of a journey searching for self-identity, is similar with the “free choice” advocated by Sartre in the most essential sense. This dissertation will interpret the novel from existential perspective，so as to reveal its existentialism-oriented philosophical meaning, probe the significance and essence of human existence, and try to extend the horizon of the study on Truman Capote.

Key words:  existentialism; absurdity; freedom; alienation; responsibility

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 An Introduction to Truman Capote-1

1.2 About Other Voices, Other Rooms-2

2. Literature Review-3

3. Sartrean Existentialism-5

3.1 Existence and Absurdity-6

3.2 Freedom and Responsibility-7

4. Existentialist Interpretation of Other Voices, Other Rooms-8

4.1 Absurdity in Joel’s World-9

4.1.1 Alienation-10

4.1.2 Conflicts-12

4.2 Joel’s Freedom and Responsibility-15

4.2.1Anxiety to Freedom-15

4.2.2 Freedom to Choice-16

4.2.3 Responsibility to Freedom-19

5. Conclusion-20

References