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Review Of Richard E.Goodkin, The Symbolist Home And The Tragic Home: Mallarmé And Oedipus, Marshall C. Olds

French Language and Literature Papers

In this comparative study, it is Richard E. Goodkin's subtly argued project to discuss dramatic tragedy and poetic symbolism as two responses to the problem of establishing what is most human in language, what Goodkin calls home. To be sure, Heidegger lies behind part of the author's development of this image. Yet, the principal force of the metaphor comes from a close reading of the texts under study, where the concept of home is tied to human attempts to exceed human limits, leading to self-recognition. Thus, he brings together tragedy and symbolism and shows their common vocabulary and concerns.