An Obscure Man and the concern for the world

Kajsa Andersson

Abstract


An Obscure Man (1982) by Marguerite Yourcenar is a pivotal short novel in her oeuvre. The protagonist, Nathanaël embodies the author’s philosophical ideas, akin to her longer novels like Memoirs of Hadrien and The Abyss. Despite their different eras and lives, Nathanaël, Zénon and Hadrien share a deep concern for the world. Nathanaël’s life, marked by diversity and trials from his birth in Greenwich to various global adventures and encounters with distinct women, reflects themes of human existence, nature, and philosophical inquiry. His death symbolises a nature-led concerto, emphasising Yourcenar’s exploration of the human condition and nature’s role.


Keywords


nature; animals; compassion;adventure; philosophy

References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2025.49.2.35-41
Date of publication: 2025-07-02 14:37:19
Date of submission: 2024-01-18 14:25:42


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