Clock without handsCarson McCullers y el compromiso existencial con la realidad

Abstract

This paper is a study of the thematic aspects that make Clock Without Hands different from Carson Mc Cullers' previous novels and place it in the tradition of existentialist philosophy and literature. In McCullers' last novel the problem of personal identity is solved when the individual accepts the full responsibility of his freedom, makes an ethical choice and commits himself to a world he shares with his fellow humans. Two characters, Malone and Jester, are studied in detail, because the existential dilemmas are especially embodied in them. The paper concludes with an attempt to elucidate the reasons why this most optimistic of McCullers' novels has more'flaws in construction and characterization than any of those which preceded it.