The External and The Internal of Individual Both Subjectively and Objectively Make an Everlasting Connection Between Individuals

This paper explores how individuals are perpetually interconnected through both subjective and objective dimensions, as illustrated in Jeanette Winterson’s The PowerBook and Ali Smith’s Hotel World. By employing a non-linear narrative structure, both novels present fragmented yet interwoven stories that highlight the inescapable ties between individuals and society. Drawing on Lacan’s concept of the “Other,” the analysis demonstrates that social and historical contexts objectively bind individuals within a symbolic order, while media, memory, and emotional experiences subjectively reinforce these connections. The paper argues that whether through external social forces or internal emotional drives, individuals consistently function as both protagonists in their own narratives and supporting characters in the lives of others. Ultimately, the study concludes that human existence is fundamentally communal, sustained through continuous interaction between the self and the Other.

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Publication Details

Journal
Humanities and Social Science Research
Published
2025-09-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n5p73
Primary Topic
Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, and Politics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The External and The Internal of Individual Both Subjectively and Objectively Make an Everlasting Connection Between Individuals

Xiang Li
Humanities and Social Science Research
Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, and Politics
article

The External and The Internal of Individual Both Subjectively and Objectively Make an Everlasting Connection Between Individuals

Xiang Li
article en

Abstract

This paper explores how individuals are perpetually interconnected through both subjective and objective dimensions, as illustrated in Jeanette Winterson’s The PowerBook and Ali Smith’s Hotel World. By employing a non-linear narrative structure, both novels present fragmented yet interwoven stories that highlight the inescapable ties between individuals and society. Drawing on Lacan’s concept of the “Other,” the analysis demonstrates that social and historical contexts objectively bind individuals within a symbolic order, while media, memory, and emotional experiences subjectively reinforce these connections. The paper argues that whether through external social forces or internal emotional drives, individuals consistently function as both protagonists in their own narratives and supporting characters in the lives of others. Ultimately, the study concludes that human existence is fundamentally communal, sustained through continuous interaction between the self and the Other.

Humanities and Social Science ResearchVol. 8(5)
Education and Early Childhood Development (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, and Politics
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