Wising up the Marks: The Later Works of William S. Burroughs

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the later works of Williams. Burroughs, focusing on them as they articulate his theories of the individual. Following a brief look at each work (The Wild Boys, Exterminator!, Port of Saints, Cities of the Red Night, The Place of Dead Roads, The Western Lands) is a discussion of Burroughs' concerns about the individual, as expressed in his theories of government, religion, the body, and language. Burroughs instructs individuals, attempting to educate them to all the restraints imposed by society. The overall narrative structure of these six works is also discussed and then related to the theories of the individual expounded in them. The paper argues that the relationship between the theme of the individual and narrative structure is complementary.