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1981
The Short Story and Ecology
  • ISSN: 2043-0701
  • E-ISSN: 2043-071X

Abstract

Anthony Burgess’s short story ‘The Endless Voyager’ takes the reader on a whirlwind journey around the world. However, like the story’s main character, Norbert Paxton, the reader never seems to arrive anywhere. This postmodern short story flips the legend of the Flying Dutchman on its head, encouraging the reader to test the limits of their understanding of nationalism and citizenship and contemplate this work of fiction in a metatextual way. The present study will begin with a discussion of Burgess’s understanding of the purpose of art, followed by an analysis of the story, focusing on intertextual and intermedial references. Finally, the impact these references may have on reader reception will be examined, which will ultimately lead to a consideration of the story’s brevity and of the question of freedom for the characters, the author and the story’s readers.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • University of Angers’s Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Literary and Linguistic Heritage (Award CIRPaLL, EA7457)
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2024-10-28
2026-04-21

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