Crisis of identity: An existentialist approach to V.S. Naipaul’s A bend in the river

Abstract

The thesis is an attempt to analyze V.S. Naipaul's A Bend in the River in light of an existential anxiety of the protagonist, who moves from one place to another and from one business to another. The main problem of the research is why the protagonist of the novel is not satisfied with what he has and he does, and what he gains by changing his locations and professions. On the basis of the problems, the study proceeded with the objectives to explain why the protagonist is so movable geographically and professionally, and to describe his achievements. Existentialism, particularly the Sartrean view of existentialism, has been used as the tool of analysis. The study has concluded that the protagonist shifts his places and professions just in search of better existence, but ultimately he gains nothing except despair and now here ness.