The “eternal irony” of literature: Attempted definitions of self-narration and inappropriate mixings

Abstract

In this paper, I am interested in self-narration, the possibilities of defining it, and its relation to literature, arguing that these issues are indeed political. In examining definitions of self-narration, I find that their criteria are not limited to writing, and that these attempts at definition have to do with the broader need to distinguish between genres and to not mix them. To understand why this is particularly critical in the case of self-narration, I consider incest as a primary forbidden mixing. I then turn to critical readings of Antigone to talk about binaries, borders, crossings, and transgressions.