Portrayal of the Self in Charles Bukowski's Autobiographical Fiction:

Abstract

Autobiographical novels rose to prominence in postmodern literature. Henry Charles Bukowski is one of the postmodern writers who excelled at using this type. The German-American novelist described key events of his daily life through the eyes of his alter ego and protagonist, Henry Chinaski, also known as Hank. Many of Bukowski's writings include the character as a protagonist. This thesis sheds light on two of the author's prominent works, Women (1978) and Ham on Rye (1982). This research, which employs a psychoanalytic approach, demonstrates the various ways the character represents and reflects the author's personality and views in both novels. Moreover, it looks at the author's early experiences and childhood traumas and how they molded his personality and affected his writing. Coming to the point of how the character's dramatic life, as well as that of the author, can be temporarily relieved by drinking, fighting, making love and most importantly, writing.