Résumé:
This research aims to tackle the interplay between fact and fiction in self-writing and
autobiographical accounts in light of Aron Ralston’s autobiographical novel Between a Rock
and a Hard Place (2004). Self-writing, as a literary genre, blurs the boundaries between
objective truth and subjective interpretation, raising questions about the authenticity of
personal narratives. Therefore, this study is an attempt to find answers to vital questions such
as how memory and personal perspective shape the narrative? And can writers genuinely
recount their personal experiences without alterations? Relying on Ralston’s account of his
harrowing experience, while trapped in a remote canyon and being reluctantly forced to take
dire decisions to do the unthinkable, serves as a compelling case study for examining the
construction of selfnarratives. Moreover, by means of a psychoanalytical approach, our paper
shall tackle key notions and crucial theories such as Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction theory
as well as Lacan’s concepts of the self and subjectivity. Additionally, the study examines
Ralston’s use of storytelling techniques, such as vivid descriptions and emotional appeal, to
balance factual accuracy with narrative creativity and reader engagement. Ultimately, this
analysis highlights the dual nature of self-writing, where lived experience and creative
storytelling coexist, contributing to the complexities of representing the self and reality in
literature
