“Portrait Narratives” explores how authors have crafted identity through literary portraiture, revealing much about both the subject and the society in which they were created. This comprehensive analysis examines techniques used to shape character perceptions and convey cultural meanings. Literary portraits, it argues, are active constructions reflecting individual subjectivity and social ideologies. For instance, the book delves into how physical descriptions, inner monologues, and social interactions are employed to construct character, further exploring how unreliable narrators can skew these portraits, revealing more about themselves.
The book traces the evolution of literary portraiture from ancient texts to modern novels, highlighting changes in style and purpose. It analyzes how portraits reflect societal values, biases, and power dynamics, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between literature, identity, and history. Through close readings of literary texts and historical research, the book progresses by first introducing literary portraiture and its historical development, with later chapters analyzing specific works across periods and genres. It concludes by discussing the implications of these portraits for understanding identity formation and social justice.
