V: Marginalised Flaneurs in Venice in the Works of Mann, Winterson and Ishiguro

Abstract

This essay traces the forking paths of the three fictional flaneurs who are deemed to be either innate marginals or to become marginals while wandering in the narrow, maze- like streets and canals of Venice. The fictional flaneurs are T. Mann's Gustav von Aschenbach, J. Winterson's Villanelle and K. Ishiguro's protagonist- narrator, Janeck. All the three protagonists of the selected works experience the extremes of marginality in Venice. Among the three, Gustav von Aschenbach has a distinct place for he starts out in Death in Venice as a distinguished German writer with an international reputation. Ishiguro's protagonist in "Crooner," however, is a young Polish guitarist who is trying to earn a living as a street musician in Venice. Jan assists various bands with his guitar whenever extra help is needed to entertain the tourists in Piazza San Marco. Unlike the mentioned two characters, Winterson's Villanelle in The Passion is a local Venetian, a young woman with webbed- feet. Born as the daughter of a Venetian boatman, she can walk on water as the legend concerning the Venetian boatmen goes. Winterson's magical realistic touch introduces Villanelle as a fantastic figure as opposed to the realistic portrayal of the other two main characters. This essay traces these three protagonists' saunterings in Venice and seeks answers to questions such as the following: which features of Venice lead these authors to choose Venice as their setting? How does the so- called "fairytale city" push the three protagonists into the borders of marginality? Do the selected authors treat the city as an anthropomorphic character who can reshape the nature of its dwellers or visitors, and can control their actions and fates? Are there any parallels between the mindscapes of the characters and the cityscape? The theoretical frame of the article draws largely on the works of urban writers, theorists and literary critics. © Peter Lang AG 2021.