Selvbiografi som en performativ akt. En undersøgelse af Leonora Christina Skovs selvbiografiske romaner

Samenvatting

The aim of the article is to examine the self-creation process depicted in Leonora Christina Skov’s two autobiographical novels (Den, der lever stille [2018], Hvis vi ikke taler om det [2021]). The theory underlying this analysis is that autobiographical acts are in their essence more performative than constative. Following the post-structuralists claims, the study assumes that an autobiographical project consists in (re)creating the author's self rather than reflecting them as a pre-existing individual. Furthermore, self-narration will be considered here as necessary in the process of identity formation just as it is stated in Lacan’s identity theory. Such a project of (re)making oneself through self-narration is taken in Skov’s novels and its structure consists of three main phases. The first concerns processing the childhood traumas as well as fighting for independence as an individual. The second involves delivering a specific model of oneself through the text production. The third consists of making corrections in the previously made self-portrayal (and thus placing the identity formation in a state of constant motion). The novels’ main character’s striving to take control over the narrative of her life resonates perfectly with the trends of our time, where identity is often demonstrated as an ongoing process of portraying oneself through various media.