Out Of The Dark Symbolism Essay

Patrick Modiano relies heavily on symbols throughout Out of the Dark. Some of these symbols are quite obvious, like the use of the clock, while others are more subtle. These more subtle symbols normally double as plot devices. As the symbols, and the details surrounding them, progress through the book, they get increasingly more interesting. Drugs also play a huge role in the book, especially how they are presented to the senses. Through Out of the Dark, both the drugs and their representation change.
When the narrator first meets Jacqueline, she is smoking. The narrator describes her as "absently, smoking a cigarette...and said in her slightly gravelly voice" (pg. 21-22). This is quite odd considering that she wasn't mentioned coughing and
Modiano realizes this, and uses it to his full advantage. This creates an interesting effect, one that propagates the importance of symbolism and imagery. It is not perfect, though. Sometimes the nuances are dug so deep into the text that it requires two or three readings to understand. Without the proper mindset, Out of the Dark seems to be a well written book with a laughable lack of plot and unlikable characters. As one of Modiano's later books, it could even be seen as a bad attempt at a money grab. This is, however, a horrible misunderstanding. Just because the symbols are well hidden doesn't mean they aren't there. It's nuanced nature makes it easy to dismiss, and haphazard style lends itself to criticism, but at this time it also key to remember that it was written in a culture much different than the anglophone one most readers of the translation were used to. When Modiano won the Nobel prize in 2008, he was virtually unknown outside of France, despite having a relatively large French following. His other novels are similar in writing and plot style, one not uncommon in that part of the world. It is sometimes refreshing to read a genuinely interesting book that doesn't necessarily follow normal