Cities of the Red Night: Inscribing William Burroughs in the Carnivalesque Tradition

Abstract

This article analyzes the subversive literary techniques employed by William Burroughs and their alignment with post-structuralist literary theory. The paper argues that Burroughs' work challenges conventional notions of realism, representation, and language, inviting readers to question fundamental concepts such as illusion, reality, time, space, control, and freedom. The article explores Burroughs' deep concern with individual freedom from external control and internal need, stemming from his experiences as a drug addict. It demonstrates how Burroughs uses these experiences metaphorically to critique situations where individuals lack control. The study examines Burroughs' development of techniques like 'cut-up,' 'fold-in,' and 'splice-in,' which he used to create intertextuality and challenge authorial authority. The paper also investigates Burroughs' later works, such as Cities of the Red Night, where he adopts a more traditional narrative structure while still maintaining his subversive themes. This work investigates the significance of Burroughs' contributions to literary theory and his place within the carnivalesque tradition.

The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)