Literary allusions
The name of the main character in Paul Auster’s novel "Moon Palace" is
Marco Stanley Fogg.This name the author didn’t chose randomly. Its meaning embodies Fogg’s social determination, or at least he assumes that. By referring each part of his name to famous adventurers M.S.Fogg tries to find an explanation to his own identity. He imagines himself as an adventurer whose determination is to make a piece of art out of his life.
Throughout the book his name reminds the reader of Marco's time with his uncle who had been the first one to invent stories about Marco’s name.
Having such an outstanding name he also used to have problems especially in his school years. So he decided to leave just the short form of his name using only his initials, M.S..
In college people pointed out that MS was an illness which results in physical consumption. This can be seen as a metaphor for Marco’s development throughout the book. Several times he manages to overcome his mental consumption, but he always returns to his seemingly predetermined path.
His name as a whole mirrors his character in all its different shades. It shows us his dreamlike, his pessimistic and his vulnerable aspects; introduces us to his inner variety
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