Abstract
Writing as a form of information technology has historically inspired suspicion, mistrust and downright hostility. This essay considers the recent (re)conception of writing as a cognitive artefact, assisting in the mind's extension into the world. The discussion focuses on two of Beckett's 'writing-oriented' novels, Malone dies and How It Is, and applies the Extended Mind (EM) thesis to the most revealing and forcible episodes of inscription in each work. Although Beckett abjures the benefits that cognitive extension can bring, reading these two novels in this light can elucidate both the potential applications and the pressure-points of the EM thesis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 138-149 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Samuel Beckett Today - Aujourd'hui |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Keywords
- Extended Mind
- Extortion
- Kafka
- Modernism
- Selfhood
- Writing