The Myth of Murray in The Emperor’s Children

In Claire Messud’s The Emperor’s Children, the themes of perception versus reality for Murray Thwaite are particularly central to the story. These themes are analyzed through views of Marina Thwaite, Bootie, Roanne, and Murray himself by using the theoretical lenses of Guy Debord, Friedrich Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, and Ferdinand de Saussure. The ideas of signs and signification, as well as the idea of truth and myths, play a large role in...