ALIENATION AND EXISTENTIALISM IN SAUL BELLOW'S FICTION

The aim of this study is to examine existential themes in Saul Bellow's fiction. As this is a source study, Part One is devoted to a detailed examination of the existentialist tradition, focusing on those European philosophers and writers who have had a major influence on his fiction. As Bellow is a Jewish-American author, it also deals with Jewish aspects of alienation. Part Two examines the literary expression of alienation and existential themes in Bellow's fiction. It demonstrates how the author has been influenced by the European philosophers Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Sartre as well as the authors Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. It also shows the organic tie of Bellow's themes to the characterization, style, form and content in his novels.