Individual and Society: The Crisis of Modernity in Paul Auster's Leviathan

Peiqi Wang

International Journal of Literature, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies, 2026, vol. 2, issue 1, 27-32

Abstract: American writer Paul Auster's novel Leviathan revolves around the life trajectory of the protagonist Benjamin Sachs. It tells the story of a promising novelist who gradually transforms into the "Phantom of Liberty" under the combined impacts of political oppression, the trauma of the Vietnam War, and pervasive social hypocrisy. By destroying replicas of the Statue of Liberty, Sachs attempts to express his questioning of the U.S. government and his discontent with the contradictions of modern society. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman's theory of liquid modernity, this article analyzes the alienation of individuals, the fragmentation of social bonds, and the crisis of cultural identity reflected in the novel. It further explores how fluid, unstable social structures intensify insecurity, moral ambiguity, and the erosion of stable identities. Through an in-depth reading of Leviathan, the paper reveals the tensions between personal freedom and social control, as well as between ethical responsibility and political violence. By examining the crisis of modernity embodied in Sachs's choices and ultimate fate, the study urges contemporary society to re-examine the relationship between the individual and the collective, and to seek a more humanistic, inclusive, and dialogic social model capable of responding to the multiple challenges of modern life.

Keywords: paul auster; leviathan; modernity; alienation; cultural identity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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