The window motif in John Fowles’s fiction of 1960–1970s

Abstract

The forms of realization, functions and significance of the window motif, which constantly appears in the description of the protagonist’s living space, are examined on the basis of four novels by John Fowles. It is noted that the following properties of this architectural element have a significant status: 1) the possibility or impossibility of seeing something through the window and the visibility level; 2) the natural (sea, river, garden) or urban space outside the window; 3) the open or closed position of the window, i.e., the ability to transmit sounds and smells in addition to light, and to provide tactile sensations from the touch of natural elements. The visual position of the narrator is significant as well. It has been revealed that the described space outside the window often performs a psychological function, and the window becomes a figurative correlate of the perception channels. The window turns out to be a meeting place of consciousness and reality and is associated with the development of the initiation and creativity themes.