Identity

The novel explores questions of identity via Monk’s complex relationship with his novel My Pafology. At the start of Erasure, Monk introduces himself as a writer. However, because he is “severely put off by any story which [has] as its main character a writer,” he also claims to be, “if not instead, then in addition,” “a son, a brother, a fisherman, an art lover, a woodworker” (1). Over the course of the chapters that follow, Monk’s character does take shape in these various forms. His frequent musings on fishing and woodworking convey his attachment to these alternate hobbies and artforms. His evolving relationships with his sister, mother, and brother capture his identity in the context of his family. His perpetual musings on art and artistry capture his overarching love for visual art and literary form. However, Monk’s first person narration proves that he takes...