CHARACTER DESIGN IN RELATION TO LANDSCAPE AND TIME DIMENSIONS IN HENDERSON THE RAIN KING BY SAUL BELLOW

Abstract

This article analyses aspects of character design in Saul Bellow’s novel Henderson the Rain King. It focuses on the association of space and specific moments in time and highlights the use of landscape structures in important moments of the book, aiming to explore the evolution of the central character. The overall discussion of the relationship between character development and landscape patterns uses Bakhtin’s idea of chronotope and identifies several significant moments in the economy of the book that are relevant to the construction of the main character. On the whole, this article was inspired by Saul Bellow’s recurrent and energetic attempts to rescue, throughout his writing activity, that part of the traditional novel which is centered around a problematic hero.