Utopias frequently fail to materialize because of the constraints inherent in each society. Yet, by unveiling human beings’ essential needs in society, not limiting it to the very essential needs of life, envisioning a feasible utopia can happen in practice. This paper critically examines how Paul Auster’s utopian impulse in The Brooklyn Follies provides an image of the ideal place regarding individual calm and communal well-being, highlighting the existential authenticity it can bestow upon humanity. In this sense, this study concentrates on Auster’s conception of the “Hotel Existence”, well-developed throughout the novel, as a metaphor for connecting individual serenity with communal welfare. By exploring the dimensions of Auster’s rural and urban utopias in his Brooklyn novel – each imbued with civil tolerance and diversity – this paper examines how the novel portrays Brooklyn as an idealized living space that represents the alternative United States that could exist in Auster’s parallel words.
Haj'jari,M. (2025). The “Hotel Existence” A Critical Examination of the Concept of Utopia in Paul Auster’s The Brooklyn Follies. Qualitative Inquiry as Praxis in L2 Studies, 1(1), 158-174. doi: 10.22034/quipls.2025.2061779.1009
MLA
Haj'jari,M. . "The “Hotel Existence” A Critical Examination of the Concept of Utopia in Paul Auster’s The Brooklyn Follies", Qualitative Inquiry as Praxis in L2 Studies, 1, 1, 2025, 158-174. doi: 10.22034/quipls.2025.2061779.1009
HARVARD
Haj'jari M. (2025). 'The “Hotel Existence” A Critical Examination of the Concept of Utopia in Paul Auster’s The Brooklyn Follies', Qualitative Inquiry as Praxis in L2 Studies, 1(1), pp. 158-174. doi: 10.22034/quipls.2025.2061779.1009
CHICAGO
M. Haj'jari, "The “Hotel Existence” A Critical Examination of the Concept of Utopia in Paul Auster’s The Brooklyn Follies," Qualitative Inquiry as Praxis in L2 Studies, 1 1 (2025): 158-174, doi: 10.22034/quipls.2025.2061779.1009
VANCOUVER
Haj'jari M. The “Hotel Existence” A Critical Examination of the Concept of Utopia in Paul Auster’s The Brooklyn Follies. quipls, 2025; 1(1): 158-174. doi: 10.22034/quipls.2025.2061779.1009
Qualitative Inquiry as Praxis in L2 Studies