One Minute Of Proust: Albertine

The narrator in Proust's novel,

In Search of Lost Time,

Is a complex and multifaceted character who serves as the voice and lens through which the story is told.

Although the narrator's name is never explicitly given,

He is widely assumed to be a semi-autobiographical representation of Proust himself.

Throughout the novel,

The narrator is preoccupied with questions of memory,

Identity,

And the nature of human relationships.

His relationship with Albertine,

A young woman he meets and falls in love with in the course of the narrative,

Becomes a central focus of the later books in the series.

Albertine is initially presented as a somewhat enigmatic and mysterious figure,

And the narrator's feelings towards her are complex and conflicted.

As the relationship progresses,

The narrator becomes increasingly possessive and jealous of Albertine,

And begins to suspect her of having past relationships with other women.

Despite the narrator's attempts to control and possess her,

However,

Albertine remains something of an enigma,

And her true feelings and motivations are never entirely clear.

Her eventual death,

Which occurs offstage and is only hinted at in the text,

Becomes a pivotal moment in the narrative,

As the narrator reflects on the fleeting nature of human relationships and the inevitability of loss.

Overall,

The relationship between the narrator and Albertine is a complex and multifaceted one,

And serves as a lens through which Proust explores a wide range of themes and questions about the nature of human experience.