Modern Social Science Research

The wanderer is not only the image of literature, but also an important symbol of modernity criticism. The image of wanderers in the works of Modiano, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature, deeply reveals the divided and nihilious spiritual world of Parisians after World War II. At present, the analysis and criticism of the image of "wanderer" in Modianos novels are still weak. Starting with Benjamins concept of "wanderer", this paper first analyzes the intrinsic relationship between the concept of "wanderer" and the modern city of Paris, and then explains the key position of the interaction between the image of "wanderer" and Paris in Modianos interview and novel creation. After that, the text starts with the two typical images of "wanderers" in Modianos many novels, and analyzes the performance of the characters wandering behavior and its internal motivation: the nothingness after World War II based on the methods of text close reading and symbolic criticism. With the inner root of nothingness, it reveals the significance of Modianos reflection on modernity by depicting modern peoples memory crisis.

Modiano; A wanderer; Modernity; Nothingness