John Simson, Apothecary: Immortality and the Psychoanalytic Account of Culture1

The tomb of an obscure seventeenth-century apothecary, neither magnificent nor conventionally beautiful, testifies to loss, invoking a wealth of signifying practices to memorialise its subject. But immortality is not an option; death is real. In place of eternal life, however, the monument presents...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEtudes anglaises Vol. 55; no. 3; p. 262
Main Author Belsey, Catherine
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Paris Éditions Klincksieck 01.07.2002
Subjects
Culture
Literary criticism
Psychoanalysis
Simpson, John (author)
Tombs
Writers
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Summary:The tomb of an obscure seventeenth-century apothecary, neither magnificent nor conventionally beautiful, testifies to loss, invoking a wealth of signifying practices to memorialise its subject. But immortality is not an option; death is real. In place of eternal life, however, the monument presents a cultural "text" which at once alludes to absence and promises pleasure. Memorial sculpture thus constitutes a paradigm instance of culture as psychoanalysis defines it. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0014-195X
1965-0159