I have been serving up stories to some sort of public, and in these stories I have, I know, laid myself bare - to the point of non-recognition. I live, not with my own story, but just with those parts of it that I have been able to put to literary use. Whole areas are missing: my father, my brother, my sister. Last year my sister died. I was disturbed to realize that I knew so much about her and yet had written none of it. It is not even true that I have always described just myself. I have never described myself. I have only betrayed myself.
In the quote from Max Frisch's book "Montauk," the author reflects on his writing journey and the personal stories he has shared through his narratives. He acknowledges that in exposing his experiences, he has often veiled his true self, opting to highlight only fragments suitable for storytelling. This selective representation leaves significant aspects of his life, including key family relationships, unaddressed and unacknowledged.
Frisch expresses a poignant realization following his sister's death, emphasizing the disconnect between his literary output and his genuine experiences. Despite knowing much about her, he regrets not having captured those memories in his writing. Ultimately, he recognizes that instead of truly documenting his identity, he has merely betrayed himself by avoiding authenticity in his portrayals.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
