Memory and Identity in The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Abstract

In his novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), Neil Gaiman has succeeded in telling another spellbinding ―fairy-tale‖ for adults. It is unique among Gaiman‘s novels, as it features a child protagonist and his specific worldview. Despite being a fantasy novel, with a narrative filled with magic and wonder, it tells the traumatic tale of memory, identity, self-sacrifice, and survival. It portrays the essential role of memory as a coping mechanism, necessary for survival, and the ways in which childhood occurrences ultimately shape the adult‘s identity. This article aims to address and analyse the identity formation and the role of the memory in this process in The Ocean at the End of the Lane, through the lens of memory studies, and structuralist theory.