ESC: English Studies in Canada

“ T r u st M e “ : R e sp o n d i n g t o t h e T h r e a t o f W r i t i n g i n Chorus of M ushrooms St e v e M c C u l l o u g h D a l h o u si e U n i v e r si t y E x c l u d e d f r o m Pl a t o ’s r e p u b l ic an d fr o m J.L . A u st in ’s t h eo r y o f p er fo r m at i v e sp eech act s, fi ct i o n ali t y h as b een seen as a t h r eat fo r as lon g as t h er e h ave b een cr it ical d eb at es ab ou t lit er at u r e. T r en d s in recen t p h ilo so p h y h ave exacer b at ed t r ad it ion al an xiet ies over t h e falseh oo d or so p h i st r y im p li cit in lit er ar y lan gu age b y su ggest in g t h at t h e con t in gen t w o r d p lay o f ar t is in fact t h e gen er al case, an d t h at n ot ion s o f t h e n eces­ sit y an d t r u t h o f n o n -li t er ar y lan gu age ar e a d u b iou s con st r u ct ion w it h in a gen er al econ om y o f fiction alit y. N o t h eor ist h as been m or e associat ed w it h t h e exp lor at ion o f t h ese ver t igin o u s n ot ion s t h an Jean -Fr an çois Lyot ar d . H is r ep o r t on k n ow led ge in t h e p o st -i n d u st r i al W est , T h e P o st m o d er n C o n d i t i o n , r em ain s a sem in al exp lor at ion o f t h e p lu r alit y an d con t in gen cy o f p o st m o d er n t h ou gh t , ch ar act er ist ics t h at ar e co n sp icu o u sly sh ar ed b y H ir o m i G o t o ’s n ovel C h o r u s o f M u sh r o o m s. G o t o ’s b o ok exem p li fies in l i t er ar y fo r m b o t h t h e p o ssi b i l it i es an d t h e an xi et i es o f a p o st m o d er n visio n o f fict i on in w h ich issu es o f reali t y an d fact icit y t ak e secon d p lace to h er m en eu t ic or exp er ien t ial t r u t h valu es. L yot ar d ’s in sist en ce on p ar alo gy an d at t en d in g t o t r u t h on an in d ivid u al, local scale fin d s deft in st an t iat ion in G o t o ’s n ar r...