چكيده
The French philosopher and sociologist Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) developed the concept of Hyperreality and suggested that today the reality turns to simulated reality thorough the four-stepped simulation process. It is more vivid in postmodern literature and media. Hyperreality would gradually makes people to be confused and everything will lose its own identity, originality and essence. Hyperreality is a representation, a sign, without an original referent. It is a semiotic concept. It consists of creating a symbol or set of signifiers which represent something that does not exist. Among the American postmodern authors, Paul Auster (1947- 2024) who spent some years in France, was mostly influenced by Jean Baudrillard and his theories specially Simulation and Hyperreality. Timbuktu (1999) is the story about a man, Willy G. Christmas, and his loyal dog, Mr. Bones. The story is told from the dog’s point of view. Both characters had ongoing quest for life and true identity. The term ‘identity’ which indicates ‘individuality’ has lost its meaning in the postmodern hyperreal world. Willy did not have the feeling of a past beautiful life than the present due to the unfulfilled desires in his life. The novel illustrates Hyperreality through the introduction of media, Americanism, and dreams. The symbolic relationship between Willy and Mr. Bones represents the connection between reality and dreams. It is impossible to recognize whether Mr. Bones is an imaginary dog or a real creature as he can think, read and dream. Actually, the author’s goal is to blur the lines between the real and the unreal, making it challenging for the reader to differentiate between reality and simulated reality. Hyperreality pulls us further away from the real world, ultimately causing the "death" of reality. In our current age of simulation, reality is not just shared and communicated but also manipulated, fabricated, and simulated. Throughout the novel, Hyperreality is frequently evident.
