... the reader discovers more about the narrator as he recounts and regains his memories. The 'waking up' of the reader to the narrator's self is also mirrored in an awakening to the readers own self by experiencing the narrators aesthetic adventure through it. The principle concerns throughout 'Combray' are universal, such as memory and its relationship with imagination and the present self. When the narrator is regaining his memories, his idea of self and identity becomes stronger until eventually the reader comes to recognise him as 'Marcel'. In this sense, one is defined by one's memories and past therefore memories and experiences are essential in defining one's present physical and emotional states. The key sentence of the first section illustrates an essential notion; 'Un homme qui dort, tient en cercle autour de lui de fils des heures, l'ordre des années et des mondes. Il les consulte d'instinct en s'éveillant et ...

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