Powerlessness and the individual : an analysis of themes in selected works by Putu Wijaya

Abstract

In this first chapter, I intend to explain in some detail Putu Wijaya's creative framework . Thus in this regard it is far more than a mere biography. No writer operates within a vacuum . Clearly he is influenced by the sum total of all his experiences . Some influence s are stronger, while others are weaker, yet they all play their role in the final product - the work which a writer produces. It is the aim of this chapter to examlne a majority of these influences . Some influences are better left to appropriate sections further in this sub- thesis . Only b y examining the full range of influences, necessarily including his upbringing and achievements, is the full import of a writer able to emerge ; that is, against his creative background.