The Magus

While the novel invites multiple interpretations, one of its central readings is that of an allegory for the search of the true self. Using the trope of the hero’s quest, the narrative shows how Nick battles socially imposed and ego-driven notions about his identity to arrive at a place of emotional honesty. Through Nick’s experiences, the novel examines the quest for an authentic self amid illusions.

Many of Nick’s original notions are presented as illusions, whether in the form of misguided ideas, actual smoke-and-mirrors theatrics, or personas. One such persona is Nick’s portrayal of himself as a sophisticated, distinguished man. When he and Alison meet one of his former college mates, Nick feels this persona is diminished by Alison’s open, Australian manner. Consequently, he makes fun of Alison to the friend, underplaying the seriousness of his feelings for her. Nick’s behavior in this sequence shows his self is still being formed in response to artificial constructs like appearance and status.

Another important aspect of Nick’s false self is his illusion that a true male makes new sexual conquests, which drives him to pursue Julie at the expense of Alison. Nick also harbors the notion that his “real” hypermasculine self is being thwarted by the androgynous values of contemporary society. Thus, he looks for a situation “where a woman was a woman and [he] was obliged to be fully a man” (244). In this context, Julie’s seeming submissiveness has for Nick “all the fascination of an old house after a cramped, anonymous modern flat” (244).

As the preceding quote indicates, Nick is uncomfortable with the ordinariness of modern life, and suffers from the illusion that to be happy he must transport himself into a mythic or literary reality. This is why he frequently thinks of himself as a “Robinson Crusoe” (62) or a “Ulysses” (153) in euphoric moments. The lesson Nick must learn here is that his authentic self lies in his own reality, rather than that of others. To this extent, Conchis’s plays can be seen as a temptation for Nick to lose himself in someone else’s story. Similarly, alter egos like De Deukans and Henrik offer personas that Nick can adopt to navigate existence, while belief systems like Christian devotion or existentialism present scripts that Nick can enact in his own life. Since each of these “masks” ultimately proves dissatisfying or dangerous, the lesson for Nick is that he must create his own myth, his own belief system, his own magical land.

For Nick, that magical land is the ordinary world inhabited by his unmasked self. Nick’s offer of love to Alison in the final chapter reflects his new-found clear-eyed appraisal of himself. Not only does he tell her that he does not have much to offer her, but he is also open about the fact that “If Lily walked down that path behind us and beckoned to me … I don’t know […] she isn’t one girl, but a type of encounter” (678). By referring to Lily as “a type of encounter,” Nick admits to Alison that he may not be able to offer Alison sexual fidelity. It is Alison’s choice now to accept or reject Nick with all his flaws. As Nick’s offer shows, the narrative does not indicate that the true self is necessarily “moral” or perfect; rather, it is self-aware and honest.