Death Drive in Lacan (7) : Between the two deaths

We use the example of Papillon, a 1970's film about the unrelenting escape attempts of Henri Charriere (Steven McQueen), a falsely-accused prisoner who exemplifies the state of existing 'between the two deaths'. The various descriptions that Lacan offers of Antigone in his Seminar VII ("not giving way on her desire", etc.) apply perfectly to Charriere, who, consigned to an existence of social death, pursues his objective of escaping to the very end ("beyond the pleasure principle") and thereby embodies the death drive.

[@Gam1ne]

You're a great lecturer, thank you for this series!

[@Azviz]

I've felt Rust Cohle's character in True Detective S1 perfectly embodies the transition between two deaths. The main character in TD S2 is called Antigone..

[@derekhookonlacan]

Yeah, I think that’s a great example. I’m currently watching season 4. I wonder what we will be able to draw from this one.

[@kahansudev5937]

Hey Derek,
I've just finished watching Breaking Bad and it feels very familiar to the Papillion, in that the protagonist is loyal to his death drive, and ultimately towards a death on "one's own terms,"
My question to you is, is the notion "death on one's own terms" a part of the mechanics of the death drive?

[@peace_cat76]

Found this bit, after your very interesting dive into Antigone:
"...It follows that, when it is fully and consciously assumed, ‘suicide is the only completely succesful act’ (Lacan, 1973a:66-7), since it then expresses completely an intention which is both conscious and unconscious, the conscious assumption of the unconscious death drive (on the other hand, a sudden impulsive suicide attempt is not a true act, but probably a passage to the act). The death drive is thus closely connected with the ethical domain in Lacan’s thought (see the example of Empedocles, E, 104, and Lacan’s discussion of Antigone in S7, ch. 21).
-Dylan Evans, "act" (p 1) An Introductory Dictionary of Lacanian Psychoanalysis (1996 Routledge)

[@derekhookonlacan]

I like the quote. I had come across it before. It offers a finer differentiation than one initially imagines between the consciously assumed act of suicide and the impulsive attempt. Perhaps this is one of those instances when one has to proceed on a case by case basis. Thanks for watching.

[@EMC2Scotia]

Check out the book 'Lacan the Charlatan', which has a fascinating chapter dedicated to the story and life of Dylan Evans before and after he wrote his seminal Lacanian dictionary.

[@darkness2863]

does not Papillon attain 'true freedom' from this process, a return to a more 'original self' untainted by society that existed all along? immeasurably painful as the process may be and disturbing as he may become, isn't that very 'deviation from daily life norms' something that is embedded to our very core but foreclosed by 'necessity' (contemporary society)? may it not be the finalily of some kind of 'true' self-acceptance? the process of traversing the fantasy and ultimately rejecting the fantasy that we meekly depend upon in cruelty/optimism?