THEMATIC INVESTIGATIONS OF POLITICS AND SPIRITUALITY IN LEONARD COHEN’S BEAUTIFUL LOSERS AND THE FAVOURITE GAME

Abstract

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the political and spiritual implications in Leonard Cohen's novels "Beautiful Losers" and "The Favourite Game." The paper aims to explore how these two seminal works of Canadian literature engage with the complexities of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning, weaving together the personal, the political, and the spiritual dimensions of the human experience. Through a comparative approach, the paper examines the thematic and stylistic similarities and differences between the two novels, highlighting how "Beautiful Losers" delves into the tensions between Quebec and the rest of Canada, the colonial legacy, and the challenges to dominant societal norms, while also exploring spirituality and the concept of the "beautiful loser." Similarly, "The Favourite Game" grapples with the power dynamics and societal divisions within Montreal's bilingual landscape, as well as the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and engagement with unconventional spiritual practices. The paper ultimately argues that both novels share a fundamental concern with the ways in which the personal, the political, and the spiritual intersect, inviting readers to consider alternative understandings of the human experience.