The terrorist attacks on American soil of 11 September 2001 have reminded people how easily they can be submitted to the will of the other. This article will analyse how literature, and more particularly post-9/11 literature, deals with a new world order where the self seems to have become subjected to terrorism, being today its potential victim rather than a subject. More precisely, how have American novelists dealt with the demise of the sovereign self after the attacks of 11 September 2001 and what is the role played by memory? Focusing on Falling Man (2007) by Don DeLillo, this article will demonstrate the importance of art and literature to fight against the demise of the sovereign self.

2001年9月11日在美国领土上发生的恐怖袭击提醒人们，如何轻易地服从对方的意愿。本文将分析文学，尤其是9/11之后的文学如何应对一种新的世界秩序，在这个世界秩序中，自我似乎已经遭受了恐怖主义的威胁，今天它已成为恐怖主义的潜在受害者，而不是一个主题。更准确地说，在2001年9月11日袭击之后，美国小说家如何应对主权自我的灭亡，记忆的作用是什么？本文以唐·德利洛（Don DeLillo）的《堕落的人》（Falling Man，2007）为重点，展示了艺术和文学对于对抗主权自我灭亡的重要性。