"I also had this mistaken dream, fantasy really - perhaps because I'm good at languages - of being able in both Italy and France to become someone else through my fluency in the language"

In this quote, Harry Mathews expresses a naïve fantasy of being able to adopt a brand-new identity through his efficiency in foreign languages. He speaks of a mistaken dream, acknowledging that ending up being somebody else through language fluency is not a possible and practical aspiration. Mathews claims that his skill in languages provided him some delusional hope that he might authentically immerse himself in a brand-new culture and efficiently communicate as if he were a native. Mathews acknowledges the value of language and its impact on identity however confesses that language alone can not alter who he essentially is. His quote highlights the appeal of language and the effective effect it has on our understanding of self and others.