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Labyrinths in Postmodernism: Danielewski, Pynchon, and Wallace
Šosterič, Teja ; Roraback, Erik Sherman (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
This thesis explores the labyrinthine nature of three primary texts: Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. Various labyrinthine features of the novels, such as labyrinthine narrative, language, structure on the page and labyrinths as a plot element are discussed to determine the extent to which these novels resemble mazes. Also considered are the choices readers make when reading forking, labyrinthine narratives and the level to which they become participants in guiding the narrative. Furthermore, the thesis explores what postmodern labyrinthine novels have to say about the society and our contemporary understanding of material reality. It discusses the reasons behind the shift to the increasingly complex and more sinister multicursal labyrinths that are predominant in our time, which are indicative of a crisis in society caused by excessive individualism. While the primary focus is on the aforementioned three novels, the thesis also includes other media and other forms of labyrinthine narratives to show the diversity of the form and the prevalence of mazes in our time, as well as to discuss the development of the mazy form in the future.
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Incest in the Nineteenth Century American Literature
Gudkov, Danila ; Robbins, David Lee (advisor) ; Quinn, Justin (referee)
The subject of this BA thesis is social and political reasons behind the incest fascination in 19th century America. My aim is to investigate the surprisingly common details prevalent in this area of American literature and to find and explain reasons behind their presence. In such stories, due to the fathers' infidelity a young man or women eventually end up in a situation of nearly committing incest with either their father or their own half sibling. Afterwards, the realization of said fact causes misery and often death to both parties involved. The mother's presence plays no role in this kind of novels, as she is either narratively absent or outright dead. This thesis will attempt to prove that abovementioned scenario is not merely a way to attract fame and riches but the representation of fears that plagued the population of New World. The works which will be discussed are Alice Doane's Appeal by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Marian and Lydia, Mentoria; or The young lady's friend by Mrs. Rowson, Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, Pierre, or the Ambiguities, Herman Melville, The Power of Sympathy:or, the Triumph of Nature by William Hill Brown and Louisa May Alcott's The Marble Woman, or the Mysterious Model. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction in which I...
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Emerson's Self-reliance as a Core Value of American Society
Zeimannová, Adéla ; Robbins, David Lee (advisor) ; Roraback, Erik Sherman (referee)
From the time of the establishment of American society till now, themes of self-reliance and freedom belong to the most recognized values of the U.S. Studies have shown that the values of American society, even though they adapted to political and sociological changes, share a common base with their original form. This thesis researches specifically the role of self-reliance in relation to an American essayist, writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, and his direct influence in establishing self-reliance along with freedom and individualism as one of the main values of American society. This study aims to determine how Emerson's theory of self-reliance and his ideology influence the thinking of modern America, and whether the values cultivated by him are still present in modern U.S. society. The focus of this research lies primarily on how Emerson's ideology has implanted into the minds of Americans from the time of the changing nineteenth century American society, and the birth of this ideology, to its present-day significance in modern-day America. The main source of Emerson's thinking and refinement of his theory of self-reliance is his essay entitled "Self-reliance," in which he defines his theory. His other works, primarily his other essays, Nature, "History," and his sermons and journals...
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The Function of Paranoia in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow
Burleson, Jason ; Roraback, Erik Sherman (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
(EN) The present MA thesis focuses on the function of paranoia found in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. Pynchon's novel is routinely considered one of the finest pieces of American fiction to emerge after World War II and no discussion of this book can avoid the topic of paranoia. Its usage dates back to the time of Hippocrates and, after centuries of addition, the term paranoia is no longer confined to the medical community. After entering popular usage there is no consensus as to how this term is defined. It now possesses a sort of freedom that Pynchon routinely exploits. Paranoia resists isolation in this text. The specific approach to understanding its function is dependent on three parts. First, the reader must identify the countless forms of paranoia spread throughout Gravity's Rainbow. Next, one must understand why a specific example from the novel represents a form of paranoia in Pynchon's fictional world. Finally, the reader must recognize why an isolated form of paranoia is present and what Pynchon hopes to achieve through its presentation. The paranoia found in Gravity's Rainbow has no fixed meaning. This is a conscious decision on the part of Pynchon and its central goal is to destabilize the entire narrative, which is a central part of paranoia's immense power regularly employed....
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Pragmatic Method, Transformation, Perspectivism, and Individualism: The Cornerstone of Pragmatism Laid by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ľuba, Peter ; Robbins, David Lee (advisor) ; Roraback, Erik Sherman (referee)
This BA thesis aims to investigate the sources and correspondences between the philosophical work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and philosophy of pragmatism. Emerson, as one of the chief figures of American philosophy, laid the cornerstone of pragmatic method of thinking which later became further developed by philosophers such as Richard Bernstein, John Dewey, Sidney Hook, Richard Poirier, Richard Rorty, and William James, among others. The main aim of this thesis is to compare the thoughts of these thinkers to those of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who either directly or indirectly precedes them; and additionally to determine whether these reflections are only correspondences, or whether Emerson was a direct source. This thesis examines four main signs of pragmatic method of thinking, and each of these signs has its own chapter. Chapter 2 explores the Pragmatic method, which focuses on practical differences and conclusions, and compares Emerson mainly to William James and Sidney Hook. Chapter 3 is divided into two subsections: Emerson's Orientation Towards the Future and his sense of Fugacity, or fleetingness. Among others, prophetic pragmatism of Cornel West and Richard Rorty's views on fleetingness of signs are compared to Emerson's works. Chapter 4 examines Emerson's Perspectivism, Creative Metaphors, and...
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Feminist Science Fiction: Cherie Priest's The Clockwork Century
Nováková, Petra ; Veselá, Pavla (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
Feminist Science Fiction: Cherie Priest's The Clockwork Century Diploma Thesis Petra Nováková Abstract Marleen S. Barr, one of the pioneers of feminist science fiction criticism, is an outspoken commentator on gender inequality in this genre. In Feminist Fabulation: Space/Postmodern Fiction and Future Females: A Critical Anthology, Barr defines feminist science fiction as metafiction about patriarchal fiction. She speaks out against both authors and critics who recycle narratives restricted by a patriarchal view of the world in which women are silenced and/or relegated to the position of an accessory of the male hero, made to behave in a stereotypically feminine manner. While Barr does not include steampunk fiction but focuses on science fiction oriented towards the future and space exploration, her analysis of the female character's plight is nonetheless applicable to the steampunk genre. In this respect, feminist steampunk fiction can be read as a meditation on established gender norms. Cherie Priest's work is a prime example of such an innovative re-examination of gender stereotypes that Barr calls for in her critical work. As both a woman and a writer of science fiction, the author has adopted a feminist approach in her steampunk series The Clockwork Century. Among other things, Priest examines the role...
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The Concept of Property in the Context of Early American Political Writing
Čabartová, Kristýna ; Robbins, David Lee (advisor) ; Veselá, Pavla (referee)
When observing the values which repeatedly appear in early American literature, we encounter ideas such as liberty, freedom, or the importance of the individual, but while property and ownership are often also core ideas and motivations for many Americans, their appearance is much more limited and excluded from certain contexts. However, property was always a key issue and economic profitability was always considered as foremost both on political and individual level. This can be seen all throughout American history since its beginning until the present, yet there is the curious trend of downplaying the importance of property in politically oriented text. While no one questioned its value in the past, Americans outwardly replaced property with liberty. Nevertheless, its importance cannot be hidden so easily and through careful examination it is shown as being understood as a pre-requisite of freedom and security, even as it is never the central focus of any major early American political text. This thesis explores the concept of property in the context of early American political writing in the area between eighteenth and nineteenth century; drawing from texts such as the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist, The Anti-Federalist Papers, Common Sense and other contemporary political pamphlets...
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Changing Tendencies in Self-Conscious Narratives: A Contrastive Interpretation
Sedláček, Martin ; Procházka, Martin (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
Thesis Abstract The present thesis investigates correlations between a selection of metafictional texts and narrative theory. The selection consists in two sets of self-reflexive texts. The first one explores metafictional tendencies in the 17th and 18th century novels. To achieve this, the selection largely ignores their provenience. In addition to Henry Fielding's Tom Jones and Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy, it also examines Cervantes's Don Quixote. The latter set of texts focuses on post-War American metafictions (John Barth's Lost in the Funhouse, Donald Barthelme's Snow White, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five). These represent a coherent body of works from a particular period. Metafiction is generally understood as fiction about fiction. The present thesis challenges those assumptions and suggests interpreting metafiction within the framework of Michel Foucault's epistemes. Metafiction is not conceived of as a separate genre of literature but in the context of broader cultural tendencies in the understanding of representation. Representation is a key concept in metafiction and the increasing degree of narrative self-awareness is viewed in this light. The thesis emphasizes this contrastive and interdisciplinary approach. The text is divided into five chapters. Chapter one is a theoretical...
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Emersonianism, American Nationalism, and Nature in the Poetry of Robert Frost
Schröderová, Simona ; Quinn, Justin (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to analyse three major aspects of Robert Frost's poetry: first his relationship with Emersonianism, second with American nationalism, and third with the natural world. Besides the use of form and the focus on rhythm and meter, these three aspects are to a great extent characteristic of Frost's poetry, recurring in many of his poems. Analysing them provides a comprehensive view of the poet's work and illuminates his unique style distinguishable by its play of imagination, the often unnoticed ambiguity and even obscurity. The analysis will be based on close readings of Frost's poems, available critical material, and comparisons with other authors who deal with the same aspects and have influenced Frost's work. With Emersonianism this will include, besides Emerson's essays, the works of Thoreau and Whitman. The three authors had indubitably a great influence on Frost. Particularly their concepts of individualism, self-reliance and life in society can be traced in some of Frost's best known poems such as 'The Road Not Taken' or the 'Mending Wall'. Frost's take on them however, is much more complex than is generally believed. His development of these themes brings mainly indefinite results. Given that in the U.S. nationalism is a concept that often overlaps with individualism,...
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"Písař Bartleby" v současné kultuře
Stejskalová, Tereza ; Roraback, Erik Sherman (advisor) ; Robbins, David Lee (referee) ; Arbeit, Marcel (referee)
This dissertation is based on the observation that Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener" has become a popular reference in contemporary culture. Not only in the field of literary scholarship but also in the realm of art, political theory and philosophy, it is employed as an example of authentic resistance to power, a counter-intuitive politics that finds its strength in withdrawal, inaction, and inscrutability. The thesis examines the reasons and motives that drive literary scholars, artists and philosophers to read, interpret and use the story in such a way. It does so by analyzing the nature of and reoccurring patterns in Bartleby Industry, the enormous bulk of academic scholarship devoted to the story. It observes how the story is made use of outside of literary scholarship by disciplines, such as art and philosophy, that are not primarily concerned with the literary complexity of the story but use it to work on their own problems of politics and ethics. It pays special attention to its popularity among influential Postmarxist philosophers, namely Slavoj Žižek, Giorgio Agamben and Gilles Deleuze. As the presence of "Bartleby" in the realm of philosophy has to do with a particular function literature performs in that field, in these chapters "Bartleby" becomes more of a guiding thread in order to...
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