Postmodern Existentialism in Mervyn Peake's Titus Books

Postmodern Existentialism in Mervyn Peake's Titus Books PDF Author: Lauren R. Moss
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
ISBN: 1599423413
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Much of the discussion about Peake's Titus Books has been about how to place them in the lexicon of English literature. I am proposing that these books should be read as works of postmodern existentialism. Both postmodern theory and existential theory are interested in the same issues, such as the loss of grand narratives, the rejection of totalizing world views, the subjectivity of truth, the nature of one's existence, and the search for meaning in an increasingly incomprehensible world. Societal issues, such as political upheaval, the growth of major cities, war, and advances in science and technology have led both postmodern and existentialist thinkers to view the world as chaotic and intrinsically unknowable and man's place within that world as increasingly unstable. All of these concerns are addressed in Peake's texts. Peake's novels reflect the existential struggle of its hero, Titus Groan, to break free of the Hegelian world view represented by Gormenghast and its traditions, and into a world in which he is free to be an individual and to find his own truth. Peake uses images of solitude and extreme isolation to represent the essential human condition as conceived by existentialist philosophers like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. It is when they are alone that his characters are truly free to be themselves, without the social constraints imposed by the history and traditions of the castle. Titus's rebellion against Gormenghast represents the rejection of totalizing world views, a rejection found at the heart of postmodernism and existentialism. Incredulity toward mass society and culture are also central issues in postmodernism and existentialism. Nietzsche, who is claimed by both existentialists and postmodernists as a forerunner of their respective philosophies, claimed that God is dead, a belief reflected in the distinct absence of God from the Titus books; instead God is replaced by the ritual of Gormenghast. In Titus Alone He is replaced by technology. This also demonstrates the distrust felt by existentialists and postmodernists alike of a mass society in which the individual is consumed and becomes simply a part of the faceless crowd. Peake expresses a deep suspicion of technology and scientific advancement, a distinctly postmodern suspicion, that was not uncommon among writers after the second World War. By examining closely the concepts and themes associated with both postmodern and existential theory, it is clear that Peake's Titus Books are deeply concerned with both philosophies. Though Peake does not successfully answer the philosophical questions his novels pose, it is significant that his work attempts to do so.

Postmodern Existentialism in Mervyn Peake's Titus Books

Postmodern Existentialism in Mervyn Peake's Titus Books PDF Author: Lauren R. Moss
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
ISBN: 1599423413
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
Much of the discussion about Peake's Titus Books has been about how to place them in the lexicon of English literature. I am proposing that these books should be read as works of postmodern existentialism. Both postmodern theory and existential theory are interested in the same issues, such as the loss of grand narratives, the rejection of totalizing world views, the subjectivity of truth, the nature of one's existence, and the search for meaning in an increasingly incomprehensible world. Societal issues, such as political upheaval, the growth of major cities, war, and advances in science and technology have led both postmodern and existentialist thinkers to view the world as chaotic and intrinsically unknowable and man's place within that world as increasingly unstable. All of these concerns are addressed in Peake's texts. Peake's novels reflect the existential struggle of its hero, Titus Groan, to break free of the Hegelian world view represented by Gormenghast and its traditions, and into a world in which he is free to be an individual and to find his own truth. Peake uses images of solitude and extreme isolation to represent the essential human condition as conceived by existentialist philosophers like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. It is when they are alone that his characters are truly free to be themselves, without the social constraints imposed by the history and traditions of the castle. Titus's rebellion against Gormenghast represents the rejection of totalizing world views, a rejection found at the heart of postmodernism and existentialism. Incredulity toward mass society and culture are also central issues in postmodernism and existentialism. Nietzsche, who is claimed by both existentialists and postmodernists as a forerunner of their respective philosophies, claimed that God is dead, a belief reflected in the distinct absence of God from the Titus books; instead God is replaced by the ritual of Gormenghast. In Titus Alone He is replaced by technology. This also demonstrates the distrust felt by existentialists and postmodernists alike of a mass society in which the individual is consumed and becomes simply a part of the faceless crowd. Peake expresses a deep suspicion of technology and scientific advancement, a distinctly postmodern suspicion, that was not uncommon among writers after the second World War. By examining closely the concepts and themes associated with both postmodern and existential theory, it is clear that Peake's Titus Books are deeply concerned with both philosophies. Though Peake does not successfully answer the philosophical questions his novels pose, it is significant that his work attempts to do so.

Fairy Tales of London

Fairy Tales of London PDF Author: Hadas Elber-Aviram
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 135011068X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Finalist for the 2022 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Myth and Fantasy Studies From the time of Charles Dickens, the imaginative power of the city of London has frequently inspired writers to their most creative flights of fantasy. Charting a new history of London fantasy writing from the Victorian era to the 21st century, Fairy Tales of London explores a powerful tradition of urban fantasy distinct from the rural tales of writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien. Hadas Elber-Aviram traces this urban tradition from Dickens, through the scientific romances of H.G. Wells, the anti-fantasies of George Orwell and Mervyn Peake to contemporary science fiction and fantasy writers such as Michael Moorcock, Neil Gaiman and China Miéville.

The Titus Books

The Titus Books PDF Author: Mervyn Peake
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 1160

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Book Description


Miracle Enough

Miracle Enough PDF Author: William Gray
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443867330
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
To mark the centenary of Mervyn Peake's birth, the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy (University of Chichester) organized an international conference in July 2011 entitled ""Mervyn Peake and the Fantasy Tradition."" Papers were presented by scholars, artists, and writers from all over the world, and here we have a selection of them. No other comparable collection of essays on Peake has ever been published. The contributors take a wide variety of approaches to Peake's work - ...

The Pale King

The Pale King PDF Author: David Foster Wallace
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316175293
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 636

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Book Description
The "breathtakingly brilliant" novel by the author of Infinite Jest (New York Times) is a deeply compelling and satisfying story, as hilarious and fearless and original as anything Wallace ever wrote. The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has. The Pale King remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions -- questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society -- through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for one of the most daring writers of our time. "The Pale King is by turns funny, shrewd, suspenseful, piercing, smart, terrifying, and rousing." --Laura Miller, Salon

MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern Languages and Literatures

MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern Languages and Literatures PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Languages, Modern
Languages : en
Pages : 1420

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Book Description


Viriconium

Viriconium PDF Author: M. John Harrison
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0307418693
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description
A magnificent city existing on the ringes of the past, and on the brink of destruction, Viriconium • With a foreword by Neil Gaiman Available to American readers for the first time, this landmark collection gathers four groundbreaking fantasy classics from the acclaimed author of Light. Set in the imagined city of Viriconium, here are the masterworks that revolutionized a genre and enthralled a generation of readers: The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, In Viriconium, and Viriconium Nights. Back in print after a long absence, these singular tales of a timeless realm and its enigmatic inhabitants are now reborn and compiled to captivate a whole new generation. Praise for M. John Harrison’s Viriconium “The world that Harrison depicts is intricate and authentic, peopled with a multitude of strange yet lifelike characters—a combination which serves to make his richly imagined empire of Viriconium feel very real indeed. . . . This omnibus collection from the author of Light is canon-reading for those who wish to know the genre's roots, as well as the heights, to which it can aspire.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Brilliant, beautiful, and absolutely essential reading. The breadth of vision and imagination alone in these books is unparalleled. It is truly one of a kind and will continue to haunt you in the best possible way for years.”—Jonathan Carroll, author of White Apples “Harrison’s Viriconium sequence is the jewel in the crown of 20th-century fantasy, a work that proves irrefutably that fantastic literature can be Art with a capital A, holding its own alongside the very finest writing of our time, or any other.”—Elizabeth Hand, author of Mortal Love “M. John Harrison is a true master of English prose. He possesses the eye of a painter, the ear of a bard, and a rigorous and playful intellect. The Viriconium novels and stories are infused with a haunting genius that never falters.”—K.J. Bishop, author of The Etched City

Ecological Literature and the Critique of Anthropocentrism

Ecological Literature and the Critique of Anthropocentrism PDF Author: Bryan L. Moore
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319607383
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
This book is an analysis of literary texts that question, critique, or subvert anthropocentrism, the notion that the universe and everything in it exists for humans. Bryan Moore examines ancient Greek and Roman texts; medieval to twentieth-century European texts; eighteenth-century French philosophy; early to contemporary American texts and poetry; and science fiction to demonstrate a historical basis for the questioning of anthropocentrism and contemplation of responsible environmental stewardship in the twenty-first century and beyond. Ecological Literature and the Critique of Anthropocentrism is essential reading for ecocritics and ecofeminists. It will also be useful for researchers interested in the relationship between science and literature, environmental philosophy, and literature in general.

Orality and Literacy

Orality and Literacy PDF Author: Walter J. Ong
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134461615
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
This classic work explores the vast differences between oral and literate cultures offering a very clear account of the intellectual, literary and social effects of writing, print and electronic technology. In the course of his study, Walter J. Ong offers fascinating insights into oral genres across the globe and through time, and examines the rise of abstract philosophical and scientific thinking. He considers the impact of orality-literacy studies not only on literary criticism and theory but on our very understanding of what it is to be a human being, conscious of self and other. This is a book no reader, writer or speaker should be without.

The Film Appreciation Book

The Film Appreciation Book PDF Author: Jim Piper
Publisher: Allworth
ISBN: 9781621534358
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
This is a book for cinephiles, pure and simple. Author and filmmaker, Jim Piper, shares his vast knowledge of film and analyzes the most striking components of the best movies ever made. From directing to cinematography, from editing and music to symbolism and plot development, The Film Appreciation Book covers hundreds of the greatest works in cinema, combining history, technical knowledge, and the art of enjoyment to explain why some movies have become the most treasured and entertaining works ever available to the public, and why these movies continue to amaze viewers after decades of notoriety. Read about such classic cinematic masterpieces as Citizen Kane, Gandhi, Midnight Cowboy, Easy Rider, True Grit, Gone With the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz, as well as more recent accomplishments in feature films, such as Requiem for a Dream, Munich, The King’s Speech, and The Hurt Locker. Piper breaks down his analysis for you and points out aspects of production that movie-lovers (even the devoted ones) would never recognize on their own. This book will endlessly fascinate, and by the time you get to the last chapter, you’re ready to start all over again. In-depth analysis and thoughtful and wide-ranging film choices from every period of cinema history will ensure that you never tire of this reading companion to film. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.