Author: Eva Maria Mauter
Subject: English Language and Literature Studies - Literature
Details
Year: 2006
Pages: 112
Grade: 1,3
Bibliography: ~ 205 Entries
Language: English
File size: 633 KB
ISBN (E-book): 978-3-640-10326-3
Abstract
Ever since McEwan's first publications, his work has received considerable attention from critics and scholars. Thus, it is not surprising that McEwan has been awarded with a number of prizes for his work and that he has been praised to be one of the leading representatives of the young generation. Despite the extraordinary praise of McEwan's work, it has been discussed most controversially. The fact that he often engages taboo subjects like masturbation, incest, regression, child abuse, dismemberment, sadism-masochism etc. earned McEwan the reputation of an author who writes to shock his audience. McEwan himself appears to be surprised about these attributions and objects them. However, it seems to be undisputable that the narrations are extremely shocking but it seems that not only the choice of topics is responsible for the extreme response to McEwan's narrations. In my opinion, the shock value of McEwan's narrations is mainly caused by his particular way to present these topics. In keeping with this, I consider the form of McEwan's narrations to be as important as their content. McEwan seems to experiment with the employment of perspectives, subjective perspectives in particular. In fact, it can be argued that he taps the full potential of the employment of subjective perspectives in his narrations as the reader is confronted with the subjectivity of perspectives on all levels of textual communication. In my opinion, McEwan's most outstanding accomplishment is his ability of depicting subjective perspectives in all consequence. The absence of morality in many of McEwan's narrations, for example, which is usually regarded as an underlying topic, can also be seen as a result of depicting consistently a specific subjective perspective. Therefore, this paper will examine the subjective perspectives in McEwan's narrations in all detail. The nature of the subjective perspective has not been examined at large in narratology, although parts of this issue have been discussed thoroughly e.g. "unreliable narration", "perspectives" or the "subjective novel", etc. An applicable structure for analysing the subjective perspective on all levels of textual communication is inexistent so far. However, such a structure is required for analysing the subjective perspectives in McEwan's narrations and therefore it will be developed in the frame of this thesis. This new developed structure could also prove to be valuable in textual analysis in general.
Excerpt (computer-generated)
Universität Paderborn
Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften
Anglistik/Amerikanistik
Subjective Perspectives in
Ian McEwan′s Narrations
Hausarbeit für die akademische Abschlussprüfung
Magister Artium (M.A.)
vorgelegt von
Eva Maria Brockmann-Mauter
Table of Contents
1.
Introduction
1
1.1
The Thematic Focus
2
1.2
Outline
4
2.
Narratological Context and Terminology
6
3.
Subjectivity in Narration
11
4.
Unreliability in Narration
15
5. Subjective Perspectives in Narration
21
5.1 Story-Internal
Perspectives
22
5.1.1
Intrapersonal Dimension of Subjective Perspectives
22
5.1.2
Interpersonal Relation of Subjective Perspectives
23
- Understanding Other Perspectives
-
Misunderstanding
Other
Perspectives
- No Understanding of Other Perspectives
5.2
Perspectives on the Mediation Level
26
5.3
Perspectives on the Textual Level
27
5.3.1
The Textual Perspective
28
5.3.2
The Perspective of the ′Implied Reader′ or
the
Recipient′s
Role
29
6.
Subjective Perspectives in Ian McEwan′s Narrations
33
6.1 Intrapersonal Dimension of
Perspectives
35
6.1.1
Aspects of the Intrapersonal Dimension of Perspectives
35
6.1.2
Morality and the Ordinariness of Actions
45
6.2 Interpersonal Relation of Perspectives
54
6.2.1
Understanding
Other
Perspectives
54
6.2.2
Misunderstanding
Other
Perspectives
58
6.2.3
No Understanding of Other Perspectives/Isolation
65
6.3
Subjective Perspectives on the Other Communication Levels
78
6.3.1
Mediation Level Level of Fabula
79
6.3.2
Textual
Level
Mediation
Level
86
6.3.3 Reliability
of
Perspectives on the Textual Level
90
7.
Conclusion
98
Appendix
100
Bibliography
101
1.
Introduction
1
1.
Introduction
The quality of [McEwan′s] prose is so high that it is easy to sustain interest throughout
many readings. It is terse, dry and evocative of powerful emotions. His grammar is
meticulous, his words precise and his style direct. When writing about his work, it is
almost impossible to précis anything without losing most of its impact, and one can
seldom do better than quote paragraphs wholesale. (Byrnes, 2002: 1)
Ever since McEwan′s first publications, his work has received considerable attention from critics and
scholars. Malcolm claims that he is "certainly one of the most noteworthy of contemporary authors."
(Malcolm, ix)1 The flood of reviews that welcome every one of his new publications and the number
of publications about his work seem to acknowledge that most critics and scholars share this opinion.
Thus, it is not surprising that McEwan has been awarded with a number of prizes for his work.
He received, for example, the Sommerset Maugham award for
First Love, Last Rites
(1976), the
Evening Standard award for his screenplay "The Ploughman′s Lunch" (1983), the Whitebread Prize
for Fiction (1987) and the Prix Fémina Etranger (1993) for
The Child in Time
, and the Germany′s
Shakespeare Prize in 1999.
Enduring Love
was shortlisted for the Whitebread Prize in 1997, as were
The
Comfort of Strangers
and
Black Dogs
for the Booker Prize for Fiction. In 1998, McEwan finally
won the Booker Prize for
Amsterdam
.
Atonement
received the WH Smith Literary Award (2002), the
National Book Critics′ Circle Fiction Award (2003), the Los Angeles Times Prize for Fiction (2003),
and the Santiago Prize for the European Novel (2004). For his novel
Saturday
, he won the James Tait
Black Memorial Prize in 2006.
Ian McEwan′s family background does not suggest such a fantastic literary career. He was born
on 21st June 1948 in Aldershot, Hampshire, as the son of a Scottish sergeant major of the British
Army. He spent his childhood on British military bases in England, Singapore, and Libya. During his
schooldays at Woolverstone Hall School (1960-66), McEwan developed a keen interest in English
Literature. Nevertheless, he took a year off after school, worked for the refuse disposal service and
made a trip to Greece before he studied English Literature at the University of Sussex, Brighton,
where he received a B.A. degree in 1970. Subsequently, he took a creative writing course taught by
Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where he received
his M.A. in English Literature in 1971. During this time, McEwan wrote a number of short stories,
several of which were included in his two volumes of short stories
First Love, Last Rites
and
In
between the Sheets
. In 1972, McEwan made trip to Amsterdam and Afghanistan in his own bus, and
after his return, he worked as a teacher for English as a second language in Norwich. Since 1974, he
has been living by his writing. In 1982, he married Penny Allen (journalist, astrologer and alternative
practitioner), but the marriage was divorced in 1997. He has got two sons from this marriage. In 1997,
he married Annalena McAfee, a literary journalist. In 1989, he was awarded an honorary Litt.D. by the
University of Sussex, Brighton.
1 References that refer to a whole sentence (or passage) will be given after the last sentence. However, if the sources merely
refer to a phrase or to single words, they will be given directly afterwards.
1.
Introduction
2
McEwan has written his first short stories in 1970 and managed to publish a view in magazines.
However, after publishing his first collection of short stories (
First Love, Last Rites
[1975]) his career
took off. Since 1975, McEwan has published two volumes of short stories (FLLR, and
In between the
sheets
[1978]) and nine novels
The Cement Garden
(1978),
The Comfort of Strangers
(1981),
The
Child in Time
(1987),
The Innocent
(1989),
Black Dogs
(1992),
Enduring Love
(1997),
Amsterdam
(1998),
Atonement
(2001), and
Saturday
(2006). McEwan has also ventured into other realms. He has
written a collection of stories for children (
The
Daydreamer
[1995]), three screenplays (
The Imitation
Game & Other Plays
[1980],
The Ploughman′s Lunch
[1985], and
Soursweet
[1988]) and an oratorio
(
Or Shall We Die?
[1983]). McEwan′s work has continuously attracted the attention of critics and
reviewers, and McEwan has been praised to be one of the leading representatives of the young
generation.2
1.1 Thematic Focus
Despite the extraordinary praise of McEwan′s work, it has been discussed most controversially. The
fact that he often engages taboo subjects like masturbation, incest, regression, child abuse,
dismemberment, sadism-masochism etc. earned McEwan the reputation of an author who writes to
shock his audience.3
Although this literature of shock is especially even exceedingly prevalent in his first
novel and his short story collections, McEwan′s desire to startle the reader is evident
throughout his canon (even his two most recent novels,
The Innocent
and
Black Dogs
,
contain scenes overwhelming in their vicious verisimilitude). (Slay, 1996: 7)
McEwan himself appears to be surprised about these attributions and objects them.4 Slay also modifies
his statement quoted above and asserts that McEwan is certainly not a "writer solely of shock horror"
(Sl, 1996: 7), and Nünning affirms that McEwan′s prose is not straining after effect.5 However, the
dark atmosphere in his narrations6 is often described as being repugnant:7 "Although some [critics]
find his unsavoury and often appalling subject matter repugnant, even repulsive, most contend that its
shock value is reflective of the world itself." (Slay, 1996: 5) Like many other critics, Slay asserts that
McEwan uses the shock value of his narrations to "warn [...] the people of a bewildered age." (
Ibid.
)
2 See e.g. Slay (1996), Malcolm (2002), Nünning (1989).
3 "McEwan [...] immediately acquired notoriety as a ′shocking sensationalist′ [...]." (Lewis, 1991: 622) See also e.g. Slay
(1996), Malcolm (2002), and Blackwood (1978).
4 See interviews with e.g. Begley (2002), Hamilton (1978), and Fortin/Louvel/Ménégaldo (1995).
5 "Da sexuelle Themen ohne Romantik oder Erotik, auch ohne jede pornographische Effekthascherei behandelt werden, ist
die Einschätzung M.s als Sensationsautor, der schockieren will, unberechtigt." (Nünning, 1989: 1954)
6 "Die Atmosphäre in der Welt seiner Erzählungen ist [...] düster und melancholisch." (
Ibid.
, 1954)
7 "McEwan has always been taken seriously by critics and scholars, although they have not always liked his books."
(Malcolm, 2002: 4) "McEwan′s imagination seemed as though it could usefully swabbed out with Dettol. Vomit, excrement,
mucus, slime, globs of squashed frog, rancid food and green mould encrusted his pages. Characters were equally putrid.
Sickening smells wafted from their various bodily zones. Their behaviour was noxious." (Kemp, 1992: 6)
1.
Introduction
3
While the reasons for McEwan′s intense employment of repulsive topics are discussed controversially,
it seems to be undisputable that the narrations are extremely shocking. However, it has hardly ever
been considered why the narrations cause such unease to the reader. It appears that critics and scholars
tacitly agree that the shocking effect of the narrations is caused by McEwan′s choice of repugnant
subjects. The topics, however, cannot be the only reason for the fact that readers feel uncomfortable
with McEwan′s narrations. If this were the case, the extreme emotional response to McEwan′s
narrations would appear to be entirely disproportionate in view of topics of crime and horror stories or
thrillers that can be viewed as being just as macabre or perverse. However shocking the topics, crime
stories and thrillers do not seem to shock the readers as much as McEwan′s narrations do. Although
readers might condemn outraging behaviour of characters in crime stories, the topics nevertheless
seem to cause only a tingly thrill, not revulsion and repugnance.
In my opinion, the shock value of McEwan′s narrations is mainly caused by his particular way to
present these topics. In keeping with this, I consider the form of McEwan′s narrations to be as
important as their content. Scholars usually assume that formal aspects of McEwan′s narrations can be
neglected, and mainly concentrate on the interpretation of the content of McEwan′s narrations.
Nünning and Oeser, for instance, claim that McEwan does not experiment formally in his narrations,8
and furthermore Malcolm states that "metafictional concerns, that is, self-reflexive concerns with
fiction′s possibilities and problems" (Malcolm, 2002: 10) are only considered on the level of topic:
He [McEwan] is certainly frequently concerned with literature itself as a topic, and the
difficulties, possibilities, and complexities of giving an account of things and of telling
stories in general. Such concerns, however, in his later fiction at least, remain on the level
of topic (that is, they are discussed as subject matter) without penetrating the technical
level of the text itself (that is, they are not embodied on the level of narration, language,
narrative organization, or genre, among others). (
Ibid.
)
Although McEwan′s narrations do not primarily appear to experiment with the form, it can be
discovered that McEwan seems to experiment with the employment of perspectives,9 subjective
perspectives in particular. In fact, it can be argued that he taps the full potential of the employment of
subjective perspectives in his narrations as the reader is confronted with the subjectivity of
perspectives on all levels of textual communication. In my opinion, McEwan′s most outstanding
accomplishment is his ability of depicting subjective perspectives in all consequence. The absence of
morality in many of McEwan′s narrations, for example, which is usually regarded as an underlying
topic, can also be seen as a result of depicting consistently a specific subjective perspective.
8 "Seine Werke sind zwar formal nicht zur experimentellen Literatur zu zählen, erschließen aber neue Themenbereiche."
(Nünning, 1989: 1953) "Von der Skizze "Hin und Her" [...] einmal abgesehen, stellt McEwan keine Formexperimente an,
sondern ist einer realistischen Stilhaltung verpflichtet." (Oeser, 1994: 3)
9 See e.g. Kermode: "[McEwan has] a keen technical interest in [...] the point of view." (Kermode, 2001: 1)
1.
Introduction
4
In the context of subjective perspectives, the aspect of unreliability in McEwan′s narrations has
to be considered. Often, McEwan′s I-narrators are regarded as "unreliable narrators".10 However, it is
striking that even in narrations without an "unreliable narrator" the reader seems to be nevertheless
confronted with unreliability. In my opinion, the aspect of unreliability cannot be tied up with the
concept of an "unreliable narrator", but it is instead linked to the subjectivity of perspectives. The
aspect of unreliability seems to constitute a main feature of subjectivity, and thus, unreliability in
McEwan′s narrations appears to be a result of depicting coherently a specific subjective perspective.
Therefore, unreliability will be examined in some detail in this paper.
The choice of topics, the absence of moral censor, the remarkable isolation of characters and the
general unreliability in McEwan′s narrations are all aspects that can be linked to McEwan′s consistent
depiction of extreme subjective perspectives. The consequent employment of subjective perspectives
in addition with the absence of any objectivity or reliable ′truth′ in general, which confronts the
reader11 with his own subjectivity, is, in my opinion, mainly responsible for the shocking effect of
McEwan′s narrations. Thus, the formal aspect of coherent depiction of subjective perspectives appears
to be just as important as the aspect of content with regard to McEwan′s narrations. Therefore, this
paper will examine the subjective perspectives in McEwan′s narrations in all detail.
The nature of the subjective perspective has not been examined at large in narratology, although parts
of this issue have been discussed thoroughly e.g. "unreliable narration", "perspectives" or the
"subjective novel", etc. An applicable structure for analysing the subjective perspective on all levels of
textual communication is inexistent so far. However, such a structure is required for analysing the
subjective perspectives in McEwan′s narrations and therefore it will be developed in the frame of this
thesis. This new developed structure could also prove to be valuable in textual analysis in general.
1.2 Outline
Before analysing the subjective perspectives in McEwan′s narrations in chapter 6, the theoretical basis
will be provided in the preceding chapters. In chapter 5, an applicable structure for analysing
subjective perspectives on all levels of textual communication will be presented. The findings of
considerations in the chapters 2 4 will provide the basis for this structure.
In chapter 2, the relevant narratological context will be introduced. For example, diverse models
of textual communication will be discussed, and narratological termini will be considered. In the third
and fourth chapter, the context of subjectivity and of unreliability will be examined respectively. The
aspect of unreliability will be located in the system of textual communication that has been developed
in chapter 2. In this context, the perspectives on the textual level will be introduced.
10 See e.g. Nünning: "Viele seiner Ich-Erzähler sind von einer fixen Idee besessen und erinnern an den Erzähltypus des
′verrückten Monologisten′, der in der literarischen Moderne [...] einen festen Platz hat." (1989: 1953) See also Malcolm, i.a..
11 In the following, the male form will always be used for both genders.
1.
Introduction
5
Based on the considerations in the chapters 2 4, an applicable structure for analysing
subjective perspectives on all levels of textual communication will be developed in chapter 5. In the
examination of subjective perspectives, the different levels of textual communication (level of fabula,
mediation level, textual level) will be considered. As the intra- and the interpersonal aspects of the
levels of fabula and of mediation are similar for an examination of the subjective perspectives, they
will be treated in a single chapter of story-internal perspectives (5.1). However, the perspectives on the
mediation level are nevertheless superior to the perspectives on the level of the fabula, and some
aspects are only relevant for the perspectives of the mediation level. These will be treated in 5.2. In
5.3, the perspectives on the textual level will be further clarified.
Having developed an applicable structure for analysing the subjective perspectives in narration
in the fifth chapter, this structure will be applied to McEwan′s narrations in the following chapter in all
detail. In 6.1, the intrapersonal dimension of perspectives in McEwan′s narrations will be analysed.
For this purpose, the main aspects of the intrapersonal dimension will be summarised in groups
(6.1.1). Chapter 6.1.2 will focus on the effect that these aspects have on the protagonists or
respectively on the reader. Namely, the aspects of morality and of the ordinariness of actions will be
discussed. In 6.2, the structure of interpersonal relation of perspectives which has been developed in
5.1.2 will be applied one-to-one to McEwan′s narrations. Thus, the issues of ′understanding of other
perspectives′ (6.2.1), ′misunderstanding other perspectives′ (6.2.2) and ′no understanding of other
perspectives′ (6.2.3) will be examined. While the chapters 6.1 and 6.2 mainly describe the subjective
perspectives in McEwan′s narrations, the focus of chapter 6.3 will be on aspects that concern the
evaluation process of subjective perspectives. Hereby, it will be analysed in how far the perspectives
on the mediation level evaluate the perspectives of the fabula (6.3.1) and in how far the perspectives
on the textual level evaluate the perspectives on the mediation level (6.3.2). In 6.3.3, the evaluation
process of the reader concerning the perspectives on the textual level will be scrutinised. In this
context, it will be focussed on the reliability of the perspectives on the textual level. The seventh
chapter will summarise the results of this paper.
The chapters 2 4 deal respectively with a variety of topics that are not divided into single sections in
order to maintain a fluid reading in a continuous text. However, in order to enable the reader to
associate the text with the respective topic, keywords are highlighted. In the chapters 5 and 6.3, the
highlighted catchwords facilitate the reader to follow the structure of the text, which is quite complex.
In 6.1 and 6.2, sub-topics are captioned.
The terminology that is respectively relevant for a specific chapter will be italicised in that
chapter. Terminology that is not in the focus of a chapter and that has been defined before will not be
italicised anymore in order to enhance readability. Termini that are frequently used will be abbreviated
according to the list in the appendix.
2.
Narratological Context and Terminology
6
2.
Narratological Context and Terminology
In this chapter the narratological context is expounded and the terminology is established which
subsequently will be used. This determination of key terminology is fundamental for the development
of a system to analyse subjective perspectives in narration (chapter 5) that will be applied to McEwan′s
narrations in chapter 6. For that reason, a model of textual communication will be developed that
emphasises the distinction of the levels of textual communication. Furthermore, the terms
"perspective" and "point of view" are differentiated. Moreover, the categories of the
narrating
authority
and
intradiegetic narrating authorities
will be derived from Bal′s concept of
focalization
and
placed in the textual communication system. Finally, the notion of
shifting intradiegetic narrating
authorities
will be examined using A. and V. Nünning′s concept for structuring
multi-perspectival
narrations
in a
paradigmatic
and a
syntagmatic
way.
The distinguishing difference between narrative texts and dramatic texts is the existence of a narrator
in narrative texts. This narrator
is not the actual author but is invented by the author.12 Chatman′s
diagram13 illustrates the flow of
textual communication
:
Real author Implied author (Narrator) (Narratee) Implied Reader Real Reader
In his model, the
real author
and the
real reader
are outside the narrative transaction, while the
′implied author′
and the
′implied reader′
14 are text-immanent. However, they are not part of the story.
Wolgang Weiß15 summarises various models of textual communication. The advantage of his
illustration is that it shows the different interlocking levels of textual communication:
Adressat
Autor Autor′ Erzähler Figur Figur des Er-
Leser′
Leser
S/H S/H
zählers
The white frame shows the ontological reality of author and reader; in grey, the level of the discourse
is shown, which embeds the
narrator
and the
fictive addressee
, and in pink, the level of the story is
illustrated, which embeds the protagonists of the narration.
Autor′
and
Leser′
are both constructions
that represent those aspects of the text which are relevant concerning its reception, e.g. in children′s
books, the child as the recipient is implied in the text itself. 16
12 Compare Chatman: "That it is essential not to confuse author and narrator has become a commonplace of literary theory."
(1978: 147)
13
Ibid.
, 151.
14 As the concept of the
′implied author′
and the
′implied reader′
is controversial the term will be set in inverted commas
throughout the text.
15 Weiß, 1979: 132.
16 See Fielitz, 2001: 33f.
2.
Narratological Context and Terminology
7
For this thesis, a model has been developed that contains aspects of both models, but mainly
emphasises the distinction of the different levels of textual communication:
real implied narrator/
character
(narratee)
implied
real
author
author
focaliser
reader
reader
=
fabula
=
mediation level
= textual level
The differentiated terminology of the different levels is crucial for the analysis instrument that will be
developed in chapter 5.17 Here the
story
includes, beside the
fabula
(Bal, 1985), the
mediation-level
18
as well, since the narrators, focalisers and narratees appear to be part of the
story
though on a different
level.19 This assumption is congruent to Mieke Bal′s presupposed textual communication model (1985;
see next paragraph). The
mediation-level
itself excludes the
fabula
. The characters act out the story
they are the centre of the story in the
fabula
itself (orange). The narrator of the
fabula
is outside the
central story on a
mediation-level
(yellow). Although he still belongs to the
story
, he operates on
another level of this interlocked system as long as he does not interfere with the
fabula
but only
narrates it or comments on it.20 In this context, a
narratee
is only existent, if the narrator explicitly
addresses the
narratee
; otherwise, the
narratee
is directly substituted by the
′implied reader′
. In
addition to the
narrator
, a
focaliser
is another narrating authority who operates on the
mediation-level
although the narrated views, feelings and ideas belong to the corresponding protagonist on the
fabula
.
This will be set out in detail later in this chapter. The
′implied
author′
and the
′implied reader′
are both
on a text-internal level, which is outside the
story
(yellow + orange). It is called here the
textual level
21
(grey). Although
′implied author′
and
′implied reader′
are text-immanent, they do not ′interfere′22 with
the
story
. This model of textual communication creates the context for the assignment of subjective
perspectives in narration.
17 Concerning the different levels, the terminology is not standardised. According to a diagram in
A Glossary of
Contemporary Literary Theory
(2000: "Story and Plot") which is based on Fludernik′s
narrative levels
(1993), it becomes
apparent that even the term "story" itself is not uniform for Chatman, Stanzel or Rimmon-Kinnan. Furthermore, the levels of
textual communication
are not exactly congruent to the
narrative levels
where differing levels are defined. So Fludernik′s
terminology can not be adopted here.
18 Here Chatman and Genette, e.g. use the term "
discourse
" and "
discours
", but respectively imply a different meaning with
those terms. In this context, a term was looked for that defines exclusively the level of textual communication on which the
narrator/focaliser and the narratee operate. Because of the lack of such a term it is called here "mediation-level" in
accordance to Stanzel′s definition "mediation by teller or reflector" (taken from Fludernik, 1993: 62).
19 It is debatable whether an omnipotent extradiegetic narrator is part of the story. But the extradiegetic narrator will usually
be directly substituted by the
′implied author′
as he is experienced as such, and then he is outside the story. Nevertheless,
limited third-person-narrators and certainly all I-narrators and focalisers are experienced as being a part of the story.
20 Only an acting I-narrator who is narrating while he is acting is inherent in the
fabula
. All other narrators do not interfere
but only reflect upon the fabula which is in the past. Even an I-narrator gives only "its vision of a
fabula
in which it
participated earlier as an actor" (Bal, 1985: 126), so he reflects upon his earlier self.
21 In the Weiß illustration, the level of the
′implied author′
and
′implied reader′
is not classified. Also, Fludernik′s survey of
narrative levels does not explicitly take this level into account. It seems to be implied somewhere between "the text on page"
and "narration as enunciation" (1993: 62).
22 Although the
′implied author′
appears to be responsible for the
story
,
story
and
′implied author′
are strictly separated and
also perceived as such, while an I-narrator or a focaliser is an invented part of the
story
and may even be interwoven with the
fabula
.
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