Grin logo
en de es fr
Shop
GRIN Website
Publish your texts - enjoy our full service for authors
Go to shop › English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Authenticity in Christopher Isherwood's Autobiographical Works. A Comparative Analysis

Title: Authenticity in Christopher Isherwood's Autobiographical Works. A Comparative Analysis

Master's Thesis , 2011 , 49 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Autor:in: Julia Reuter (Author)

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature
Excerpt & Details   Look inside the ebook
Summary Excerpt Details

This study delves into the complex world of Christopher Isherwood's autobiographical works, exploring how he constructs authenticity and how readers are expected to respond. Isherwood, known for his candor and professional charm, often relied on his journals for inspiration in his novels, blurring the lines between fiction and autobiography. Drawing from prevalent theories on autobiography, this research focuses on Isherwood's autobiographical novel "Lions and Shadows" (1938), his family memoir "Kathleen and Frank" (1971), and his autobiography "Christopher and His Kind" (1976). Through a comparative analysis of these texts, we aim to uncover the extent of Isherwood's "apparent candour" and shed light on his unique approach to authenticity in autobiographical storytelling.

Excerpt


Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

  • Autobiographical Glimpses
    • Brief Outline of Isherwood's Life
    • A Theory of Autobiography
    • Constructing and Deconstructing Authenticity
  • Authenticity in Isherwood's Works
    • Lions and Shadows
      • Fact or Fiction?
      • Gaps in the Narrative
      • Promises Kept?
    • Kathleen and Frank
      • The Relevance of Kathleen's and Frank's Lives
      • Chiefly about Christopher?
      • Promises Kept?
    • Christopher and His Kind
      • Filling In the Gaps
      • The Narrator's Critical Attitude
      • Promises Kept?
  • The Serpentine Quality of Fiction

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the question of authenticity in Christopher Isherwood's autobiographical writings, specifically analyzing his works *Lions and Shadows*, *Kathleen and Frank*, and *Christopher and His Kind* in order to assess how Isherwood constructs authenticity and how the reader is expected to respond. The main objectives are to explore the extent of Isherwood's "apparent candour" (Parker 2004: n.p.) and to determine how effectively these autobiographical works fulfill the implied "promises" of authenticity. The key themes of this thesis include:
  • The nature of autobiography and its inherent limitations
  • The construction of authenticity in literary works
  • The relationship between fact and fiction in autobiographical writing
  • The role of the reader in interpreting autobiographical narratives
  • The influence of personal experiences and relationships on Isherwood's writing

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1, "Autobiographical Glimpses," provides an overview of Isherwood's life and the theoretical framework for the analysis of his autobiographical works. It outlines the key concepts and challenges of autobiography, including its inherent subjectivity and the artificiality of constructing a narrative from lived experience. Chapter 2, "Authenticity in Isherwood's Works," delves into the analysis of three specific texts: *Lions and Shadows*, *Kathleen and Frank*, and *Christopher and His Kind*. This chapter examines each work individually, exploring the ways in which Isherwood constructs authenticity within the narrative, focusing on the author's relationship to his characters and his representation of events. The chapter also considers the reader's experience and their understanding of the texts' veracity.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Key terms and concepts explored in this thesis include autobiography, authenticity, biographical fiction, literary analysis, Christopher Isherwood, *Lions and Shadows*, *Kathleen and Frank*, *Christopher and His Kind*, fact and fiction, narrative construction, reader response, and the relationship between personal experience and writing.
Excerpt out of 49 pages  - scroll top

Details

Title
Authenticity in Christopher Isherwood's Autobiographical Works. A Comparative Analysis
College
Humboldt-University of Berlin  (Centre for British Studies)
Course
British Studies
Grade
1,0
Author
Julia Reuter (Author)
Publication Year
2011
Pages
49
Catalog Number
V1416290
ISBN (PDF)
9783346965516
ISBN (Book)
9783346965523
Language
English
Tags
English literature autobiography autobiographical writing authenticity life-writing Christopher Isherwood Lions and Shadows Christopher and His Kind Kathleen and Frank Cabaret autobiographical pact
Product Safety
GRIN Publishing GmbH
Quote paper
Julia Reuter (Author), 2011, Authenticity in Christopher Isherwood's Autobiographical Works. A Comparative Analysis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1416290
Look inside the ebook
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • https://cdn.openpublishing.com/images/brand/1/preview_popup_advertising.jpg
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
  • Depending on your browser, you might see this message in place of the failed image.
Excerpt from  49  pages
Grin logo
  • Grin.com
  • Payment & Shipping
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Imprint