Culture, Gender and Transformation in Alan Warner’s "Morvern Callar" and Victor Pelevin’s "The Hall of the Singing Caryatids"

A Comparative Approach

Masterarbeit , 2014 , 104 Seiten , Note: 1.3

Literaturwissenschaft - Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft

The aim of this thesis is to compare the books of Alan Warner and Victor Pelevin in terms of culture, gender, and transformation. Both 'Morvern Callar' and ‘The Hall of the Singing Caryatids’ are written in the genre of bildungsroman, which allows us to observe the transformation and growth of protagonists. As both protagonists are young females (one of them working in a brothel, and another one — overcoming suicide of her boyfriend) it is interesting to compare the gender issues they face throughout the narration. The books were published in 1996 (Alan Warner’s Morvern Callar) and 2008 (‘The Hall of the Singing Caryatids’ by Victor Pelevin), at the turn of the twenty-first century and the third millennium. Both writings contain numerous cultural references, music and arts of the time. As well as comparing the cultures represented in the books, I will also investigate the way the Zeitgeist affected the protagonists.
‘Dismemberment of Orpheus’ by Ihab Hassan serves as the axis of comparison and the main source of inspiration for this work. Music (as a part of culture), the dead male figure (referring to gender issues), and dismemberment (definitely transforming young female protagonist’s personality) — are the key elements of this research.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Culture
  • Definition of the term Culture
  • Culture forming identity
  • Transnationalism and transculturalism
• Cultural Transformation. Subcultures
  • High Culture
  • Dismemberment of Orpheus
  • Low Culture
  • Mass Culture
  • Counterculture
  • Death in the books
  • Plastic world
• Gender
  • Sexual Objectification
  • Gender and Identity
  • Femininity and Masculinity. Gender Roles
• Transformation
  • Reality and Simulacrum
  • The Wind of Change (90s-00s)
  • Spiritual Transformation
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to compare the books of Alan Warner and Victor Pelevin in terms of culture, gender, and transformation. Both "Morvern Callar" and "The Hall of the Singing Caryatids" are Bildungsroman, allowing us to observe the transformation and growth of the protagonists. The key themes explored are:

• Cultural Transformation and the impact of the Zeitgeist on the protagonists
• Gender roles and issues faced by the young female protagonists
• The role of music and media in shaping identity and experience
• The exploration of reality and simulacrum
• The concept of spiritual transformation

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

This section explores the main themes and arguments of each chapter, excluding the conclusion and any sections containing major revelations or spoilers.

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the thesis' objective to compare "Morvern Callar" by Alan Warner and "The Hall of the Singing Caryatids" by Victor Pelevin, focusing on culture, gender, and transformation. Both books feature young female protagonists undergoing personal growth in a Bildungsroman framework. The chapter highlights the cultural references, music, and arts of the time, and explores how the Zeitgeist affected the protagonists.
• Culture: This chapter delves into the definition of culture, its role in shaping identity, and the impact of transnationalism and transculturalism. The discussion emphasizes the significance of culture in understanding the protagonist's experiences and their transformation.
• Cultural Transformation. Subcultures: This chapter explores various subcultures, including High Culture, Low Culture, Mass Culture, and Counterculture, examining their influence on the protagonists' lives and how they navigate these diverse cultural landscapes.
• Gender: This chapter analyzes the portrayal of gender in the two novels. It focuses on themes of sexual objectification, gender identity, and the construction of femininity and masculinity. The chapter highlights the challenges the protagonists face within their respective societies.
• Transformation: This chapter examines the concept of transformation in the novels, focusing on the interplay between reality and simulacrum. The chapter explores the protagonists' journeys of self-discovery and their experiences with external and internal forces that shape their growth.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of this thesis are: culture, gender, transformation, Bildungsroman, Morvern Callar, The Hall of the Singing Caryatids, Alan Warner, Victor Pelevin, Zeitgeist, subcultures, music, media, reality, simulacrum, spiritual transformation, and gender roles. These concepts represent the core themes and research foci of the work.

• Hochschule: Europa-Universität Flensburg (ehem. Universität Flensburg)
• Note: 1.3
• Autor: Daria Gaiduk (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2014
• Seiten: 104
• Katalognummer: V294304
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656926924
• ISBN (Buch): 9783656926931
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Literature, English, Russian, Postmodernism, Warner, Pelevin, Culture, Gender, Transformation, Counterculture, Orpheus, Identity, Transculture, High Culture, Low Culture