This essay analyses John Barth´s short story "AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A Self-Recorded Fiction”, which was published inf the short story collection ´Lost in the Funhouse´ in 1968. The story is examined from the perspective of an intermediality / multimodality scholar. Among other things, the essay discusses the employment of several media / modes within the story and reveals limits inherent to the theories of intermediality and multimodality, pointing to the concept of heteromediality as a possible alternative.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Intermedial and Multimodal Perspectives
2. Theoretical Definitions of Medium and Mode
3. Spatial Arrangement and Visual Effects in John Barth's Short Story
4. Intermediality and the Fiction of Orality
5. Critical Reflections on Heteromediality
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores John Barth's short story "AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A Self-Recorded Fiction" through an intermedial and multimodal lens, investigating how the text challenges traditional notions of monomodal written narratives by utilizing spatial arrangement and references to oral media.
- The ambiguity and definition of terms such as 'medium', 'mode', and 'intermediality'.
- The function of page layout, whitespace, and typography as meaningful semiotic resources.
- The relationship between visual design and the temporal experience of reading.
- The narrative's fictional origin as a form of medial transposition from oral to written media.
- Theoretical critiques of current intermedial frameworks, including the proposal of 'heteromediality'.
Excerpt from the Book
Barth uses the book page consciously through the careful arrangement of words and sentences.
Whereas the first page and the last two pages consist of many gaps between words, sentences and paragraphs, pages 34 and 35 in the middle of the narrative only feature conventional spaces, such as single gaps between words. The additional spaces on pages 33, 36 and 37 carry meaning that complements, emphasizes and shapes the meaning of the text. The three wide gaps found in the very first sentence of Barth's “AUTOBIOGRAPHY” break up the sentence unit into four subunits of varying size. Through the spatial arrangement, high emphasis is placed on the word “listen” (33), because it is the smallest subunit standing alone. The wide gaps do not only have a visual effect, but also a verbal or temporal effect: The sentence is read more slowly, because the reader stumbles. Relating this difficulty in reading back to the title “AUTOBIOGRAPHY” and to the placement of this sentence at the beginning of the text, one interpretation of the spatial configuration is that the beginning of life and/or a text is a slow and difficult process.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to Intermedial and Multimodal Perspectives: This chapter introduces the core argument that John Barth's "AUTOBIOGRAPHY" defies its classification as a purely written, monomodal narrative by engaging multiple communication modes.
2. Theoretical Definitions of Medium and Mode: This section examines scholarly definitions of 'medium' and 'mode', highlighting the inherent ambiguities that complicate the analysis of literary texts.
3. Spatial Arrangement and Visual Effects in John Barth's Short Story: This chapter analyzes how Barth uses physical page layout, including gaps and typography, as a strategic tool to influence the reader's temporal experience and interpretation.
4. Intermediality and the Fiction of Orality: This part explores the text's references to the narrator’s voice and its recording, situating the story within the context of medial transposition between oral and written traditions.
5. Critical Reflections on Heteromediality: The final chapter discusses the limitations of current terminology and introduces the concept of 'heteromediality' to better describe the blending of media within texts.
Keywords
Intermediality, Multimodality, John Barth, AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Narrative, Medium, Mode, Semiotics, Page layout, Spatial configuration, Heteromediality, Orality, Medial transposition, Philology, Semiotic resource
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The work focuses on analyzing John Barth’s short story "AUTOBIOGRAPHY" as an intermedial and multimodal text that challenges the traditional perception of literature as a single-medium, monomodal form.
What are the central themes discussed in the analysis?
The central themes include the spatial arrangement of text, the definition of media and modes, the relationship between oral and written communication, and the evolution of intermedial theory.
What is the primary research goal of the essay?
The goal is to demonstrate that meaning in literature is not derived solely from linguistic signs, but also from visual and spatial features, and to challenge existing definitions of intermediality.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The analysis employs a semiotic and narratological approach, utilizing social semiotics and media theory to examine the interplay between material production and narrative content.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of semiotic resources, a detailed analysis of Barth's use of visual gaps and typography, and a critical discussion of scholarly terms like 'intermediality' and 'heteromediality'.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Intermediality, Multimodality, Semiotic resource, Spatial configuration, Heteromediality, and Medial transposition.
How does Barth specifically use visual space on the page to create meaning?
Barth uses varying sizes of gaps between words and sentences to break up the reading flow, force the reader to stumble, and visually represent concepts like the difficulty of beginnings or the emptiness of an ending.
Why does the author suggest that the term 'heteromediality' might be more accurate?
The author argues that 'heteromediality' is more precise because it recognizes that all texts involve a blending of various media, rather than suggesting that some media are purely monomodal.
- Quote paper
- B.A. Silvia Schilling (Author), 2018, Intermediality and Multimodality in John Barth´s "Autobiography: A Self-Recorded Fiction" (1968), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/451167
