Ariadne's Thread: Story Lines"What line should the critic follow in explicating, unfolding, or unknotting . . . passages? How should the critic thread her or his way into the labyrinthine problems of narrative form?--from chapter I In this brilliant and engaging book, one of America's leading literary critics explores the intricacies of narrative theory. Using the image of Ariadne's thread, which was given to Theseus to carry into the labyrinth so that he could find his way out, J. Hillis Miller traces out the "line" so often associated with narrative and writing in general. In the process he illuminates the nature of literature as well as the nature of narrative. Considering a wide range of texts from Western literature over the last two centuries--in particular Meredith's The Egoist, Goethe's Elective Affinities, and Borges's "Death and the Compass"--Miller explores the way rhetorical devices and figurative language interrupt, break into, delay, and expand storytelling. He also illustrates these rhetorical disruptions of narrative logic in his own work. In its four chapters--about the role of line, character, interpersonal relationships, and figurative language in narrative--Miller's study encounters in its own language the problems it discusses, as concepts and words are scrutinized for their diverse meanings and resonances. Demonstrating that every narrative, including this one about the nature of narrative, has divergent lines and multiple motives and uses, Ariadne's Thread tells its story and enacts its subject at the same time. |
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Common terms and phrases
acter already Anastomosis apparently Ariadne Ariadne's thread assumption becomes Bild Borges Borges's catachresis causal chapter character Charlotte chiasmus Clara Compass concept consciousness criticism death deconstruction Derrida Dionysus displaced double Echo Edward Egoist elective affinities elements emblem entities essay example exist expression face fate feelings fiction figure of speech Friedrich Nietzsche function George Eliot German Goethe Goethe's ground hand hieroglyph human inner world interpersonal relations interpretation Jacques Derrida Joyce labyrinth language letter linguistic literal Lönnrot mark marriage meaning Meredith metaphor mind mirror Narcissus narrative narrator nature never Nietzsche Nietzsche's notion novel novella Ottilie Ottilie's passage person picture portrait present presuppositions promise prosopopoeia reader reading realistic repetition says Scharlach selfhood sense sexual speak story synecdoche tableaux vivants theory Theseus thing thinking thought tion tradition trans translation Triste-le-Roy trope University Press Wahlverwandtschaften whole Willoughby Wittgenstein word writing
References to this book
An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory Andrew Bennett,Nicholas Royle No preview available - 2004 |