Helena Leite Pinto

HELENA LEITE PINTO A LONG WAY DOWN TO REDEMPTION: NICK HORNBY'S FOUR SIDES TO THE SAME STORY Porto Alegre 2014 UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL INSTITUTO DE LETRAS PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM LETRAS ÁREA: ESTUDOS DE LITERATURA ESPECIALIDADE: LITERATURAS ESTRANGEIRAS MODERNAS A LONG WAY DOWN TO REDEMPTION: NICK HORNBY'S FOUR SIDES TO THE SAME STORY MESTRANDA: HELENA LEITE PINTO ORIENTADORA: PROFa. DRa. ROSALIA NEUMANN GARCIA Dissertação de Mestrado em LITERATURAS ESTRANGEIRAS MODERNAS, apresentada como requisito parcial para a obtenção do título de Mestre pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre 2014 CIP - Catalogação na Publicação Leite Pinto, Helena A long way down to redemption: Nick Hornby's four sides to the same story / Helena Leite Pinto. -2014. 118 f. Orientadora: Rosalia Neumann Garcia. Dissertação (Mestrado) -- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Letras, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras, Porto Alegre, BR-RS, 2014. 1. Literatura Britânica. 2. Focalização. 3. Narratologia. 4. Narradores. 5. Nick Hornby. I. Neumann Garcia, Rosalia, orient. II. Título. Elaborada pelo Sistema de Geração Automática de Ficha Catalográfica da UFRGS com os dados fornecidos pelo(a) autor(a). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my family and closest friends, for their unconditional love and support throughout this journey. To my supervisor, PhD Rosalia Neumann Garcia, for embarking on such an unusual and experimental journey and for giving me all the technical support so that I could find my way beyond an infinite sea of possibilities. To Professor PhD Sandra Maggio, for the amazing classes and for her catching enthusiasm when talking about Literature. Also, for being part of this process and reading this thesis with her skillful eyes. To Professor PhD Ian Alexander and Professor PhD Claudio Zanini, for bravely accepting taking part of this process on such a short notice. To all my classmates and friends I have met during these last two years, all my gratitude. I am sure I have become a better person, a more critical reader and undoubtedly a better professional because of all of you. Finally, to Nick Hornby, for amusing me with his literature and for turning this entire journey into a feasible process. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” Anais Nin RESUMO Este trabalho apresenta uma análise dos narradores homodiegéticos e de suas respectivas focalizações na obra A Long Way Down, de Nick Hornby, publicada em 2005, com o intuito de estimular os estudos sobre este autor no Brasil e de elucidar discussões aprofundadas sobre a narrativa deste escritor. Primeiro, apresentamos brevemente sua biografia e informações relevantes sobre a obra em análise. Em seguida, apresentamos os conceitos de narrador, bem como discutimos a ideia de sujeito de focalização e de objeto de focalização, valendo-nos de autores como Gerard Genette, Mieke Bal e Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan, para embasar a análise deste estudo. A terceira parte deste estudo consiste na análise dos quatro narradores homodiegéticos de A Long Way Down. Esta análise consiste principalmente em explorar os discursos narrativos desses quatro narradores – respectivamente Martin, Maureen, Jess e JJ – e explorar como cada um articula-se como focalizador ou objeto de focalização dentro da narrativa. Através das palavras desses múltiplos narradores a história se desenrola, bem como todo humor e dramaticidade é criado a partir de tal mecanismo. As quatro personagens, que se conhecem em uma tentativa frustrada de suicídio, compartilham ao longo da narrativa diversas experiências e criam um vínculo afetivo que lhes possibilita sobreviver e, consequentemente, contar essa história retrospectivamente. No final, refletimos acerca das últimas considerações apresentadas pelos narradores, discutindo de que forma cada um deles encontrou sua própria redenção e resolveu seus problemas com a vida, ainda que temporariamente. Este estudo destaca a importância de explorar a narrativa de Nick Hornby em termos acadêmicos, bem como salienta a relevância de A Long Way Down em sua obra. Palavras-Chave: Nick Hornby – A Long Way Down – Narradores Homodiegéticos – Focalização - Narratologia ABSTRACT This work presents an analysis of the homodiegetic narrators and their respective focalizations in Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down, published in 2005, aiming at stimulating further investigation on this author in Brazil and at elucidating deeper discussions regarding this writer’s narrative. First, we briefly present his biography and relevant information about the book under analysis. Then, we present the concepts of narrator, and we discuss the idea of subject of focalization and object of focalization, based on the studies of scholars such as Gerard Genette, Mieke Bal and Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan. The third part of this study is the analysis of the four homodiegetic narrators in A Long Way Down. This analysis mainly consists in exploring the speech patterns of these four narrators - respectively Martin, Maureen, Jess and JJ - and investigating how each one of them works as both the focalizer and object of focalization. Through the words of these multiple narrators the story unfolds, as well as all humor and drama is created from such a mechanism. The four characters, who meet in an unsuccessful suicide attempt, share along the narrative different experiences and end up creating an emotional bond that allows them to survive and, hence, tell this story retrospectively. Finally, we reflect on the latest considerations presented by these narrators, discussing how they find their own way to redemption and solve their problems with life, even if temporarily. This study highlights the importance of exploring the narrative of Nick Hornby in academic terms, and emphasizes the relevance of A Long Way Down in his oeuvre. Keywords: Nick Hornby – A Long Way Down – Homodiegetic Narrators – Focalization - Narratology TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 7 1 NICK HORNBY AND HIS SUICIDAL TALE ............................................................... 12 1.1 ABOUT THE “BOY” – NICK HORNBY AND HIS WRITINGS .............................. 13 1.2 A LONG WAY DOWN TO DOOM ............................................................................ 24 1.2.1 A long way down’s complications and (re)solutions ......................................... 26 1.2.2 Meet the four suicidals ........................................................................................ 29 2 WHAT THEY SENSE IS WHAT WE GET: ................................................................... 34 2.1 NARRATORS: ONE, TWO OR MULTIPLE? ............................................................ 34 2.1.1 Genette’s and Stanzel’s narrative situations prototypes ..................................... 36 2.2 NARRATION X FOCALIZATION: ............................................................................. 37 2.2.1. Focalization: some terminology ........................................................................ 41 2.3 RELIABILITY: CAN WE TRUST YOU? ................................................................... 48 3 THE FOUR SIDES OF A LONG WAY DOWN: ........................................................... 51 3.1 MARTIN: THE ARROGANT LEADER ..................................................................... 53 3.2 MAUREEN: THE ATTENTIVE CATHOLIC MOTHER .......................................... 64 3.3 JESS: THE SPOILED BRAT ....................................................................................... 74 3.4 JJ: THE AMERICAN WANNABE ROCK STAR ...................................................... 84 4 FOUR SIDES AND ONE STORY? .................................................................................. 95 4.1 MARTIN - SOME PHONE CALLS AND A BOY NAMED PACINO ...................... 98 4.2 MAUREEN – IT WAS HIM AFTER ALL ................................................................ 101 4.3 JESS – LOVE IS ALL WE NEED .............................................................................. 102 4.4 JJ – BUSKING IS BETTER THAN DELIVERING PIZZA ..................................... 105 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................. 108 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 113 7 INTRODUCTION Nick Hornby is an internationally acclaimed British novelist, essayist, lyricist and screenwriter constantly linked to pop culture, music and football. Best known for the novels High Fidelity (1995) and About a boy (1998), as well as for his football memoir Fever Pitch (1992), Hornby’s work customarily touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists. Considered to be the father of a literary genre known as lad-lit1, a title which he has openly stated not to agree with, Hornby’s books have sold more than five million copies worldwide. Besides his literary work and the many awards received in this field so far, Hornby has been nominated for an Oscar for his adapted screenplay for the movie An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig, in 2010. He has also been writing reviews and essays for respected magazines such as The Believer and newspapers such as The Independent and The Sunday Times. Hornby’s involvement with music is another important feature of

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