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Representation and Reinterpretation of the Waste Land Myth in Anglo- American Literature

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Representation and Reinterpretation of the Waste Land Myth in Anglo- American Literature UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID FACULTAD DE FILOLOGÍA Departamento de Filología Inglesa II TESIS DOCTORAL Representation and reinterpretation of the waste land myth in Anglo- American literature MEMORIA PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE DOCTOR PRESENTADA POR Rebeca Gualberto Valverde Directores Isabel Durán Giménez-Rico Eduardo Valls Oyarzun Madrid, 2015 © Rebeca Gualberto Valverde, 2015 REBECA GUALBERTO VALVERDE REPRESENTACIÓN Y REINTERPRETACIÓN DEL MITO DE LA TIERRA BALDÍA EN LA LITERATURA ANGLOAMERICANA TESIS DOCTORAL EUROPEA DIRIGIDA POR LOS DOCTORES ISABEL DURÁN GIMÉNEZ-RICO Y EDUARDO VALLS OYARZUN PROGRAMA DE DOCTORADO EN ESTUDIOS LITERARIOS FACULTAD DE FILOLOGÍA DEPARTAMENTO DE FILOLOGÍA INGLESA II UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID ENERO 2015 ii REBECA GUALBERTO VALVERDE REPRESENTATION AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE WASTE LAND MYTH IN ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION SUPERVISED BY DR. ISABEL DURÁN GIMÉNEZ-RICO AND DR. EDUARDO VALLS OYARZUN PROGRAMA DE ESTUDIOS LITERARIOS DEPARTAMENTO DE FILOLOGÍA INGLESA II UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID JANUARY 2015 iii iv AGRADECIMIENTOS Esta tesis doctoral jamás habría sido posible sin la inestimable ayuda de personas e instituciones que a lo largo de estos años me han prestado su esfuerzo y su colaboración. En primer lugar, no puedo sino agradecer profundamente la ayuda recibida de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, que me otorgó una beca de investigación dentro de su programa de formación de investigadores, gracias a la cual he dispuesto de los medios necesarios para poder desarrollar mi trabajo con éxito, además de haber disfrutado de la oportunidad de completar mi formación a través del trabajo y la colaboración con el departamento de Filología Inglesa II de esta universidad. Agradezco también la ayuda adicional recibida de la Universidad Complutense gracias a su programa de Estancias Breves de Investigación, que me facilitó el desplazamiento a la Universidad de Edimburgo en el año 2013 para poder realizar allí parte de mi trabajo investigador. De manera muy especial quiero hace constar mi gratitud infinita a mis directores de tesis, la Dra. Isabel Durán Giménez-Rico y el Dr. Eduardo Valls Oyarzun, por todo su trabajo incansable, su apoyo todavía más incansable en los momentos de zozobra y, sobre todo, por el esfuerzo y la dedicación, prestados siempre con eficacia, enorme cariño e inquebrantable profesionalidad. Gracias por vuestras enseñanzas, vuestras observaciones, consejos, correcciones y ediciones. Gracias sobre todo por ser una inspiración constante para mí, por haber guiado mis pasos durante todos estos años, y por enseñarme a respetar y a disfrutar este trabajo. Gracias por hacer fácil lo difícil y posible lo imposible. Esta tesis jamás habría sido posible sin vosotros. Me gustaría agradecer también su apoyo a los demás profesores del departamento de Filología Inglesa II de la Universidad Complutense, con quienes he trabajo y de quienes llevo aprendiendo ya diez años. Gracias por todo lo que me habéis enseñado, v por los ánimos y por los muy buenos consejos. Gracias especialmente al profesor Juan González Etxeberría, al Dr. Luis Martínez Victorio, al Dr. Félix Martín Gutiérrez y a la Dra. Carmen Méndez García, por el apoyo, el entusiasmo, y el (siempre iluminador) trabajo compartido. Gracias también al Dr. Thomas B. Byers, de la Universidad de Louisville, por recomendarme la lectura y el análisis de Nightwood, de Djuna Barnes, un texto que cambió el curso de la última parte de mi investigación. Y gracias al Dr. José Manuel Losada Goya, del departamento de Filología Francesa de la Universidad Complutense, por promover el estudio del mito en nuestra facultad mediante grupos, proyectos y diversas actividades de investigación que me han dado la oportunidad de profundizar y avanzar en mi trabajo de investigación mito-crítica. De igual manera quiero manifestar mi profunda gratitud al Dr. Dermot Cavanagh, de la Facultad de Literaturas, Lenguas y Culturas de la Universidad de Edimburgo. El Dr. Cavanagh supervisó mi estancia de investigación en la Universidad de Edimburgo en el año 2013, y merece el debido reconocimiento por orientar y enriquecer el trabajo de investigación correspondiente a la primera parte de esta tesis doctoral, sobre mito- crítica y teatro político del Renacimiento. Gracias también al personal administrativo de la Escuela de Posgrado de la Facultad de Literaturas, Lenguas y Culturas, y a la propia Universidad de Edimburgo, por la amabilidad y la calidez de la acogida que me brindaron. Los recursos bibliográficos y de investigación que la Universidad de Edimburgo puso a mi disposición fueron determinantes para la obtención de los resultados presentados en esta tesis, la cual incluye un capítulo sobre literatura escocesa, para la redacción de la cual mi estancia en Edimburgo fue crucial. Un millón de gracias van para mis compañeras de batallas y aventuras, Rebeca Cordero, Noelia Malla y María Colom. Sin vuestro apoyo inestimable jamás habría llegado hasta aquí. Gracias por los buenos (y los no tan buenos) ratos, por la comprensión y los ánimos constantes. Gracias por todo vuestro trabajo, que ha hecho posible el mío. Ha sido un verdadero honor compartir esta experiencia con vosotras. Gracias también a Claudia Alonso y a Icíar Álvarez, las mejores compañeras, con quienes siempre ha sido un placer trabajar. Y gracias a mis amigas, Noelia, Inma y María, por creer en mí y por ayudarme a ver con claridad cuando el horizonte se dibujaba borroso. Gracias también a mi familia, a mis tíos y a mis primos y a mi abuela, por el apoyo y la confianza. Y gracias por su puesto a mis padres. Gracias por todo. Gracias por la paciencia y el apoyo verdaderamente incondicional, por enseñarme cuál es el valor del esfuerzo, la disciplina y la responsabilidad. Por confiar siempre en mí, y vi por enseñarme a creer en mi misma. Y gracias, por fin, a Juan, la persona que más ha sufrido esta tesis junto a mí, a la que más veces se la he contado. Gracias por enseñarme a reirme de mis preocupaciones. Gracias por calmarme y por animarme, por confiar en mí y por creer en mí, y por sujetarme bien los pies a la tierra. Gracias por haber estado a mi lado a cada paso del camino. Gracias por ser tan paciente y generoso. Gracias por no dejarme nunca olvidar qué es lo que de verdad importa, y gracias por decirme que estás orgulloso de mí. Gracias a todos los que sienten este trabajo como un poquito suyo. Gracias a todos los que, de un modo y otro, lo han hecho posible. vii viii CONTENTS CONTENTS IX INTRODUCTION 1 PART I. THE FISHER KING REPRESENTATION AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE WASTE LAND MYTH IN EARLY MODERN POLITICAL DRAMA CHAPTER 1. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S EDWARD II: TRAGEDY, HISTORY AND THE REMNANTS OF ROMANCE MYTHOLOGY 33 CHAPTER 2. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II: MYTH AND SUBVERSION IN THE HISTORIES 55 CHAPTER 3. THE END OF ROMANCE: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S THE TEMPEST 81 PART II. THE KNIGHT’S QUEST REPRESENTATION AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE WASTE LAND MYTH IN NINETEEN- CENTURY BRITISH ROMANCE CHAPTER 4. HISTORICAL ROMANCE: RECONSTRUCTING MYTH IN WALTER SCOTT’S WAVERLEY 109 CHAPTER 5. VICTORIAN POETRY AND MEDIEVAL ROMANCE: THE VICTORY OF THE WASTE LAND IN ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON’S IDYLLS OF THE KING 137 ix CHAPTER 6. IMPERIAL ROMANCE: JOSEPH CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS AS A ROMANCE OF DEGENERATION 161 PART III. THE WASTE LAND REPRESENTATION AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE WASTE LAND MYTH IN AMERICAN MODERNISM CHAPTER 7. POST-WAR MYTHOPOEIA: T.S. ELIOT’S THE WASTE LAND 187 CHAPTER 8. THE MODERN CITY AS A MYTHICAL WASTE LAND: JOHN DOS PASSOS’S MANHATTAN TRANSFER 215 CHAPTER 9 . F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S THE GREAT GATSBY: THE AMERICAN ANTI-ROMANCE 241 CHAPTER 10. MYTH, RITUAL AND GENDER: ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S THE SUN ALSO RISES 267 PART IV. THE HOLY GRAIL REPRESENTATION AND REINTERPRETATION OF THE WASTE LAND MYTH IN AMERICAN LITERATURE AFTER MODERNISM CHAPTER 11. THE WASTE LAND OF THE WEST: JOHN STEINBECK’S TO A GOD UNKNOWN 293 CHAPTER 12. DJUNA BARNES’S NIGHTWOOD: DISASSEMBLING MYTH 311 CHAPTER 13. BERNARD MALAMUD’S THE NATURAL: REASSEMBLING MYTH 331 x CHAPTER 14. KEN KESEY’S ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST: LITERALIZATION AND MYTHICAL RE-CREATION 353 CHAPTER 15. THOMAS PYNCHON’S V. AND THE CRYING OF LOT 49: THE WASTE LAND MYTH AS A MYTH OF ANNIHILATION 375 CONCLUSIONS 407 REFERENCES 431 APPENDIX 457 RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL 459 SUMMARY IN ENGLISH 503 INDEX 511 xi xii …debía haber Dios, aunque fuera pequeñito, para que mandara rayos contra los hombres de simiente podrida que encharcan la alegría de los campos. FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA – YERMA (1934) xiii xiv INTRODUCTION 2 The aim of this doctoral dissertation is to examine, through a myth-critical interpretation of the selected corpus, the process of representation and reinterpretation of the Arthurian myth of the Waste Land at different stages of the Anglo-American literary tradition,1 so as to critically explore the ideological repercussions of mythical reinterpretation as a literary practice. For insofar as myths can be argued to articulate dominant power ideologies that are the alleged guarantors of social and political order, myth reinterpreted in literature can often be analyzed, as this study aims to demonstrate, as myth subverted, thus shaping in remade narratives counter-discourses that challenge and contest the dominant discourse of social order and political stability legitimized through mythology. Such process of ideological contestation through mythical representation and reinterpretation will be specifically examined through a myth-critical study of a selected corpus of influential works circumscribed to four different stages of the Anglo-American literary tradition, namely: early-modern English drama; the Romance Revival in British literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; American modernism; and American ‘after-modernism’ and postmodernism. These four stages of the literary tradition in English have been chosen due to the relevance and functionality of the ‘mode’ of romance in general and of the Waste Land myth in particular in the time periods and literary aesthetics selected, as it will be exposed throughout the chapters.
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