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The Referential Authority of Photography in Contemporary Literary Fiction

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The Referential Authority of Photography in Contemporary Literary Fiction View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Carolina Digital Repository Negative Visions: The Referential Authority of Photography in Contemporary Literary Fiction Heather Klomhaus-Hrács A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. Chapel Hill 2007 Approved by: Advisor: Dr. Eric Downing Reader: Dr. María DeGuzmán Reader: Dr. John McGowan Reader: Dr. Dominique Fisher Reader: Dr. Alice Kuzniar ©2007 Heather Klomhaus-Hrács ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Heather Klomhaus-Hrács: Negative Visions: The Referential Authority of Photography in Contemporary Literary Fiction (Under the direction of Eric Downing) Early thinking on photography typically posits the photographic referent as author of the image, conceiving of photography as an apparatus much like the “pencil of nature” described by Fox Talbot. This dissertation argues that such thinking continues to influence present perception of photography and determines that issues of authority and authorship remain the subtle but central focus of such thinking. This study expounds upon the manifestation of photographic referentiality in the literature of six contemporary authors: Isabel Allende, Anne-Marie Garat, John Irving, Penelope Lively, Leïla Sebbar, and Michel Tournier. I conclude that the photographs depicted therein form illustrative examples of what I have termed the “authentic photograph,” which are images that maintain allegiance to their subjects regardless of the spectator’s or photographer’s manipulative impositions of memory and desire. This dissertation explores the complex interactions between image and text that play across the space of literature. I consider what it means to write the image when this act requires translation of a manifestly visual medium into a purely verbal format. I ascertain that the photograph’s connection to its referent is an intrinsic aspect of photography in fiction. Moreover, photography becomes inseparable from these authors’ evaluations of writing, iii memory, and history as kinds of representation. The photographic referential authority is in itself a complicated issue; production of the photograph’s visual representation of the real in a literary work of fiction is even more complex, becoming the central problematic that drives narrative and plot development. I deduce that the ontology of photography, specifically its embodiment of reality, defines the general structure and thinking of these narratives. As such, I argue that visual literacy becomes an essential component of textuality and is necessary for any thoughtful consideration of writing on photography. This study takes part in the growing dialogue concerning photography in contemporary culture and contributes to the study of the text-image relationship through its revelation of the essential visual component of certain texts. It offers renewed emphasis on the photograph’s referential authority and reveals that photography still symbolizes reality despite technological advances that provide ample opportunity for manipulation. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I offer sincere thanks to my director, Dr. Eric Downing. My development as a scholar of comparative literature began in his classroom and he continues to offer the support and guidance that have shaped both this project and my education. I also wish to thank Dr. María DeGuzmán, whose wisdom encouraged a new direction in scholarship for me and initiated this project. Her astute, encouraging, and speedy feedback have been essential during each step of this process. And, thanks to Dr. John McGowan, for his insightful contributions to my understanding of both literary theory and academia. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Dominique Fisher and Dr. Alice Kuzniar, for their time and contribution to this project. I want to thank Carrie and Regina for their loyal friendship, Sydney for opening her heart and home to us, and my parents for their caring and babysitting prowess. Lastly, I dedicate this dissertation to Joe and Boo Radley each of whom have seen me through this project from start to finish, offering tireless support and tail-wagging enthusiasm, and to Melania, who instituted my deadline and proved that two heads are better than one. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………..….....ix Chapter 1. Introduction to the Dissertation. ………………………………………………………. 1 I. General Introduction....…………………………………………………………….. 1 II. The Authentic Photograph………………………………………………………...15 III. Organization of the Dissertation………………………………………………... .25 2. Naïve photographs: A search for the authentic image in Isabel Allende’s Retrato en Sepia …………………………………………………………………….. .29 I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………. .29 II. From Realism to Symbolism: bridging the gap through photography……….….. .34 III. The Photograph in Fiction or the Fictional Photograph: Allende’s absent Portrait…………………………………………………………………………... .40 IV. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………. 49 3. Penelope Lively, The Photograph : The intervention of photograph…………………. 51 I. Introduction………………………………………...……………………………... 51 II. Vertigo and the loss of self.……………………………………………………... .56 III. Penelope Lively’s Ideology: Representation as imitation………………..……... .66 IV. Reciprocal Blindness…………………………………………………..………....70 V. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..… 77 vi 4. Memory and Motherhood: The creative space of photography in Anne-Marie Garat’s La Chambre noire and Photos de familles ………………………………………….. .79 I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………….... ..79 II. Memory and Meaning: The shifting space of photography………………….…. ..84 III. The Darkroom/Dark Womb: Writing the image of the mother……………….. .. 91 IV. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...… . 97 5. A Widow for One Year by John Irving: Communicating absence and loss through photography and ekphrasis……………………………………………………...…. 99 I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………… . 99 II. The Hybrid Text………………………………………………………………… 105 III. Absence and Loss Through Representation……………………………………. 110 i. The subject becomes object………………………………………………… 110 ii. The stasis of the object……………………………………………….….…. 119 IV. The Ekphrastic Endeavor………………………………………………………. 124 V. Conclusion ……………………………………...……………………………….138 6. Leila Sebbar: Unveiling the cultural dimensions of spectatorship…………………. 141 I. Introduction………………………………………………………………….…... 141 II. Neutrality and Identity: understanding the cultural implication of Photography……………………………………………………………………. 149 III. The Photograph as Model for Resistance……………………………………... 162 IV. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...… 170 7. Michel Tournier’s Sinister Writings on Photography…………………………...…... 172 I. Introduction………………………………………………………………….…… 172 II. The Photographer’s Sinister Desires………………………………………….… 179 III. Disappearance and Dissolution of the Subject……………………………….… 190 vii IV. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………... 197 8. Conclusion to the Dissertation……………………………………………………..… 199 Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………… 208 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figures 1. René Magritte, La Trahison des images (The Treason of Images )…………………….11 2. Édouard Manet, Olympia ……………………………………………………………..162 ix CHAPTER 1 I. Introduction Over twenty years ago, author Alan Trachtenberg concluded the introduction to his authoritative text Critical Essays on Photography with the suggestion that, given the numerous writers who have experimented with photography and photographers who have turned to writing, “A history of photographic criticism must take into account the important and largely uninvestigated transactions between photography and formal literature.” 1 Since the appearance of Trachtenberg’s collection of essays, present consideration on the interactions between visual art, specifically photography, and literature has become more prevalent, manifesting itself through a variety of critical essays and anthologies about photography, such as those by Jane M. Rabb. 2 This increased interest is likely due to the current emphasis placed on inter- and multidisciplinary research by academic institutions, in addition to growing fascination with and access to visual media and technology, which has spurred this medium’s absorption into nearly every aspect of contemporary society in industrialized countries. Author and visual theorist W.J.T. Mitchell refers to the “pictorial turn” presently influencing the human sciences, concluding that, “while the problem of pictorial representation has always been with us, it presses us inescapably now, and with 1 Alan Trachtenberg, “Introduction,” Classic Essays on Photography , ed. Alan Trachtenberg (New Haven: Leete’s Island Books, 1980) xiii. 2 Jane M. Rabb, ed., Literature and Photography: Interactions 1840-1990: A Critical Anthology (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1995); Jane M. Rabb, ed., The Short Story and Photography: 1880’s-1980’s (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1998). unprecedented force, on every level of culture.” 3 Photography has become ubiquitous: visual culture theorist Nicolas Mirzoeff writes, “Modern life takes place onscreen… (Imagery) is not just a part of everyday life, it is everyday life” (1). 4 This proliferation necessitates analysis of the political and cultural implications of the medium, particularly because, as postmodern theorist Linda Hutcheon establishes, no form of representation is free from politics
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