Autobiography from St. Augustine to David Antin
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1998 Autobiography From St. Augustine to David Antin: Examining the Construction of the Self as Mutually Reflective of Cultural Developments in Science and Technology, Art, and Literary Theory. Jessica Lynn Faust Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Faust, Jessica Lynn, "Autobiography From St. Augustine to David Antin: Examining the Construction of the Self as Mutually Reflective of Cultural Developments in Science and Technology, Art, and Literary Theory." (1998). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6826. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6826 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back o f the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infomiation Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM ST. AUGUSTINE TO DAVID ANTIN: EXAMINING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SELF AS MUTUALLY REFLECTIVE OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ART, AND LITERARY THEORY A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by Jessica Lynn Faust B.S., Louisiana State University, 1988 M.F.A., Louisiana State University, 1990 December 1998 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9922075 UMI Microform 9922075 Copyright 1999, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedicated to El Nino Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To me, long lists of acknowledgements have always seemed to be written out of obligation and, therefore, appeared to be somewhat insincere. However, during the last several years, I have come to realize how extensive and important the network of people is who help a writer complete a major project. The thinking and writing may be long, solitary acts for the most part; however, pulling everything together is very much a group undertaking. Many people have supported me in various ways over the course of my Ph.D. program and, especially, during the most difficult part, i.e., the writing of this manuscript. To begin, I would like to thank Brenda Macon for being a great editor and an even better friend. Also, I am grateful to her husband, Randy, and their children, Jessica and Dylan, who have been my surrogate family in Baton Rouge and who have given generously so much of their time and help to me. Also, 1 feel fortunate to have been able to work under the direction of Professor Bill Demastes. He has been resourceful, challenging, and encouraging. 1 give thanks to Professor Pat McGee, who 1 think, hands down, is one of the best teachers at LSU. I would also like to acknowledge Professors Bainard Cowan and Elsie Michie for their valuable contributions as members of my committee, and I extend a special thanks to Professor Michie for stepping in when I really needed her. I am also appreciative of members of my initial Ph.D. committee: Professors James Olney, Andrei Codrescu, and Josephine Roberts. Professor Olney introduced me to life writing and provided me with a collection of readings that inspired my research iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. and manuscript topic. Professor Codrescu provided me with my first glimpse at the works of many wonderful poets—perhaps most importantly, that of the extraordinary David Antin. Professor Jo Roberts, who was both nurturing and brilliant, was a tremendous member of my committee throughout ray written and general exams. Her death resulted in an immeasurable loss for many, many people. Unlike the reported experience of most people who pursue writing or English careers, I have been either blessed or cursed with a family that has always been supportive of my endeavors and that has never tried to dissuade me from following my instincts. I am thankful to them, especially my parents and Jennifer, for never throwing their hands up in frustration and announcing in my presence that I was not making any sense, even when I know they must have been questioning my motives. Also, I am grateful for Sandi, one of the best companions and listeners anyone could have. Finally, I would like to thank all of those dear friends who not only tolerated but embraced my mood swings as comedic genius instead of lunacy. Some of those people who have enriched my life throughout this time and whom I truly value, even if they may not be near me now, include Jodie Burke, Christina Case, Bill Crochet, Mark Ferguson, George Fuller, Alisa Goetz, Gus Landry, Victor Rabalais, Joey Suhayda, and Brent Tatford. And, of course, I am thankful for Matt Clark, who taught and inspired me in every facet of my life, and who promised a long time ago to come to my graduation. I know you will be there. Tù eres el mejor. IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ I CHAPTER 2. THE FOUNDATION OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY WRITING: THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU ................................................................................................... 14 Representation of culture in St. Augustine's The Confessions............................ 14 Narrative structure of Augustine's The Confessions: rhetoric and chronology as supports of Christianity during antiquity ................................................................. 16 Recalling and presenting information: Augustine's models of memory 19 The individual and the self in Augustine's culture................................................. 23 The limitations of language ........................................................................................ 26 Forging the self through memory and writing style to reflect cultural constructs ........................................................................................................ 28 1300 years of slow progress: cultural developments from antiquity to the Eighteenth century ........................................................................................................ 32 Representation of culture in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Confessions 33 Narrative structure in Rousseau's The Confessions.............................................. 41 Eighteenth-century technology and theories of memory as reflected in Rousseau's text ............................................................................................................... 45 The individual and the self in Rousseau's culture ................................................. 49 The limits of language in secular culture ................................................................. 54 Forging the self through narrative in autobiography to reflect cultural