DOCSLIB.ORG

Sade-Omizing Sexuality: Deconstructing the Gender Binary Through the Sadian Sexual Predator

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sade-Omizing Sexuality: Deconstructing the Gender Binary Through the Sadian Sexual Predator SADE-OMIZING SEXUALITY: DECONSTRUCTING THE GENDER BINARY THROUGH THE SADIAN SEXUAL PREDATOR by Jennifer Lee Lawrence BA, West Virginia University, 2001 MA, West Virginia University, 2004 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DIETRICH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Jennifer Lee Lawrence It was defended on March 22, 2013 and approved by Giuseppina Mecchia, PhD, Associate Professor, French and Italian Clark Muenzer, PhD, Associate Professor, German Francesca Savoia, PhD, Professor, French and Italian Dissertation Advisor: Todd Reeser, PhD, Professor, French and Italian ii Copyright © by Jennifer Lee Lawrence 2013 iii SADE-OMIZING SEXUALITY: DECONSTRUCTING THE GENDER BINARY THROUGH THE SADIAN SEXUAL PREDATOR Jennifer Lee Lawrence, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2013 The Marquis de Sade became famous, or infamous depending on one’s perspective, for the ferocious depictions of sexual predation which are found throughout his literary works, and consequently, the character of the sexual predator is indispensable to understanding the author’s philosophical standpoint. For Sade, the laws of nature determine the sex of the individual, but they also require him or her to satisfy a set of physical needs which reject the masculine/feminine binary as often as they embrace it. This blurring of the lines between masculinity and femininity is thus characteristic of the Sadian sexual predator who must constantly seek satisfaction for his needs regardless of social and religious constraints on his behavior and on the sex of his victim. When examining the myriad variations on this character in Sade’s work, it becomes clear that he has transferred the natural law of “survival of the fittest” from a purely physical to a highly intellectual concept and, in so doing, has created a predator who uses mental as well as physical strength to dominate his victim. I, therefore, propose that masculinity mixes fluidly with femininity when examined through the lens of the predator and that by investigating the hierarchy of predator versus prey, the mutability of gender at both extremes of the predatory relationship, and the description of specific acts of predation, it is possible to deconstruct the iv gender differences through the strict adherence to the laws of nature observed by Sade’s sexual predators. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .................................................................................................................................. VII I. INTRODUCTION — READING AS PREDATION: WHY DO A GENDERED READING OF SADE? ................................................................................................................. 1 II. NATURAL LAW VERSUS THE LAWS OF NATURE: THE CORRUPTION OF PURITY AND THE REVERSAL OF GOOD AND EVIL ........................................................ 22 III. DEFINING THE PREDATOR: PRECURSORS AND PRETERNATURALISM ............................................................................................................ 48 IV. POWER PLAYS: ESTABLISHING FLUIDITY THROUGH THE PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP ....................................................................................................................... 111 V. BODIES IN MOTION: SADE'S PORTRAYAL OF THE DE-SEXED BODY .......... 154 VI. CONCLUSION — DEGENDERING THE PREDATOR: RESULTS AND REPERCUSSIONS ................................................................................................................... 193 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 205 vi PREFACE First, I would like to thank my committee members for their time, encouragement, and expertise throughout the writing process. Very special thanks go to Dr. Todd Reeser for his kindness and guidance over the course of this project. I could not have hoped for a better chairperson. Second, I am grateful for the support of many friends and family members but especially to Daniel Ferreras, Justin Swettlen, and Joshua Mason for their willingness to talk through my ideas. In addition to my biological family, I have to thank my dance family for their support and encouragement. Finally, I dedicate this work to the memory of my late brother-in-law, Gary Smolnik, Jr., whose love of learning and quiet courage I will always admire. vii I. INTRODUCTION — READING AS PREDATION: WHY DO A GENDERED READING OF SADE? The relationship between gender and sex is both constant and inconstant: constant through the existence of the bind that connects the two, for there is always a relationship even when it is antithetical, but inconstant in the application and expression of this connection. In recent years with the rise of feminism and the resulting shift in traditional social roles and responsibilities, the possibility of something other than a binary, male versus female, construction takes the fore. The tumultuous evolution of gender from a binary relationship in which sex and gender are tightly bound to an aggregate system that distances the physical sex of the body from the gendered behavior of the individual allows for a degendering of both behavior and the sexed body by redefining the conceptions of both sex and gender. While the shift from a binary to a fluid construction of gender, from a dependence to an independence, continues to be hotly debated by scientists and scholars alike, there has been remarkable progress on both fronts. From the performance-oriented Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990) by Judith Butler1 to the scientific and medical approach taken by Anne Fausto-Sterling in Sexing the Body (2000),2 gender has ceased to be a clear-cut sexual divide. Disagreement about the 1 Butler defines both sex and gender as a construct. She posits that gender remains open to constant interpretation and can be redefined through performance. 2 As a biologist by trade, Fausto-Sterling discusses the scientific implications of intersexuality and the difference between biological, sexual difference and gender. 1 qualities and definitions of gender being the rule rather than the exception has led to a situation in which the indefinability of the concept has become its only common denominator. Its amorphous nature can be seen as both expanding and limiting the idea of gender; no longer can it be said that there are two genders, the masculine and the feminine, but instead the term itself has been opened up to include multiple definitions that are unrelated to the biological divide. While gender fluidity as a concept has only come into popular consciousness in the last forty years, instances of its practice have always existed; beings who were biologically female but displayed male behaviors, such as Amazons, and those who were biologically male but displayed female behaviors, such as the dandy, stand as prototypes for the modern confusion surrounding the definition of gender. Despite the almost constant apparition of individual examples of gender bending, however, the construction of gender fluidity (or the deconstruction of gender) is most prominently situated in the late 20th and early 21st century. If gender fluidity is a relatively recent cultural development, why then should its presence be sought out and its implications weighed in the 18th century writings of Donatien Alphonse- François de Sade? The answer to this question lies not only in Sade’s depiction of gender and sex but in the common critical approach categorizing his work as pornographic and/or misogynistic, with little or no value beyond that of titillating the sexual desire of the reader. The works of the Marquis de Sade are cited by modern critics as both philosophy and pornography: Dworkin demonizes Sade's work as pornography (70-7), Airaksinen considers Sade a successful philosopher but a failed novelist (5), Klossowski, on the other hand, finds the truth of Sade's philosophy only through his fiction (Neighbor 58), Bloch presents Sade both as a writer of pornography and as capable of transcending the genre but persists in describing his works as 2 "repugnant and repulsive and repellent to any person save the most degenerate libertine" (212-13), and Carter and Frappier-Mazur acknowledge both sides of Sade's work, but from a feminist perspective. Michel Foucault points out that Sade takes a novel approach to erotic literature by creating a universe stabilized only by desire within which the structure of power is entirely insulated from reality. In this way, the originality of Sade's work precludes its categorization as strictly pornography or philosophy . Foucault explains: Dire la vérité, ça veut dire pour Sade, établir le désir, le fantasme, l'imagination érotique, dans un rapport à la vérité qui soit tel qu'il n'y aura plus pour le désir aucun principe de réalité capable de s'opposer à lui, capable de lui dire non, capable de lui dire il y a des choses que tu n'atteindras pas, capable de lui dire, 'tu te trompes; tu n'es qu'un fantasme et imagination.'3 (Sade) As Foucault explains, desire in the Sadian universe cannot be disrupted by values from the outside. By putting the sexual desires and fantasies of the individual on display as the "truth" of his narration, Sade makes them the organizing principle of both his narrative universe and his over-arching philosophy. As described by Foucault, the power of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hypersexuality in Neurological Disorders
    HYPERSEXUALITY IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS NATALIE AHMAD MAHMOUD TAYIM A thesis submitted to the Institute of Neurology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) University College London January 2019 Declaration of originality I, Natalie Ahmad Mahmoud Tayim, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. _________________________________ Natalie Ahmad Mahmoud Tayim ii Abstract The issue of hypersexuality in neurological disorders is grossly underreported. More research has been done into sexual dysfunction (outside of hypersexuality) in neurological disorders such as erectile dysfunction and hyposexuality (loss of libido). Furthermore, in Parkinson’s disease research, most mention of hypersexuality has been in conjunction with other impulse control disorders and has therefore not been examined in depth on its own. Although in recent years hypersexuality has become more recognized as an issue in research, there is still very limited information regarding its manifestations, impact, and correlates. It is therefore important to explore this area in detail in order to broaden understanding associated with this sensitive issue. Perhaps in doing so, barriers will be broken and the issue will become more easily discussed and, eventually, more systematically assessed and better managed. This thesis aims to serve as an exploratory paper examining prevalence, clinical phenomenology, impact, and potential feasible psychological interventions for hypersexuality in patients with neurological disorders and their carers. The thesis is divided into three main studies: 1. Study I: systematic review assessing prevalence, clinical phenomenology, successful treatment modalities, implicated factors contributing to the development, and assessment tools for hypersexuality in specific neurological disorders.
    [Show full text]
  • Libertarianism, Culture, and Personal Predispositions
    Undergraduate Journal of Psychology 22 Libertarianism, Culture, and Personal Predispositions Ida Hepsø, Scarlet Hernandez, Shir Offsey, & Katherine White ​ Kennesaw​ State University Abstract The United States has exhibited two potentially connected trends – increasing individualism and increasing interest in libertarian ideology. Previous research on libertarian ideology found higher levels of individualism among libertarians, and cross-cultural research has tied greater individualism to making dispositional attributions and lower altruistic tendencies. Given this, we expected to observe positive correlations between the following variables in the present research: individualism and endorsement of libertarianism, individualism and dispositional attributions, and endorsement of libertarianism and dispositional attributions. We also expected to observe negative correlations between libertarianism and altruism, dispositional attributions and altruism, and individualism and altruism. Survey results from 252 participants confirmed a positive correlation between individualism and libertarianism, a marginally significant positive correlation between libertarianism and dispositional attributions, and a negative correlation between individualism and altruism. These results confirm the connection between libertarianism and individualism observed in previous research and present several intriguing questions for future research on libertarian ideology. Key Words: Libertarianism, individualism, altruism, attributions individualistic, made apparent
    [Show full text]
  • Diogenes Laertius, Vitae Philosophorum, Book Five
    Binghamton University The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB) The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter 12-1986 The Lives of the Peripatetics: Diogenes Laertius, Vitae Philosophorum, Book Five Michael Sollenberger Mount St. Mary's University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/sagp Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, and the History of Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Sollenberger, Michael, "The Lives of the Peripatetics: Diogenes Laertius, Vitae Philosophorum, Book Five" (1986). The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter. 129. https://orb.binghamton.edu/sagp/129 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). It has been accepted for inclusion in The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter by an authorized administrator of The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). For more information, please contact [email protected]. f\îc|*zx,e| lîâ& The Lives of the Peripatetics: Diogenes Laertius, Vitae Philosoohorum Book Five The biographies of six early Peripatetic philosophers are con­ tained in the fifth book of Diogenes Laertius* Vitae philosoohorum: the lives of the first four heads of the sect - Aristotle, Theophras­ tus, Strato, and Lyco - and those of two outstanding members of the school - Demetrius of Phalerum and Heraclides of Pontus, For the history of two rival schools, the Academy and the Stoa, we are for­ tunate in having not only Diogenes' versions in 3ooks Four and Seven, but also the Index Academicorum and the Index Stoicorum preserved among the papyri from Herculaneum, But for the Peripatos there-is no such second source.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson in His Essay
    Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson In his essay “Self-Reliance,” Emerson begins with a definition of genius, a quality which he says he recently encountered in a poem written by an eminent painter. Genius is to “believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men.” Moses, Plato, and Milton had this quality of disregarding tradition and speaking their own thoughts, but most people dismiss these thoughts, only to recognize them later in works of acknowledged genius. At some point, every individual realizes that “imitation is suicide.” One’s own powers of perception and creativity are the most important gifts, and one can only be happy by putting one’s heart into the work at hand. Great individuals have always accepted their position in the age in which they lived and trusted their own ability to make the best of it. Children, and even animals, also have this enviable power of certitude in their undivided minds. Society requires conformity from its citizens, but to be a self-reliant individual is to be a nonconformist. “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Concepts such as good and evil, with which many people are accustomed to label their thoughts, are meaningless so long as people are true to themselves. Most people are swayed by irrelevant matters, such as how their conduct appears to others. The appearance of virtue is often a penance, which people perform because they think it makes them fit to live in the world, not because it expresses their true natures.
    [Show full text]
  • Full Name: Enlightenment: the Making of the Modern World Short
    Full Name: Enlightenment: The Making of the Modern World Short Title: Enlightenment Lecturer Name and Email Address: Darrell Jones ([email protected]) ECTS Weighting: 10 Semester Taught: HT Year: JS Content: The term ‘Enlightenment’ simultaneously refers to an historical period, a philosophical project, and a social and political process. The period covered most of the eighteenth century, though scholars disagree about when it began and ended. The project promoted reason, experience, and a secular ‘science of man’ over traditional and institutional sources of moral and intellectual authority, but its proponents were often in conflict with each other as much as with their mutual adversaries. The process established the modern concepts of liberty, equality, and rights, yet recent critics have attacked its initiators as racists, misogynists, and imperialists. Among the major Enlightenment thinkers were John Locke, Voltaire, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Paine, and Mary Wollstonecraft. For better or worse, their hopes for human progress and the future of civilization have shaped the contemporary world. This module will facilitate critical engagement with the complex phenomenon of Enlightenment by introducing historical definitions and current theories; exploring and examining central themes and texts; and considering and evaluating controversial issues that continue to influence public debate today. In the spirit of Enlightenment, the module will equip and encourage students to question their assumptions and think for themselves by placing claims to knowledge and power in historical and cultural context. Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of the module a student should be able to: 1. define Enlightenment as an historical, philosophical, and socio-political phenomenon; 2.
    [Show full text]
  • What Was 'The Enlightenment'? We Hear About It All the Time. It Was A
    What Was ‘The Enlightenment’? We hear about it all the time. It was a pivotal point in European history, paving the way for centuries of history afterward, but what was ‘The Enlightenment’? Why is it called ‘The Enlightenment’? Why did the period end? The Enlightenment Period is also referred to as the Age of Reason and the “long 18th century”. It stretched from 1685 to 1815. The period is characterized by thinkers and philosophers throughout Europe and the United States that believed that humanity could be changed and improved through science and reason. Thinkers looked back to the Classical period, and forward to the future, to try and create a trajectory for Europe and America during the 18th century. It was a volatile time marked by art, scientific discoveries, reformation, essays, and poetry. It begun with the American War for Independence and ended with a bang when the French Revolution shook the world, causing many to question whether ideas of egalitarianism and pure reason were at all safe or beneficial for society. Opposing schools of thought, new doctrines and scientific theories, and a belief in the good of humankind would eventually give way the Romantic Period in the 19th century. What is Enlightenment? Philosopher Immanuel Kant asked the self-same question in his essay of the same name. In the end, he came to the conclusion: “Dare to know! Have courage to use your own reason!” This was an immensely radical statement for this time period. Previously, ideas like philosophy, reason, and science – these belonged to the higher social classes, to kings and princes and clergymen.
    [Show full text]
  • French Reportive Comme Clauses: a Case of Parenthetical Adjunction
    French Reportive Comme Clauses: a case of parenthetical adjunction Marianne Desmets Laurent Roussarie Paris X – Nanterre University Paris 7 – Denis Diderot University Paris 7 – Denis Diderot University ENS Fontenay/Saint-Cloud 1 Introduction1 The French system of reported speech exhibits a particular construction introduced by the adverb comme—often translated by as in English. We call it Reportive Comme Clause (henceforth RCC)2. This construction has not received much attention in the French literature, mostly because the range of uses of comme is wide and fairly complex. But RCCs combine a large number of interesting syntactic, lexical and semantic features that justify considering them as a distinct construction3. Among works on the English counterpart of RCCs, we can mention Ross (1967), Partee (1973), and more recently Lapointe (1991) which presents a null operator analysis. We propose an analysis of this French construction as a parenthetical adjunct clause. We show that RCCs are extraction contexts and a subtype of free relative clauses. Contra Lapointe, we claim that it is not necessary to deal with any null operators or to posit any empty categories in order to account for RCC extraction. Instead, following current HPSG accounts, we propose a SLASH treatment for this filler-gap phrase. We integrate RCCs in the type hierarchy of phrases (proposed by Sag 1997, Abeillé et al. 1998 for French) as a subtype of head-adjunct phrase and head-filler phrase. We make a distinction between parenthetical adjuncts and head-modifying adjuncts that allows a simplified treatment for parentheticals. We also present an account of direct speech and quoted argument selection which involves a new type of non-canonical realization.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emotional Content of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological and Interpersonal Distress, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2017 Women’s Sexual Fantasies in Context: The Emotional Content of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological and Interpersonal Distress, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships Sarah Constantine The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2162 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] i Women’s Sexual Fantasies in Context: The Emotional Content of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological and Interpersonal Distress, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships By Sarah Constantine A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2017 ii © 2017 SARAH CONSTANTINE All Rights Reserved iii Women’s Sexual Fantasies in Context: The Emotional Content of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological and Interpersonal Distress, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships By Sarah Constantine This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Psychology in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. May 16th, 2017 Margaret Rosario ___________________________________________ Chair of Examining Committee Richard Bodnar ___________________________________________ Executive Officer Supervisory Committee Diana Diamond Lissa Weinstein Diana Puñales Steven Tuber THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract Women’s Sexual Fantasies in Context: The Emotional Content of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological and Interpersonal Distress, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships by Sarah Constantine The Graduate Center and City College, City University of New York Adviser: Margaret Rosario, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Phd Thesis the Anglo-American Reception of Georges Bataille
    1 Eugene John Brennan PhD thesis The Anglo-American Reception of Georges Bataille: Readings in Theory and Popular Culture University of London Institute in Paris 2 I, Eugene John Brennan, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signed: Eugene Brennan Date: 3 Acknowledgements This thesis was written with the support of the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP). Thanks to Dr. Anna-Louis Milne and Professor Andrew Hussey for their supervision at different stages of the project. A special thanks to ULIP Librarian Erica Burnham, as well as Claire Miller and the ULIP administrative staff. Thanks to my postgraduate colleagues Russell Williams, Katie Tidmash and Alastair Hemmens for their support and comradery, as well as my colleagues at Université Paris 13. I would also like to thank Karl Whitney. This thesis was written with the invaluable encouragement and support of my family. Thanks to my parents, Eugene and Bernadette Brennan, as well as Aoife and Tony. 4 Thesis abstract The work of Georges Bataille is marked by extreme paradoxes, resistance to systemization, and conscious subversion of authorship. The inherent contradictions and interdisciplinary scope of his work have given rise to many different versions of ‘Bataille’. However one common feature to the many different readings is his status as a marginal figure, whose work is used to challenge existing intellectual orthodoxies. This thesis thus examines the reception of Bataille in the Anglophone world by focusing on how the marginality of his work has been interpreted within a number of key intellectual scenes.
    [Show full text]
  • 10154.Ch01.Pdf
    © 2006 UC Regents Buy this book University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2006 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Urban, Hugh B. Magia sexualis : sex, magic, and liberation in modern Western esotericism / Hugh B. Urban. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-520-24776-5 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn-10: 0-520-24776-0 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Sex—Western countries—Miscellanea—History. 2. Magic— Western countries—History. 3. Liberty—Miscellanea—History. I. Title. bf1623.s4u73 2006 133.4'309—dc22j 2006010715 Manufactured in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 10987654321 This book is printed on Natures Book, which contains 50% post- consumer waste and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/ niso z 39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8 1 The Recurring Nightmare, the Elusive Secret Historical and Imaginary Roots of Sex Magic in the Western Tradition The whole power of Magic is founded on Eros. The way Magic works is to bring things together through their inherent similarity. marsilio ficino, De Amore Love is one of the great instruments of magical power, but it is categorically forbidden to the Magus, at least as an invocation or passion.
    [Show full text]
  • De Sade's Theatrical Passions
    06.puchner 4/19/05 2:28 PM Page 111 Martin Puchner Sade’s Theatrical Passions The Theater of the Revolution The Marquis de Sade entered theater history in 1964 when the Royal Shakespeare Company, under the direction of Peter Brook, presented a play by the unknown author Peter Weiss entitled, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.1 Marat/Sade, as the play is usually called, became an extraordinary success story.2 By com- bining narrators with techniques developed in a multi-year workshop entitled “Theater of Cruelty,” Marat/Sade managed to link the two modernist visionaries of the theater whom everybody had considered to be irreconcilable opposites: Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Marat/Sade not only fabricated a new revolutionary theater from the vestiges of modernism, it also coincided with a philosophical and cul- tural revision of the French revolution that had begun with Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s The Dialectics of Enlightenment (1944/69) and found a preliminary culmination in Michel Foucault’s History of Madness (1972). At the same time, the revival of Sade was fu- eled by the first complete publication of his work in French (1967) and by Roland Barthes’ landmark study, Sade Fourier Loyola (1971).3 Marat/Sade had thus hit a theatrical and intellectual nerve. Sade, however, belongs to theater history as more than just a char- acter in a play.Little is known about the historical Sade’s life-long pas- sion for the theater, about his work as a theater builder and manager, an actor and director.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Houellebecq and His Fictions
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2018 Reading Houellebecq And His Fictions Sterling Kouri University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Recommended Citation Kouri, Sterling, "Reading Houellebecq And His Fictions" (2018). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 3140. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/3140 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/3140 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reading Houellebecq And His Fictions Abstract This dissertation explores the role of the author in literary criticism through the polarizing protagonist of contemporary French literature, Michel Houellebecq, whose novels have been both consecrated by France’s most prestigious literary prizes and mired in controversies. The polemics defining Houellebecq’s literary career fundamentally concern the blurring of lines between the author’s provocative public persona and his work. Amateur and professional readers alike often assimilate the public author, the implied author and his characters, disregarding the inherent heteroglossia of the novel and reducing Houellebecq’s works to thesis novels necessarily expressing the private opinions and prejudices of the author. This thesis explores an alternative approach to Houellebecq and his novels. Rather than employing the author’s public figure to read his novels, I proceed in precisely the opposite
    [Show full text]