The Theme and Poetic Function of Space in Theodor Fontane's Works
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THE THEME AND POETIC FUNCTION OF SPACE IN THEODOR FONTANE'S WORKS Michael James White A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2009 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/969 This item is protected by original copyright The Theme and Poetic Function of Space in Theodor Fontane‘s Works Michael James White Thesis submitted to the University of St Andrews for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 14th December 2009 ii Declaration I, Michael White hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2006 and as a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy in 2007; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2006 and 2009. date …........… signature of candidate ……… I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of .......................……… in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. date …........… signature of supervisor ……… In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to all or part of printed copy but embargo of all or part of electronic publication of thesis for a period of five years on the following ground: publication would preclude future publication. date ……............ signature of candidate ……............. signature of supervisor ………....... iii Abstract This thesis proposes a new view of space in Theodor Fontane‘s writing as both a mode of literary expression and an object of literary inquiry: space serves a poetic function and is a thematic concern. The research draws on theories of literary space which focus on spatial structures and topographies, as well as those which provide critical tools for analysing individual passages of description, especially focalisation, which elucidates the influence of the viewing figure in the text. Significantly, the subjective experience of a perceptive observer is central to Fontane‘s conception of aesthetic processes, and as a result, an analysis of spatial representation often uncovers reflexive discourses on art, its function and value. On the basis of this insight, this study provides new readings of a range of texts, including less well-established and non-fictional works, as well as recognised masterpieces. In Fontane‘s local travelogues, the Wanderungen, the poetic function of space is rare, while many passages reflect on the environment‘s potential significance. The early novels explore spatial representation as a means of constructing textual symbolism. Spatial representation in Vor dem Sturm functions as a strategy of relativisation; in Schach von Wuthenow and Graf Petöfy topographies and pregnant descriptions serve as commentaries on characters‘ levels of awareness. The mature novels Irrungen Wirrungen and Unwiederbringlich explore the sources and practical implications of reading objects in the world as signs. Space retains its formal role, but the represented figural experience of the novels‘ worlds becomes a vehicle for reflexive analysis of the world‘s perceived meanings. Similarly, in Der Stechlin different types of relationships with exterior reality are expressed spatially, and, as elsewhere, the capacity for aesthetic appreciation is represented positively. This entails and indeed produces critical distance towards modernity: isolated Stechlin is a locus of poetry, a testament to literature‘s importance and vitality. iv Acknowledgements In the course of writing this thesis, I have received help and advice from many people, too many to name. I should, however, like to thank my supervisor Prof. Helen Chambers, for constructive criticism and encouragement throughout the project. Some of the ideas in this thesis were presented to the members of the Fontane-Kreis Großbritannien und Irland, who gave helpful pointers; many thanks to them. I am particularly indebted to the St Andrews School of Modern Languages for financial assistance, and to the Baden-Württemberg-Stiftung, whose generosity made possible a productive year‘s work at the Albert-Ludwigs- Universität in Freiburg. All my friends and family deserve my thanks, above all my parents, grandfather, and Frank Buck. Finally, I am especially grateful to Margaret Keightley, for her kind support and listening ear. v Contents 1 Introduction...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Space and Fontane..................................................................................1 1.2 Methodological Approaches to Space in Literature...............................5 1.3 Literary Space and Fontane‘s Poetics..................................................16 1.4 Literature Review.................................................................................19 1.5 Summary and Aims..............................................................................27 2 Spatial Representation and the Boundaries of the Literary Text: Die Grafschaft Ruppin....................................................................................................................30 2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................30 2.2 Rhetorical Representation....................................................................38 2.3 Interpretative Representation...............................................................47 2.4 Poetic Representation...........................................................................56 2.5 Conclusion............................................................................................70 3 Spatial Representation as a Strategy of Relativisation: Vor dem Sturm.............73 3.1 Introduction: a ‗Vielheits-Roman‘.......................................................73 3.2 Characterisation of Multifaceted Figures.............................................79 3.3 Relativisation through Spatial Polyphony............................................86 3.4 Relativisation through Spatial Continuity............................................97 3.5 Conclusion..........................................................................................109 4 The Spatial Representation of Awareness: Schach von Wuthenow and Graf Petöfy....................................................................................................................112 4.1 Introduction.........................................................................................112 4.2 Schach von Wuthenow........................................................................114 4.2.1 Introduction..........................................................................114 4.2.2 Berlin: The Salon and Sala Tarone......................................117 4.2.3 Tempelhof............................................................................122 4.2.4 Wuthenow am See...............................................................127 4.2.5 Summary..............................................................................134 4.3 Graf Petöfy..........................................................................................134 4.3.1 Introduction..........................................................................134 4.3.2 Vienna..................................................................................136 4.3.3 Öslau....................................................................................139 4.3.4 Arpa......................................................................................143 4.3.5 Symbolic Spatial Dichotomies and the Arpa Landscape.....146 4.4 Conclusion..........................................................................................153 5 Spatial Representation and ‗die künstlerische Betrachtung des Lebens‘: Irrungen Wirrungen and Unwiederbringlich........................................................156 5.1 Introduction.........................................................................................156 5.2 Irrungen Wirrungen............................................................................158 5.2.1 Introduction..........................................................................158