This thesis seeks to better understand the relationship of film genre to globalization through an examination of the use of the British romantic comedy and other related genres by the production company Working Title Films (WTF) from the 1900s through the 2000s. Because of the sudden and unexpected global success of British romantic comedies by Working Title Films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, the 1990s is a significant period for the study of the genre. In this examination the process of globalization is understood as one of complex connectivity postulated by John Tomlinson in Globalization and Culture as ‘the rapidly developing and ever-densening network of interconnections and interdependences that characterize modern social life’. This theory of globalization is used as a methodological framework to understand the complex network of global and local interconnections that has driven the development of Working Title Films over the past twenty five years to becoming one of the most important British production companies in the international film industry. Through a detailed analysis of the practices of development, production, distribution and exhibition by Working Title Films and the Hollywood dominated global film industry, this thesis seeks to understand the function of genre and genre films as cultural products, economic products and meaningful representations in the global market and to better understand Hollywood, mainstream film and cinema as social institution. The analysis in the following chapters serves as evidence to support the central argument of this thesis that the use of genre in the film industry’s production, distribution and exhibition processes of globalization was the critical area for Working Title Films to master in order to produce value as meaningful audience appeal and connectivity to global audiences for on-going economic success.

This thesis explores the films produced in the francophone Belgian region of Wallonia as a case study for the configuration of what will be termed a ‘transnational regional’ cinema. The first section of this dynamic is considered in relation to film and cultural policy, which problematizes the possible formation of a clearly delineated regional or ‘national’ cinema. This presupposes a reconfiguring of the transnational along the lines of the regional and the linguistic communities of Belgium, which, in essence, pertains to how production, distribution and exhibition mechanisms function within the devolved region of Wallonia. This section therefore focuses on film policy as well as a macro- and micro- economic analysis of the industry in order to consider the perceived imbalance between Belgian and French cinema. In the second half, the thesis develops a textual analysis of a series of case study films to consider how cultural film policy and francophone Belgian identity is imagined and then imaged on screen. The interplay between the transnational and the regional is then nuanced by the approaches to the ‘transnational regional’ aesthetic. This aesthetic includes the visualization of the rural and urban Walloon landscape in Eldorado (Bouli Lanners, 2008) and Ultranova (Lanners, 2006) and the ‘marked’ regional landscape in Cages (Olivier Masset-Depasse, 2006). The shift in location across the conterminous border with France due to the logic of film funding engenders the approach to the ‘marked’ regional space in Masset-Depasse’s film. The final chapter tracks this aesthetic through to the works of the Dardenne brothers and in particular Le gamin au vélo (Dardenne brothers, 2011) in order to approach the construction of a peripheral spatial formation through corporeal movements. This therefore necessitates a consideration of how the Dardenne brothers’ film chimes with waves of European filmmaking, thereby revealing a regional space that is conceptualized as de-centred.

Ce mémoire de recherche-création est accompagné du court métrage «Tala». Pour visionner en ligne : vimeo.com/ondemand/talapierphilippechevigny / Ce mémoire de recherche-création cherche à repérer trois figures de mise en scène dans le cinéma des frères Dardenne (la caméra portée à l'épaule, le cadrage restreint, le plan- séquence) et d’identifier en quoi celles-ci sont génératrices d’une tension transnarrative qui garde le spectateur en haleine, lui procure des affects, l'engage dans la narration, le choque ou le bouleverse : bref, lui fait vivre une expérience intense. Par une analyse de la scène d’ouverture de «Rosetta», nous décrirons comment la caméra mobile portée à l’épaule exprime l’affolement du personnage éponyme tout en proposant un pôle d’identification spectatoriel inédit. «Le Fils» sera ensuite étudié afin de cerner comment les frères Dardenne emploient le cadre comme un cache afin de générer une tension narrative dans une logique de réticence informationnelle. L’usage du plan-séquence, que nous suggérons d’interpréter comme une sorte de réalité virtuelle permettant de faire l’expérience de la solidarité sociale, fera également l’objet d’une analyse à partir de son usage dans «Deux jours une nuit». En guise de conclusion, nous verrons comment nous nous sommes inspirés de ces trois figures de mise en scène dans Tala, le court-métrage de fiction qui accompagne ce mémoire. / This research & creation thesis aims to identify three components of the Dardenne brothers' directing style (over-the-shoulder camera, tight framing and long take) and try to describe how they generate a transnarrative tension that captivates the audience, immerses it in the story, shock it or move it : in other words, these components make the viewer go through an intense experience. We will analyze the opening scene of "Rosetta" to describe how the over- the-shoulder camera visually translates the character's emotions whilst suggesting a new type of spectatorial identification. "Le Fils" will then be analyzed, hoping to demonstrate how the Dardennes' use of tight framing creates mystery and suspense by discarding narrative information. Finally, "Deux jours une nuit" will allow us to examine the brothers' use of the long take, which we choose to read as a type of virtual reality that allows the viewer to experience social solidarity. As a conclusion, we will explain how these three directing components have been recuperated in "Tala", the short fiction film that makes up the creation part of this thesis.

TITLE: About definition of the folk fairy-tale genre and about elaboration of the Snow-white theme in collections of chosen german authors (J. K. A. Musäus, A. L. Grimm and J. and W. Grimm) SUMMARY: This diploma thesis is concerned with the fairy-tale genre, which is defined as the folk fairy-tale, Snow-white theme and elaborations of this theme in collections of J. K. A. Musäus, A. L. Grimm and the Brothers Grimm. In context of the historico-literary period and in connection with the folk fairy-tale genre all processing are analysed and compared with each other. Märchen (1971) of Max Lüthi and Deutsche Märchen vor Grimm (1942) of Albert Wesselski are the fundamental publikations for this thesis. The main result is that the caption »Sneewittchen« of the Brothers Grimm correspondes closest to the folk fairy-tale genre, while »Richilde« of J. K. A. Musäus and »Schneewittchen« of A. L. Grimm as author's fairy-tale should be called. KEYWORDS: Fairy-tale genre, folk fairy-tale, collections of german authors, Snow-white theme, Johann Karl August Musäus, Albert Ludwig Grimm, Brothers Grimm

Na presente pesquisa foram contempladas intersecções entre os discursos de dois pares de gêmeos, seus responsáveis e dois de seus professores sobre os modos desses gêmeos agirem, pensarem e se comportarem no mundo. Procurou-se identificar se a construção das narrativas dos gêmeos sobre os significados que atribuem à vida familiar, à vida escolar, a si próprios e à relação com seu co-gêmeo é permeada pelos discursos e práticas educativas dos pais e professores e se as práticas educativas nas quais os gêmeos se inserem e os discursos que eles escutam a respeito de si próprios podem se configurar como profecias auto-realizadoras. O discurso a respeito dos processos de desenvolvimento humano, especialmente do desenvolvimento de gêmeos, costuma seguir forte tradição determinista. A fim de romper com tradições deterministas forjadas por pressupostos endógenos ou exógenos, utilizou-se referencial teórico bakhtiniano (BAKTHIN, 2003, 2009), da psicologia histórico-cultural de Vygotsky (1984, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004) e de autores que seguem essa linha teórica - como Oliveira (1990, 1993, 1997, 2002), Pino (2000, 2005), Rossetti-Ferreira et al. (2004, 2008, 2010), Smolka (1993, 2002, 2004), Rego (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004) - além de estabelecer debates com autores da sociologia (LAHIRE, 1997, 2002; ELIAS, 1994). O referencial teórico adotado privilegia as relações situadas social e historicamente, as significações que o indivíduo faz de si próprio e de seu mundo e a noção de sujeito discursivo e da importância das narrativas. Esta investigação visa compreender o lugar do outro nas narrativas e nas versões que os gêmeos construíram sobre si. Conhecer as expectativas de importantes agentes do processo educativo e as maneiras de apropriação desses discursos pelos gêmeos pode ajudar a reorientar modos de agir e de educar essa parcela da população. Apesar de a pesquisa ser feita especificamente com gêmeos, sua contribuição se dá também num campo mais amplo, do desenvolvimento em geral. Isso ocorre porque gêmeos são tratados como casos emblemáticos do estudo do desenvolvimento ao evidenciarem o caráter de construção da subjetividade, possibilitando o estudo de questões que acabam sendo postas para todos os indivíduos. Num âmbito maior, a pesquisa possibilita entender como as pessoas constroem versões de si próprias atravessadas pelos discursos que os outros constroem a respeito delas. A análise aponta para a importância de práticas sócio-discursivas dos outros para a constituição das versões que as pessoas fazem sobre si. A conclusão também incide sobre a necessária reflexão, por parte de pais e de professores, a respeito de seus papéis como mediadores entre seus filhos/alunos e o mundo cultural e simbólico que eles vivem, uma vez que as práticas discursivas e educativas utilizadas por eles são internalizadas por seus filhos/alunos. Constata-se, também, que os gêmeos fazem uma atualização dos lugares e dos significados sociais estabelecidos pelos pais e professores sobre seus modos de ser, de agir e de pensar e que as práticas sócio-discursivas podem, portanto, se configurar, muitas vezes, como fortes circunscritores dos processos de desenvolvimento desses jovens. / In the present study were covered intersections between discourses of two pairs of twins, their parents and two of their teachers about the ways these twins act, think and behave in the world. We sought to identify whether the construction of narratives of the twins on the meanings they attach to family life, school life, themselves and the relationship with their cotwin is permeated by the discourses and educational practices of parents and teachers and practices education in which the twins are in and the discourses they hear about themselves can be configured as self-fulfilling prophecies. Speaking about the processes of human development and especially the twin development typically follows a strong tradition of determinism. In order to break with tradition forged by deterministic assumptions endogenous or exogenous, we used theoretical Bakhtinian (BAKTHIN, 2003, 2009) and cultural-historical psychology of Vygotsky (1984, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004) and authors who follow this theoretical line, as Oliveira (1990, 1993, 1997, 2002), Pino (2000, 2005), Rossetti-Ferreira et al. (2004, 2008, 2010), Smolka (1993, 2002, 2004), Rego (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004) and to establish discussions with authors in sociology (LAHIRE, 1997, 2002; ELIAS, 1994) theoretical framework capable of focusing on links situated socially and historically, the meanings that the individual makes of himself and his world and the notion of subject and the importance of discursive narratives. This research aims to understand the other\'s place in the narratives and versions built on the twins themselves. Knowing the expectations of important stakeholders in the educational process and ways of appropriation of these discourses by the twins can help to reorient ways and to educate this segment of the population. Although the research was done specifically with twins, its contribution is made also in a broader field of development in general. This is because twins are treated as emblematic cases of the development study which show the character of subjectivity construction, allowing the study of questions that are put to all individuals. On a wider scale, the research allows to understand how people construct versions of themselves traversed by the speeches that others built about them. The analysis points to the importance of socio-discursive practices of others to the formation of the versions that people have about themselves. The conclusion also relates to the necessary reflection of parents and teachers about their roles as mediators between their children / students and the cultural and symbolic world that they live, as the discursive practices and practices used by them are internalized by their children / students. There is relevant that the twins make an update of the \"places\" and social meanings established by parents and teachers about their ways of being, acting and thinking and that the sociodiscursive practices can therefore be set often as strong constraints of development processes of these young people.

Ecological planning relies on a keen awareness of relationships between biophysical and social processes, then uses this knowledge for decision making in accommodating for human needs. The value of this planning process allows for design intervention while also ensuring a sustained use of the landscape, with these insights blending skill and artistry into place-making. In the 1960s, environmental concerns galvanized a generation of landscape architects who first codified ecological planning as a rationale for decisions with environmental stewardship. While this is the accepted canon, in the early 20th century during a period of experimentation and exploration, the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm was using ecological principles as foundations for landscape architecture practice. This thesis challenges current discourse and accepted history, presenting evidence that the Olmsted Brothers' work in the 1920s predated many modern ecological theories and applications, and is an important addition to the historiography of ecological planning. This thesis largely focuses on Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. as the central historical figure, offering a more in-depth understanding of the evolution of the firm, and fills the gap of the Olmsted legacy. As the children of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (1870-1957) along with his brother John Charles Olmsted (1852-1920) co-founded the Olmsted Brothers and created one of the most prolific landscape architecture practices, developing projects in all aspects of landscape design. The Olmsted Brothers' work in California accounts for over 200 projects, and ranks among the highest number of their 5000 designs developed in the United States. In the early 20th century, the city of Los Angeles offered significant ecological, cultural, and technological challenges for the firm, with the city's unbridled urbanization and proliferate use of water and automobility. Rich in solutions, the firm's built and proposed designs over the course of 20 years revealed the discipline of landscape architecture in its richest and most scalar form. From small scale gardens, residential communities, park and parkway systems, to open space and watershed planning, the Olmsted Brothers created public spaces that worked in relationship to the ecology of the region during a critical juncture in the history of regional planning in Southern California. A range of methods were utilized in this thesis. Primary data provided both qualitative and quantitative material for study and was extracted from letters, reports and writing, drawings, photos, plans and maps. Over 20,000 primary documents, written by the firm's principals, provided the basis for analysis, and in a new way, this thesis interprets not only the written documents, but related construction documents developed from 1914 - 1931. As part of its data collection, an original contribution of this study is a comprehensive corpus of Olmsted Brothers source material from their work in Los Angeles. Methodologies sought to modify these documents into a spatial understanding of their work through digital analysis and re-creation of designs. The Olmsted Brothers' design solutions provide insights into today's ongoing concerns about water management, sustainable urban planning, and multifunctional landscapes. Their design proposals solved multiple problems with the design, accounting for not only vast geography, but complex cultural and natural systems within it. The value of their ideas reflects landscape architecture solutions as hybrid, dynamic, and strategic, offering 21st century practitioners paradigms in an ever-changing ecology.

In einer gemeinsamen Übergabezeremonie restituierten am 30. April 2019 die Universitätsbibliotheken der Universität Wien und der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien sechs Bücher an die Nachfahren der Wiener Buchhandlung "Brüder Suschitzky".

This thesis is an examination of the history of Salter Bros Ltd and the firms connected with it. Founded in 1858, it became not only one of the most important businesses associated with the recent history of the Upper Thames, but also a significant employer in Oxford. The study takes a thematic approach, which involves examining the five main areas of the firm’s commercial activities, which were: providing services for the sport of rowing (chapter 1), boat-building (chapter 2), boat-letting (chapter 3), passenger boat operating (chapter 4) and property development (chapter 5). This thesis draws on the firm’s archive, which has previously been unavailable to scholars. The mainly quantitative data from the archive is contextualised by reference to wider qualitative sources, although there is not always much comparative information to draw on. Finally, it focuses on the evolution of the workforce, which shows how the business managed to survive both the impact of the industrialisation of Oxford in the twentieth century and some of the challenges associated with family firms (chapter 6). By examining the areas shown above, the work sheds light on our understanding of (1) the socio-economic context of Oxford and the Thames, (2) the development of different forms of water-based leisure, and (3) how a family firm overcame some of the classic weaknesses of such businesses. Chapter 1 analyses the contribution that the firm made to the sport of rowing. The family moved to a riverside tavern in the mid-1830s and this resulted in heavy involvement with the rowing scene. They made a successful transition from professional oarsmen to successful racing boat-builders, which led to John and Stephen Salter moving to Oxford to start their own business in 1858. By exploiting the strong local rowing scene they built their firm up to be the market leader in the 1860s. Supplying craft for the Oxford and Cambridge (university) boat race was important for helping the business gain worldwide fame and, although Salters’ lost the ascendency in the 1870s, it provided a wide range of services for the sport until the second half of the twentieth century. It then slowly became divorced from the rowing scene and, despite a brief renaissance in the 1970s, the company finally bowed out of racing boat construction at the end of the 1980s. Chapter 2 explores the development of the boat-building side of the business. The firm was a major producer of craft and it was especially busy in the late 1920s and late 1970s, when new products helped to stimulate demand. By examining four areas of expertise (steel manufacturing, motorised boats, corporation craft and fibreglass construction) it becomes clear that the business was relatively slow to embrace new technology. Yet although it was not particularly innovative, Salters’ successfully exploited a number of emerging markets, like supplying craft for council-run boating lakes from the 1920s onwards. After a period of decline in the 1960s, the firm’s boat-building department was briefly revived by the introduction of fibreglass construction in the following decade, although this brought to an end skilled craftsmanship in the industry. Salters’ had to be flexible in order to survive, as is shown by the contract work it took on during the two World Wars, but in the second half of the twentieth century the firm’s focus moved away from boat-building towards providing leisure services. Chapter 3 examines the nature and timing of the rise of pleasure boating on the Thames and Salters’ role in promoting it. The railway destroyed much of the carrying trade on the river, but the waterway gained a new lease of life by the rise of leisure activities on it. Different types of boating were popular at different times and certain waterside locations were busier than others, but it is possible to discern short-term peaks in pleasure boating on the Upper Thames, as a whole, in the early 1890s and either side of the First World War (although the river became busier still after the Second World War). There were many factors contributing to the rise of leisure on the waterway, but Salters’ helped to popularise ‘the Thames trip’ between London and Oxford, which was linked to the growth of camping. The firm’s fortunes were also closely tied to the local market and by the late 1880s it had one of the largest fleets of rental craft in the country. Salters’ had to diversify according to changing fashions in pleasure boating, but after the 1920s there was a slow reduction in the number of craft it operated, until it stopped boat-letting altogether in the early 1990s – although this side of the business was revived a decade later, albeit on a smaller scale. Chapter 4 explores the firm’s involvement with passenger services on the waterway. The long-distance steamboat trips took much longer to become established on the Upper Thames, because of the logistical problems caused by having to pass through locks. Salters’ was the first business to make a success of running between Oxford and Kingston and it did this by forging a close association with the railway, which opened up the river to the day-trip market, and by building up its fleet to establish a monopoly over the long-distance journey. The service had to overcome many challenges, but one of the most serious problems it faced was the growth in pleasure boating after the Second World War. Although passenger numbers on the steamers peaked in the 1970s, general traffic on the river also reached record levels, which caused significant delays and forced the firm to end the through-service between Oxford and Kingston. Furthermore, by catering for the growing demand for shorter round trips Salters’ was drawn into direct competition with other companies that were already focused on this market. By the end of the twentieth century, the firm was no longer dominating the waterway and it was heavily reliant on income from both its home city of Oxford and private parties. Chapter 5 examines the extent and significance of the property the firm came to occupy. Salters’ acquired many new properties in order to expand the business and the firm’s success also enabled it to accumulate residential accommodation, which was part of the employment package offered to its staff, as well as being a source of rental income. The commercial sites were useful for preventing competitors from encroaching on the firm’s territory, whilst they were also subsequently used for further development. Most importantly, the property was a reservoir of capital that Salters’ relied upon in times of financial hardship. Chapter 6 focuses on how the workforce evolved in the twentieth century, which sheds light on how the business survived both the industrialisation of Oxford and some of the challenges associated with family firms. Salters’ went from being an employer with a highly skilled and local workforce to one that had fewer specialised craftsmen and which recruited mainly from outside the city. This was symptomatic of the city’s employment market that had been transformed by the motor industry in the interwar period, as well as the firm’s greater focus on its passenger boats, which was connected with it. Salters’ had to be flexible to accommodate the changes, but it was unable to compete with the high wages offered in the car factories and a shortage of local labour meant that it not only struggled to retain employees, particularly its skilled craftsmen, but standards of discipline also deteriorated. Nevertheless, the impact of wage competition was mitigated by the firm’s paternalism and the considerable appeal of working on the passenger boats. The latter offered an enjoyable lifestyle that was very different from the working environment of other waterway communities. The Salter family also played an important part in the survival of their company.

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise intertextual do romance The Solid Mandala, do escritor australiano, ganhador do prêmio Nobel, Patrick White, publicado em 1966, como parte de um esforço para estimular estudos sobre sua obra no Brasil e para investigar por que sua fortuna crítica tem passado por uma fase negativa recentemente. Primeiro, mostramos brevemente sua biografia e as condições relacionadas à produção e publicação de The Solid Mandala. Em seguida, apresentamos o contexto histórico do romance. As relações de conflito e complementação envolvendo os irmãos gêmeos Waldo e Arthur Brown na narrativa são analisadas, com destaque para a relação deles com a literatura (um tema importante no romance), retratando o papel das personagens como leitores e escritores na história, apreendendo, assim, seus sentimentos, suas visões de mundo e filosofia de vida (Waldo aspira à uma carreira de escritor e Arthur de fato compõe um poema). Os estudos de Gérard Genette sobre Narratologia são utilizados para embasar a análise, particularmente na relação intertextual entre The Solid Mandala e The Brothers Karamazov, do escritor F. Dostoyevsky, que é o título que chama a atenção de Arthur. Na busca pelo todo de sua vida, Arthur incorpora vários elementos (centrados em um único ponto, suas mandalas) e consegue criar sua própria filosofia. No final vemos que Arthur transcende sua realidade ao usar a leitura do romance russo como um instrumento. Esse estudo destaca a pertinência de revisitar a obra de Patrick White (uma vez que ela prova estar em sintonia com as questões filosóficas sendo discutidas atualmente) e coloca The Solid Mandala no contexto da literatura mundial. / This work performs an intertextual analysis of the Nobel Prize winning Australian novelist Patrick White’s The Solid Mandala, published in 1966, as part of an effort to boost studies of his novels in Brazil and to investigate why his critical fortune has been undergoing a negative phase recently. First, we briefly present his biography and the conditions surrounding the writing and publication of The Solid Mandala. Later on, we present the historical context of the novel. The relations of conflict and complementation involving the twin brothers Waldo and Arthur Brown in the narrative are analysed, but we focus on their relation to literature (which is an important theme in the novel), depicting their roles as readers and writers in the story, thus, apprehending their feelings towards each other, worldviews and outlook on life (Waldo aspires to become a great writer, and Arthur actually produces a poem). Gérard Genette’s studies on Narratology are used to support our analysis, particularly in the intertextual relation between The Solid Mandala and F. Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, which is the title that calls Arthur’s attention. In his pursue to find the whole of his life, Arthur incorporates various elements (centred at just one point, his mandalas) and is able to create his own philosophy. At the end we see that Arthur transcends his reality by using the reading of the Russian novel as an instrument. This study enlightens the pertinence of revisiting Patrick White’s oeuvre (since it proves to be so well tuned in to the current philosophical issues being discussed), and places The Solid Mandala in the context of worldwide literature.

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise intertextual do romance The Solid Mandala, do escritor australiano, ganhador do prêmio Nobel, Patrick White, publicado em 1966, como parte de um esforço para estimular estudos sobre sua obra no Brasil e para investigar por que sua fortuna crítica tem passado por uma fase negativa recentemente. Primeiro, mostramos brevemente sua biografia e as condições relacionadas à produção e publicação de The Solid Mandala. Em seguida, apresentamos o contexto histórico do romance. As relações de conflito e complementação envolvendo os irmãos gêmeos Waldo e Arthur Brown na narrativa são analisadas, com destaque para a relação deles com a literatura (um tema importante no romance), retratando o papel das personagens como leitores e escritores na história, apreendendo, assim, seus sentimentos, suas visões de mundo e filosofia de vida (Waldo aspira à uma carreira de escritor e Arthur de fato compõe um poema). Os estudos de Gérard Genette sobre Narratologia são utilizados para embasar a análise, particularmente na relação intertextual entre The Solid Mandala e The Brothers Karamazov, do escritor F. Dostoyevsky, que é o título que chama a atenção de Arthur. Na busca pelo todo de sua vida, Arthur incorpora vários elementos (centrados em um único ponto, suas mandalas) e consegue criar sua própria filosofia. No final vemos que Arthur transcende sua realidade ao usar a leitura do romance russo como um instrumento. Esse estudo destaca a pertinência de revisitar a obra de Patrick White (uma vez que ela prova estar em sintonia com as questões filosóficas sendo discutidas atualmente) e coloca The Solid Mandala no contexto da literatura mundial. / This work performs an intertextual analysis of the Nobel Prize winning Australian novelist Patrick White’s The Solid Mandala, published in 1966, as part of an effort to boost studies of his novels in Brazil and to investigate why his critical fortune has been undergoing a negative phase recently. First, we briefly present his biography and the conditions surrounding the writing and publication of The Solid Mandala. Later on, we present the historical context of the novel. The relations of conflict and complementation involving the twin brothers Waldo and Arthur Brown in the narrative are analysed, but we focus on their relation to literature (which is an important theme in the novel), depicting their roles as readers and writers in the story, thus, apprehending their feelings towards each other, worldviews and outlook on life (Waldo aspires to become a great writer, and Arthur actually produces a poem). Gérard Genette’s studies on Narratology are used to support our analysis, particularly in the intertextual relation between The Solid Mandala and F. Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, which is the title that calls Arthur’s attention. In his pursue to find the whole of his life, Arthur incorporates various elements (centred at just one point, his mandalas) and is able to create his own philosophy. At the end we see that Arthur transcends his reality by using the reading of the Russian novel as an instrument. This study enlightens the pertinence of revisiting Patrick White’s oeuvre (since it proves to be so well tuned in to the current philosophical issues being discussed), and places The Solid Mandala in the context of worldwide literature.