This thesis will posit that a query of the medieval trope, Fortune, can be read as a query into femininity. Fortune is depicted with many quintessentially medieval feminine traits, and women in texts that discuss Fortune often have Fortune's traits. While texts that link Fortune and femininity usually do so to censure women, some writers turned the trope to their advantage for just the opposite purpose. Both Chaucer in the "Monk's Tale" and Christine de Pizan personify Fortune to subtly point out the flaws in antifeminist medieval view of women. This thesis explores the ways in which these writers cleverly took advantage of genre and characterization to use Fortune to defend women and womanhood.

No description available.

Le cri de La Sourde et autres marées s'articule autour d'une poignée de personnages singuliers qui ont peuplé l'enfance de ma mère et traversé la mienne lors de mes séjours estivaux chez les grands-parents, en Matanie . Le récit traverse plusieurs époques, évoque le naufrage du Longfellow à Petit-Matane, la présence en mer gaspésienne de sous-marins allemands et se façonne à partir de superstitions, de rumeurs, de disparitions et de fragments d’histoires croisées. Qu’ont en commun le grand-père barbier Louis-Harmel et Al Capone, le Cordonnier-pas-de-pattes, Phirin l’infirme, La Pipi, La Pouette et La Sourde ? Comment encore ma mère née à Girouxville, dans l’Ouest canadien, s’est-elle retrouvée à grandir en sol surlilois ? Adoptant le rythme des marées, l’écriture traverse le grondement sourd des silences et des non-dits, dans une tentative de sauver de l’oubli des parcelles de mémoire. L’enjeu repose sur l'impossibilité pour la mère – son incapacité ou ce qui pourrait s'apparenter à un refus – de transmettre l’héritage mémoriel et la nécessité pour la fille d'en assurer, par la création littéraire, la continuation. C'est dans le personnage de La Sourde que se trouve la clé métaphorique de la quête. La partie réflexion intitulée Mères et filles : du langage fragmenté à l’écriture de filiation s’intéresse à l’importance des silences de la mère chez Louise Dupré et des mères passées sous silence chez Marie Christine Bernard. L’étude interroge la fracture langagière au sein de la dyade mère-fille et s’attarde à la façon qu’a la figure maternelle, même indicible, de s’immiscer dans le corps même d’une écriture. Ce volet de la thèse explore le langage en fonction de la cassure mémorielle, et tente d'établir un recoupement entre les écritures discontinues, la pratique du fragment littéraire et l'écriture de filiation. / Entitled Le cri de La Sourde et autres marées, the fictional part of the thesis revolves around a handful of singular characters with whom my mother grew up and that I encountered during my summer stays in Matanie . From fragments of historical facts such as the sinking of the Longfellow in 1902 on the shore of Petit-Matane and the unexpected presence of German submarines in the St. Lawrence waters by the end of WW2, the shaping of the story works as an assemblage of souvenirs, rumours, superstitions and unexplained disappearances. What links a humble barber such as my grandfather Louis-Harmel to the notorious Al Capone? How did the Cordonnier-pas-de-pattes (No-legs-shoemaker), the woman know as La Pipi (The Peepee), La Pouette and La Sourde (The Deaf Girl) get their nicknames? Then again why was my Albertan born mother raised in Gaspésie, on the east coast afar from her biological family of sixteen children? Adopting the movement of the tides, the writing seeks the rumbling sound of silences and unsaid truths seeking to rescue some shreds of memoria. What is at stake here finds its roots in the impossibility for the mother – or what could be interpreted as her refusal to transmit the family history – and the imperative urge for the daughter to insure its continuation. The metaphorical key of this fiction resides in La Sourde and her tragic destiny. Mères et filles : du langage fragmenté à l’écriture de filiation, the second part of the thesis, addresses the mother’s silence and mothers as silent or absent figures in the works of Louise Dupré and Marie Christine Bernard. The research aims to show how the mother figure in some women's fiction could very well be operating in the clandestine. In other words: are there links to be found between the maternal silence (or the silenced maternal) and the fragmentation marks in the structure, language and the narrative body of a text. This study explores silence and language boundaries, rupture and mother-daughter bonds within literary modern writing aesthetics.

Thesis (MA (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling met hierdie studie is om die verskyning en ontvangs van Afrikaanse dig-debuutbundels teen die millenniumwending met behulp van die polisisteemteorie te bestudeer. Dié teorie behels dat die literatuur as 'n sisteem tussen ander sisteme in die samelewing beskryf word. In hierdie geval word die sisteemgrens tot die Afrikaanse poësie beperk. Die resepsies van die ses debuutbundels wat in 1999–2000 verskyn het en wat vir die Ingrid Jonker-prys in aanmerking geneem is, word ondersoek. Binne die polisisteemverband word 'n studie onderneem na die marginalisering van die Afrikaanse poësie; dít terwyl die poësie as sodanig reeds 'n gemarginaliseerde genre is. Dié marginalisering is grootliks die gevolg van ekonomiese oorwegings – hoofstroomuitgewers dink twee maal daaroor voordat hulle 'n digbundel uitgee, veral 'n debuutdigbundel. Terwyl die poësie in die orale vorm toenemend gewild blyk te wees, is daar nie veel publikasie-moontlikhede vir debuutdigters nie. Hierdie toestand gaan veral die opkomende digters nadelig tref. In hoofstuk 1 word 'n uiteensetting van die studie gegee. Die stand van sake in die Afrikaan-se poësiesisteem teen die millenniumwending word voorlopig beskryf. Die doel van die navorsing, die afbakening van die studie-objek en die hoofstukindeling van die tesis word uiteengesit. Hoofstuk 2 bied 'n uiteensetting van die polisisteemteorie, wat gegrond is op die werk van die Russiese Formaliste. Verder word aandag bestee aan 'n omskrywing van die poli-sisteem, die struktuur van die polisisteem en die toepassingsmoontlikhede van die teorie. 'n Teoretiese oorsig van kanonisering in die literatuur word in hoofstuk 3 onderneem. In dié hoofstuk word die verskillende definisies van die konsep kanon gegee, die verskillende soorte kanons en die proses van kanonvorming word bespreek. Laastens word die invloede van kanonisering vermeld. Die Afrikaanse literêre veld is die fokuspunt in hoofstuk 4, waar die poësie as gemargina-liseerde genre, die voorkoms van die Afrikaanse poësieveld, die Ingrid Jonker-prys en die rol van die uitgewer bespreek word. Die vraag na die afwesigheid van die "nuwe stemme" in die letterkunde word ook ondersoek. Die toekoms van die Afrikaanse poësie word verder onder die soeklig geplaas. In hoofstuk 5 word 'n studie onderneem van die resepsies van die ses debuutbundels van 1999–2000. Die resensent as kritikus en die taak van resensente word eerstens ondersoek. Kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe ondersoeke word onderneem ten einde na te gaan welke van die debutante moontlik die kanondrempel kan oorsteek. In die slothoofstuk, hoofstuk 6, word die bevindinge van die ondersoek saamgevat ten einde die gesprek oor die Afrikaanse poësie verder te voer. Verdere moontlike navorsingsterreine word uitgestippel. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to examine the publication and reception of first volumes of poetry at the end of the twentieth century by means of the polysystem theory. This theory maintains that literature should be considered as a system within other systems in society. In this case the systemic boundary is limited to Afrikaans poetry. The reception of six first volumes of poetry that appeared between 1999 and 2000 and were taken into account for the Ingrid Jonker Prize is investigated. A study is made of the reception of Afrikaans poetry within the polysystemic context and in the light of the fact that poetry is already a marginalised genre. This marginalisation is largely the result of economic pressures – mainstream publishers think twice before publishing a volume of poetry, especially a first volume. While poetry, particularly oral poetry, seems to be increasingly popular, there are few publishing opportunities for new poets. This situation is going to affect especially upcoming poets negatively. Chapter 1 gives an outline of the study. The state of affairs in the Afrikaans poetry system at the end of the twentieth century is described briefly. The aim of the research, the delimitation of the field of study, and the organisation of the chapters of the thesis are set out. Chapter 2 offers an explanation of polysystems theory, which has its foundations in Russian Formalism. The chapter also describes the structure of a polysystem and discusses the possible applications of the theory. Chapter 3 presents a theoretical overview of the process of canonisation in literature. Different definitions of the concept of the canon are given and the process and effects of canonisation are considered. Chapter 4 focuses on Afrikaans literature, including discussion of poetry as a marginalised genre, the future of Afrikaans poetry, the Ingrid Jonker Prize, and the role of the publisher. The issue of the absence of "new voices" in literature is also investigated, as well as the future of Afrikaans poetry. Chapter 5 examines the reception of six first volumes of poetry between 1999 and 2000. The reviewer as literary critic and the function of reviewing are considered first. Qualitative and quantitative studies are undertaken in order to determine which of the first volumes might be incorporated into the canon. Chapter 6 draws together the findings of the investigation in order to extend the discussion on Afrikaans poetry. Possible areas of research are suggested.

TITLE: "Two different views on education presented in the children's and youth literature in the first and second half of the 20th century. - A comparison of selected novels by Erich Kästner and Christine Nöstlinger." AUTHOR: Hedwiga Kašlík DEPARTMENT: Department of German language and literature SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Tamara Bučková, Ph. D. ABSTRACT: The thesis compares two different views on education presented in the children's and youth literature in the first and second half of the 20th century with the help of selected works. The first focus is on Erich Kästner, as a representative of the pre-war generation, and his novels Emil und die Detektive (1929) and Das fliegende Klassenzimmer (1933). The second author is the Austrian writer Christine Nöstlinger, who began her literary action in 70s of the 20th century. From her were chosen the books Der Spatz in der Hand (1974) and Das Austauschkind (1982). All novels are analyzed with respect to their educational content and compared to the intentions of the author. The conclusion of the thesis will be a comparison between the different attitudes of the authors. KEYWORDS: Erich Kästner, Emil und die Detektive, Das fliegende Klassenzimmer, Christine Nöstlinger, Der Spatz in der Hand, Das Austauschkind, children's and youth literature, view on education

The thesis is a contribution to the social history of the Middle Ages. It investigates a phenomenon called courtly love, fully expressed at the noble court through an analysis of Thomas Malory's and Chrètien de Troyes' Arthurian romances, letters of Christine de Pisan and auxiliary sources. Its origin and expressions in a period literature, mostly of southern France, its inspirational sources and a continuation of Celtic folklore tradition is discussed in the initial chapters. The next part deals with individual forms of the courtly love and their effects on a gender relationship in a knightly class. The actual activity of a medieval woman and her opportunity to participate in public, ascribed social roles and a development of a masculine view is discussed in following chapters. The final part is engaged in a falling of a knightly ideal as well as a significance of the knight and his dame.

L’engouement du Moyen-Âge pour le mythe troyen se traduit tout particulièrement à travers sa figure centrale, Hector. Benoît de Sainte-Maure, qui s’appuie sur la tradition homérique telle que l’a transmise la littérature latine tardive (Ilias latina, Éphéméride de la guerre de Troie de Dictys de Crète, Histoire de la destruction de Troie de Darès le Phrygien), fait du fils de Priam le héros incontesté de son œuvre, le Roman de Troie, et glorifie les exploits de ce guerrier à la prouesse exemplaire. Ce texte constitue le jalon majeur de la construction du mythe d’Hector à l’époque médiévale, dont témoignent les réécritures en prose ou en vers, même si, parallèlement, l’histoire de Troie continue d’être transmise par le texte latin de Darès ou sa traduction. À ces deux traditions s’ajoute celle qui naît de l’œuvre de l’Italien Guido delle Colonne, l’Historia destructionis Troiae, réécriture latine du roman de Benoît au XIIIe siècle. Cependant la notoriété de la figure d’Hector s’exprime aussi dans des œuvres où le personnage tend à se dissocier du destin de sa cité et apparaît seul ou associé à d’autres héros, troyens ou non, pour servir de référence en terme de bravoure, ce qui lui vaut de figurer parmi les Neuf Preux. C’est pourquoi le personnage va continuer d’évoluer indépendamment du roman de Benoît et de ses réécritures directes, ce qui se perçoit aussi bien dans la chanson de geste que dans les récits arthuriens. Les valeurs qu’il incarne intéressent aussi bien l’auteur de l’Ovide moralisé que Christine de Pizan. Figure exemplaire, presque archétypale, Hector est aussi un personnage protéiforme dont l’histoire ne cesse d’être réécrite par la tradition médiévale. / In the Middle Ages, the interest in the Trojan myth focuses particularly on its main character, Hector.Using the Homeric tradition inherited from the late Latin literature ( Ilias latina, Ephemeridos belli troiani by Dictys of Crete, De Excidio Troiae historia by Dares the Phrygian) as a basis to his work, Benoît de Sainte Maure makes Priam’s son the uncontested hero of his novel, The Roman de Troie, in which he praises the feats of this exceptional warrior.This text greatly contributes to the construction of Hector’s myth during the Middle Ages, as shown by its rewritings in prose or verse, although the story of Troy was also transmitted via Dares’ Latin text or its translation.In addition to these two traditions, another one appeared in the 13th century with the Italian Guido delle Colonne whose Historia Destructionis Troiae is a Latin rewriting of Benoît’s novel.However, Hector’s fame also asserts itself in other works in which the character tends to dissociate himself from his city’s destiny and appears alone or associated to other heroes, Trojan or not, to serve as a reference in terms of bravery, which earned him his place among the Nine Worthies.That is why this character continues to evolve independently from Benoit’s novel and its rewritings, as can be seen through epic poetry and Arthurian tales.Both Christine de Pizan and the author of Ovide moralisé take an interest in the values he embodies.Hector is a model, almost an archetypal figure as well as a character whose story never ceased being rewritten by Medieval tradition.

This thesis explores reasons and disagreement in ethics, and their connection to personal identity. I begin by arguing that reasons are open; what gives them direction is how they feature in my life and weigh with me. Of course, this does not tell us what reasons are available to a person when they act. In this connection I argue against Bernard Williams’ internal reasons thesis, showing that there are occasions when we will want to say someone has a reason to act even though they are unable to see it. Continuing with Williams, I explore moral necessity, drawing also on the works of Winch, Rhees and Cordner, arguing that Williams too readily conflates psychological with ethical limits. In particular, the possibility of recanting what we took to be necessary should inform our view of moral necessity, since it can show that I had misconstrued the nature of the limits I took myself to have reached. Following this use of recantation, I explore narrative in detail, arguing that my narrative is partly constitutive of who I am. My agency is therefore interpretive. This has ramifications for thinkers such as Christine Korsgaard and Jonathan Dancy, whose work I explore in two excursuses. In different ways, both fail to appreciate the significance of our interpretive identities.

No description available.

Mémoire en recherche-création / Notre recherche s’intéresse aux moyens par lesquels la fictionnalisation du vécu, dans le roman autofictionnel Le Voyage dans l’Est de Christine Angot, permet d’approcher le réel et de dire l’indicible. La métatextualité apparaît comme un moyen important, mettant en évidence la fidélité à l’expérience revendiquée – et donc l’écart vis-à-vis du témoignage littéraire et judiciaire. En outre, l’éthos de l’écrivaine oscille entre l’apparente authenticité et l’incertitude délibérée, une stratégie alternant entre la révélation et la dissimulation du trauma. Enfin, la répétition représente une stratégie narrative et stylistique structurante pour l’ensemble du texte. Au bout du compte, l’expérience de la répétition – avec les nombreuses variations (ou stratégies) étudiées dans notre essai – des événements que constitue fondamentalement la narration du Voyage dans l’Est mène à leur resignification autant qu’à l’agentivité de l’auteure. C’est cette idée de la répétition, à la fois comme moyen d’écrire le trauma (puisque composante essentielle de ce dernier) et comme moyen de le dépasser, qu’explore particulièrement notre création. S’éloignant de l’autofiction, le roman s’ancre néanmoins dans le réel par un intertexte juridique dialoguant avec l’histoire de la protagoniste (elle-même avocate). Deux relations symétriques, séparées par dix ans – et un processus judiciaire –, sont développées : la première – qui a entraîné le dépôt d’accusations –, à l’adolescence, avec un professeur; la seconde, avec l’avocat qui a agi comme poursuivant dans le dossier. L’usage combiné du « je » (narratrice autodiégétique) et des pronoms « tu » et « il » (désignant respectivement l’enseignant et le procureur) évoque, en le subvertissant, le triangle amoureux. Sous forme de fragments, les événements traumatiques sont progressivement reconstitués, à travers la seconde relation, qui s’écarte de la première par des différences croissantes, et qui permet ultimement à la protagoniste de s’en détacher. / Our research focuses on the means by which the fictionalization of lived experience, in Christine Angot's autofictional novel Le Voyage dans l’Est, makes it possible to approach reality and to say the unspeakable. Metatextuality appears as an important means, highlighting the claimed fidelity to experience – and therefore the deviation from literary and court testimony. Furthermore, the author's ethos oscillates between apparent authenticity and deliberate uncertainty, a strategy that alternates between revealing and concealing trauma. Lastly, repetition represents a structuring narrative and stylistic strategy for the entire text. Ultimately, the experience of repetition – with the many variations (or strategies) explored in our essay – of the events that the narration of Le Voyage dans l’Est fundamentally constitutes leads to their resignification as well as to the agency of the author. It is this idea of repetition, both as a means of writing trauma (since it is an essential component) and as a means of going beyond it, that our creation particularly explores. Moving away from autofiction, the novel nevertheless grounds itself in reality through a legal intertext dialoguing with the story of the protagonist (herself a lawyer). Two symmetrical relationships, separated by ten years – and a judicial process – are developed : the first – which led to the laying of charges –, in adolescence, with a teacher; the second, with the lawyer who acted as prosecutor in the case. The combined use of the "I" (autodiegetic narrator) and the pronouns "you" and "he" (respectively designating the teacher and the prosecutor) evokes, while subverting it, the love triangle. In the form of fragments, the traumatic events are gradually reconstituted, through the second relationship, which diverges from the first through increasing differences, and which ultimately allows the protagonist to detach herself from it.