So far, Francoise Mallet-Joris has been categorized either as a Catholic novelist or as a moderate feminist. Accused of conservatism by some, perceived by others as immoral, she has been considerably underrated by a critical audience anxious to maintain traditional literary categories. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that faith and feminism, far from conflicting with each other, are linked in Mallet-Joris' work with the process of writing, thus forming a triple entity where the common denominator is the theme of maternity. This theme will be analysed in four of Mallet-Joris' novels, Les Mensonges, Les Signes et les Prodiges, Allegra, and La Tristesse du Cerf-volant, using a symbolic approach whose usefulness lies in the twofold definition of a symbol as, on the one hand, a materialisation of the inexpressible and on the other, a split unity. For the temporal modality and the concept of identity inherent in the maternal experience place it outside the narrative system, thus putting any author who wishes to tackle this area in the position of either inventing a new narrative form or attempting a compromise between already existing forms and the specific content of the maternal experience. It is this latter alternative that Francoise Mallet-Joris adopts. Although as far as form is concerned, Mallet-Joris can hardly be termed innovative, she demonstrates on an ideological plane an originality which is largely the product of using the symbol of the Virgin Mary as an intermediary between the maternal experience and the symbolic order.

This thesis explores John Donne's vision of the Apocalypse as revealed by his religious poetry and prose. Donne believed himself to be alive in the last age of the world; however, he rejected historicist interpretations of the Apocalypse. Instead, he located the conflict with sin and death within the individual soul. Donne was concerned to create an image of the sinful soul restored to unity with the divine through its own exertions and by God's grace, free from social and political constraints. The Apocalypse presented Donne with a paradigm of unity which he appropriated in order to represent the interconnexion of God and humankind, as well as to situate himself within a present unfolding of ultimate conformity. Knowledge of the role of the Apocalypse in Donne's self-presentation, provides an awareness of the extent to which Donne understood himself to be an active participant in the fulfilment of the Providential design.

This thesis offers a reevaluation of selected short stories by Dorothy Parker. Although receptions of Parker's work have been predominantly negative, this is not seen as cause for lament, but rather for a revision of literary valuing practices and the canonical paradigms they support. Traditional assumptions about the status of so-called "minor" literature and its subservient relation to canonical works are rejected in favour of a revised appreciation of the qualities specific to minor modes of writing.

This study examines two important influences that shape John Donne's "Holy Sonnets": The Ignatian meditative tradition and the devotional tradition of the psalm genre. It argues that their confluence in his sonnets gives rise to unique rhetorical structures and strategies that reflect the doctrinal uncertainties of his age.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This work studies the extent to which the novels written by Jorge Edwards between 1973 and 1987 respond to the historical Chilean context that they seem to address, openly in some instances and evasively in others. It examines the way in which the novelist represents the Chilean situation under the dictatorship of Pinochet. In the novels, Los convidados de piedra (1978), Elmuseo de cera (1981), La muier imaginaria (1985) and Elanfitri On (1987), not only is the apparent decadence of asocial class revealed, but also the regenerative capacity of this class to perpetuate its dominance in society. The analysis of Edwards' works written during the dictatorship allows the possibility of comprehending the historical reality within the fiction through some themes: Chileanhistory, its culmination in the 1973 military coup and its aftermath, the decline of the bourgeois way of life, the status of women in Chile, and the problems of exile. To study the dialogue between the novel and society, and to reflect on the writer's role in facing the conflicts of his time, an eclectic methodology has been used which incorporates elements of narratology, Bakhtin's dialogism, sociology and history. These elements lead to further questioning rather than offering categorical answers; Edwards' own voice is used frequently to contrast or to clarify some aspects of his works. With the study of Edwards as an intellectual and with the review of his novels, this dissertation concludes that the Chilean writer shows a constant preoccupation with Chilean society. Moreover, his writings suggest that the causes of the dictatorship are anchored in an unresolved distant past. This explains the ironic gaze that questions the upper class and its origins from within. The voices of the novels are also ironic and reveal a rejection of the self-bestowed historical importance of the upper class. Finally, this study underlines the role the author has assigned to himself by converting the act of writing into an authentic personal mission.

The main purpose of this thesis is to illustrate Sciascia's work concerning the "mafia". It implies a previous discussion on the mafia and why no government could destroy it . It also points out its relationship with the Sicilia society and other countries on earth. The introduction gives an account of the history of Sicily and its invaders throughout the centuries. The formation of the old law of "omerta" (conspiracy of silence) developed as a defense and protection against the harsh rule of the Spaniards who dominated the island continually from the fifteenth century till 1860. This old law became the basic principle of the mafia as illustrated in the four novels written by Leonardo Sciascia. The titles are as follows: 1. II giorno della civetta (The Day of the Owl); 2. A ciascuno i l suo (To Each his Own); 3. Todo modo (One Way or Another); 4. II contesto (Equal Danger). The structure of each novel is the same as generally found in the detective story genre but without any denouement. The first chapter deals with "II giorno della civetta" where examples of local mafia are illustrated including the struggle for justice. Sciascia shows the structure of the mafia in a small Sicilian town. The second chapter analyzes the novel "A ciascuno i l suo" where the mafia infiltrates the government and many political sectors. In chapter four "II contesto" one encounters an urban, cosmopolitan system of corruption involving the elite class of judges and high political party leaders. Sciascia challenges the very institution of justice, political parties and the government at large. He takes on himself the responsibility, as writer, to push for the recognition of moral values of a society and an era. The epilogue covers the efforts of the "Antimafia" men in their attempt to put down the mafia. The end covers the international mafia and its criminal underground activities such as the drug trafficking, money laundering, prostitution, etc. Various antimafia personalities have been killed in this campaign and the struggle continues today in spite of many "mafia bosses" having been arrested.

No description available.