This essay is an investigation of transnational author Joseph Conrad’s engagement with issues of cultural liminality during the years around the turn of the 20th century. Through an examination of Almayer from Almayer’s Folly, Yanko of “Amy Foster”, and Cornelius from Lord Jim, the common experience of cultural displacement is considered. Conrad placed these three culturally liminal characters in various, carefully constructed social environments. Thus far, these characters have been under investigated in the critical literature, particularly the mixed-culture Almayer and Cornelius. By investigating these three characters and their environments, this essay demonstrates how Conrad depicts cultural displacement in the age of nationalism to be increasingly multifaceted but inevitably disastrous. The essay further reveals the need for more careful critical assessments of the cultural nuances of Conrad’s characters.

Chapter 1 considers Barclay's 'Ship of Fools' in relation to other folly literature in English, particularly Lydgate's 'Order of Fools', Skelton's 'Bowge of Courte', and 'Cocke Lorrel's Bote'. Motifs, allegories and the woodcuts of the text are discussed and some are included in an Illustrations section. Chapter 2 discusses Erasmian folly looking back to the Neoplatonic writings of Nicholas of Cusa, and to the debt Erasmian exegeses owe to Origen. Erasmus' own philosophical and theological views are examined, particularly as they are found in his 'Enchiridion', and in the influence of Thomas à Kempis' 'Imitation of Christ'. A close textual analysis of the 'Moriae Encomium' is undertaken in this light. Chapter 3 defines the lateral boundaries of folly, where it blends into madness. In the context of Renaissance psychology sixteenth century medical works are analysed, including Boorde's 'Breviary of Healthe', Barrough's 'Method of Physicke' and Elyot's 'Castel of Helth'. Blurring between madness and sin, the negative judgments on the mad as demon-possessed, and the biblical models from which such judgments largely arose give alternative perspectives on madness and its relation to folly. Chapters 4-6 look at three Shakespearean comedies showing the development of a primarily Erasmian view of folly. This moves from overt references in 'Love's Labour's Lost' to natural folly, the folly of love and theological folly, through carnivalesque aspects of folly and madness in 'Twelfth Night', to an embedded notion of folly which influences and affects the darker comedy of 'Measure for Measure'. Chapter 7 considers satires of Hall, Marston and Guilpin, and looks at Jonson's Humour plays in this context. 'Volpone' and 'Epicoene', and 'The Alchemist' and 'Bartholomew Fair' are discussed in pairs, showing the softening of Jonson's attitude to folly, and his increasing representation of Erasmian folly reaching its full expression in 'Bartholomew Fair'.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal. / Dans un élan collectif, les écrivaines des années 1970 et 1980, en Europe et en Amérique, s'approprient le thème de la folie jusque-là exploité par les écrivains masculins. Pourquoi? Nous appuyant sur la pensée de Michel Foucault et de Roland Jaccard selon laquelle la folie est une construction sociale, nous suggérons que les romancières, influencées par le mouvement anti-psychiatrique, la crise du sujet humaniste, les théoriciennes féministes françaises et américaines ont l'audace d'inventer un sujet féminin qui devient fou en réponse à des situations sociales ou historiques oppressantes pour les femmes. Pour ce faire, les romancières mettent de l'avant des stratégies d'écriture qui participent à une prise de conscience féministe. Le chapitre I porte sur la place du sujet féminin et de sa folie dans l'histoire littéraire. Les chapitres II, III et IV sont consacrés à l'étude de stratégies romanesques, telles que la déconstruction de l'histoire ou de figures mythiques, la critique de l'institution familiale et la démystification du personnage de la mère dans la relation mère-fille. Ainsi, nous étudions la représentation de la folie combinée à ces stratégies dans cinq romans mettant en scène des héroïnes issues de cultures et de sociétés différentes. Ce sont Songs My Mother Taught Me d'Audrey Thomas (Canada anglais), Les Enfants du sabbat d'Anne Hébert et Les Jardins de cristal de Nadia Ghalem (Québec), The Woman Warrior : Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts de Maxine Hong Kingston et The Bluest Eye de Toni Morrison (États-Unis). La méthode utilisée est celle de l'analyse des discours, laquelle fait appel à plusieurs champs du savoir, celui de l'histoire littéraire, de la philosophie, de la littérature, de la psychanalyse, de la psychiatrie, de certaines études de pratiques culturelles (cultural studies) et du féminisme. Le thème de la folie aura permis aux écrivaines étudiées d'exprimer la réalité des femmes largement ignorée dans les romans et de dénoncer des conditions de vie encouragées par des systèmes répressifs. Le thème de la folie aura également rendu possible un nouvel imaginaire et une écriture qui, repoussant les limites imposées par la logique, est libre et puissante.

Dans Certainement Pas, je m’intéresserai à la problématique du jeu littéraire dans son rapport à la contrainte. Comment Chloé Delaume réussit-elle dans un premier temps à s’approprier un certain nombre de discours culturels et de formes a priori extralittéraires pour ensuite les transformer? Dans un second temps, comment s’y prend-elle pour « phagocyter » dans son écriture une pléthore de références littéraires? Conséquemment, quelle conception de la littérature livre-t-elle? Veut-elle, par l’aspect ludique de son roman, rendre un hommage filial aux auteurs d’hier et ainsi adopter une position empreinte de dévotion? Essaye-t-elle, au contraire, de « déchiqueter-dégurgiter » ces textes paternels et agir en iconoclaste? En procédant de cette façon, détruit-elle ou non le mythe de l’originalité en littérature? Finalement, comment s’effectue la réception de son texte ? Jouer le je est un projet d’écriture prolongeant les réflexions sur la place du jeu et de la contrainte dans la littérature. Prenant la forme d’une pièce de théâtre, il cherche à travailler la problématique de l’automatisme langagier actuel et devient une tentative de destruction de celui-ci. Ce texte met en scène deux personnages. La protagoniste principale, une jeune femme de vingt-cinq ans nommée Plume Liddell, étudiante en immunologie souffrant de dyslexie linguistique, participera à six séances de psychothérapie au cours desquelles elle parlera d’elle-même. L’autre personnage: la psychologue, restera muette ou presque tout au long des séances. / In Certainement Pas, I will be focusing on the problematic of the literary game and its relation to the constraint. First, how does Chloé Delaume manage to appropriate multiple extra-literary cultural discourses and forms a priori, in order to then transform them? Second, how is she able, within her style of writing, to "phagocyte" a vast quantity of literary references? Consequently, what concept of literature does she provide the reader? Does she aspire, by modeling her novel on a game, to filially acknowledge past authors, thus adopting a devoted position? Or, does she conversely attempt to "dissect/ regurgitate" these paternal texts in order to act iconoclastically? In this manner, does she succeed in destroying the myth of originality in literature? Last but not least, how is her text interpreted and received by the reader? Jouer le je is a literary project which broadens and pushes the boundaries of reflections on the role that the game and the constraint play in literature. Written as a play, the text seeks to hone the problematic of linguistic automatism, thus becoming a tool of the latter's destruction. The text features two characters. The principal protagonist, a young twenty-five year old woman named Plume Liddell studying immunology and suffering of linguistic dyslexia, shall participate in six psychotherapy sessions during which she will describe herself. The second character, the psychologist, will not speak for the greater part of the sessions.

This thesis details the literary and visual influences in my work, the definition of American Gothic, and its connection it to my work. Literary sources such as Edgar Allan Poe and Fanny Kemble help spark a vision of the landscape. Visual influences include Japanese woodblock prints, scenic wallpapers, vintage postcards and Victorian mourning pictures. My regional explorations span the James River, Tidewater swamps and architecture within the city of Richmond.My work depicts local history and ecology inspired by Richmond and the surrounding region. Subtle Gothic elements add anxiety to the otherwise pastoral scenes. Gothic foreboding in the work questions our ecological future and the permanence of our human presence in the landscape.

Dans Certainement Pas, je m’intéresserai à la problématique du jeu littéraire dans son rapport à la contrainte. Comment Chloé Delaume réussit-elle dans un premier temps à s’approprier un certain nombre de discours culturels et de formes a priori extralittéraires pour ensuite les transformer? Dans un second temps, comment s’y prend-elle pour « phagocyter » dans son écriture une pléthore de références littéraires? Conséquemment, quelle conception de la littérature livre-t-elle? Veut-elle, par l’aspect ludique de son roman, rendre un hommage filial aux auteurs d’hier et ainsi adopter une position empreinte de dévotion? Essaye-t-elle, au contraire, de « déchiqueter-dégurgiter » ces textes paternels et agir en iconoclaste? En procédant de cette façon, détruit-elle ou non le mythe de l’originalité en littérature? Finalement, comment s’effectue la réception de son texte ? Jouer le je est un projet d’écriture prolongeant les réflexions sur la place du jeu et de la contrainte dans la littérature. Prenant la forme d’une pièce de théâtre, il cherche à travailler la problématique de l’automatisme langagier actuel et devient une tentative de destruction de celui-ci. Ce texte met en scène deux personnages. La protagoniste principale, une jeune femme de vingt-cinq ans nommée Plume Liddell, étudiante en immunologie souffrant de dyslexie linguistique, participera à six séances de psychothérapie au cours desquelles elle parlera d’elle-même. L’autre personnage: la psychologue, restera muette ou presque tout au long des séances. / In Certainement Pas, I will be focusing on the problematic of the literary game and its relation to the constraint. First, how does Chloé Delaume manage to appropriate multiple extra-literary cultural discourses and forms a priori, in order to then transform them? Second, how is she able, within her style of writing, to "phagocyte" a vast quantity of literary references? Consequently, what concept of literature does she provide the reader? Does she aspire, by modeling her novel on a game, to filially acknowledge past authors, thus adopting a devoted position? Or, does she conversely attempt to "dissect/ regurgitate" these paternal texts in order to act iconoclastically? In this manner, does she succeed in destroying the myth of originality in literature? Last but not least, how is her text interpreted and received by the reader? Jouer le je is a literary project which broadens and pushes the boundaries of reflections on the role that the game and the constraint play in literature. Written as a play, the text seeks to hone the problematic of linguistic automatism, thus becoming a tool of the latter's destruction. The text features two characters. The principal protagonist, a young twenty-five year old woman named Plume Liddell studying immunology and suffering of linguistic dyslexia, shall participate in six psychotherapy sessions during which she will describe herself. The second character, the psychologist, will not speak for the greater part of the sessions.

This study involves an investigation into the use of satire and humour as strategies of communication. The poetry of four Tsonga poets selected for study includes these strategies which are investigated for the purpose of determining the extent to which they function as strategies of communication. The study consists of four chapters which can be summarized as follows: CHAPTER 1 contains the introduction, aim, scope and method of approach of the entire study. Theories and definitions of satire and humour are also presented here. In CHAPTER 2 the poems selected for study are analysed in terms of invective, subtle and light-hearted satire. CHAPTER 3 focuses attention on the style of presentation of comic and derisive humour. CHAPTER 4 highlights and elucidates the most significant findings of the study. The most competent poet of the four at using satire and humour is identified and his excellence declared and justified / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

This study involves an investigation into the use of satire and humour as strategies of communication. The poetry of four Tsonga poets selected for study includes these strategies which are investigated for the purpose of determining the extent to which they function as strategies of communication. The study consists of four chapters which can be summarized as follows: CHAPTER 1 contains the introduction, aim, scope and method of approach of the entire study. Theories and definitions of satire and humour are also presented here. In CHAPTER 2 the poems selected for study are analysed in terms of invective, subtle and light-hearted satire. CHAPTER 3 focuses attention on the style of presentation of comic and derisive humour. CHAPTER 4 highlights and elucidates the most significant findings of the study. The most competent poet of the four at using satire and humour is identified and his excellence declared and justified / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

Pieter Bruegel the Eider's paintings De verkeerde wereld, Het gevecht tussen Karnava/ en Vasten, Luilekker/and, Dulle Grief and Landschap, met Icarus' val are interpreted as sixteenth-century parodies using the paradoxia epidemica as a tropic means for interpreting the artist's wit, irony, parody and picaresque stance towards his source material and his milieu. Where applicable, other works relating to a particular argument are also discussed. As a result of this investigation, an original contribution has been made in the literature on both Bruegel and parody as a form of visual communication. / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / M.A. (History of Art)

Pieter Bruegel the Eider's paintings De verkeerde wereld, Het gevecht tussen Karnava/ en Vasten, Luilekker/and, Dulle Grief and Landschap, met Icarus' val are interpreted as sixteenth-century parodies using the paradoxia epidemica as a tropic means for interpreting the artist's wit, irony, parody and picaresque stance towards his source material and his milieu. Where applicable, other works relating to a particular argument are also discussed. As a result of this investigation, an original contribution has been made in the literature on both Bruegel and parody as a form of visual communication. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (History of Art)