A presente dissertação consiste em um estudo do romance Deuses americanos de Neil Gaiman levando em consideração suas conexões a outros textos bem como inserções de diversos textos provenientes de outros trabalhos na prosa do romance. A proposta de leitura do texto de Gaiman segundo este trabalho utiliza os conceitos de intertextualidade e arquétipos de forma a analisar a relação entre a trama de Deuses americanos às várias utilizações de textos cuja escrita “original” não é atribuída ao autor do livro inseridos (ou referenciados) na prosa do romance. Embora o objeto de estudo seja comumente visto como um livro difícil de ser categorizado dentre de um certo gênero, a proposta desta dissertação é demonstrar que o movimento e o fluxo contínuo de discursos (textos) e estilos na prosa do romance remonta a uma visão de um estrangeiro sobre os Estados Unidos e como o país foi criado: ou seja, que ele é não somente um ponto geográfico de confluência de muitos povos, mas também de muitas crenças e culturas que, de um modo ou outro, trouxeram os seus deuses consigo. A análise do uso de intertextos, intratextos e arquétipos no romance está estruturada em três capítulos centrais: o primeiro contextualiza os mitos que aparecem no romance e discute a questão de gênero literário do livro, além do conceito de América no texto de Gaiman. O segundo capítulo examina o uso de mitos por Gaiman em relação a outros trabalhos, tanto os manuscritos antigos de crenças pagãs quanto instâncias mais modernas de mito e alegoria, além de estudar as conexões entre Deuses americanos e outros textos escritos por Gaiman de acordo com o conceito de intratextualidade proposto por Affonso de Sant’Anna. Por fim, o terceiro capítulo se concentra no uso pontual de intertextos no romance, organizando-os entre alusões literárias, referências à cultura pop, além de estudar o conflito entre a era digital e o antigo reinado da fé religiosa, sem deixar de investigar o uso de arquétipos e apropriação na prosa do romance. O trabalho, assim, tem como objetivo verificar a alegação de que a qualidade intertextual do romance é essencial tendo em vista sua trama e cenário, bem como a afirmação de que ele redefine o conceito da América do final dos anos 90 como um espaço multicultural, dinâmico e mítico. / This thesis consists of a study of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods in the light of its connections to other texts as well as the punctual insertions of various texts from other works in the novel’s prose. The proposed reading of Gaiman’s text employs the concepts of intertextuality and archetypes in order to further analyze the relation of the plot of American Gods to the various uses of texts - that were not originally written by the book’s author – which are inserted (or alluded to) in the novel’s prose. Although the object of study is generally seen as a book that is hard to brand within a certain genre, this thesis’ approach to the novel demonstrates that movement and the continuous flow of speeches (texts) and styles in the novel’s prose comprises an outsider’s view of America and how the country came into existence – that is, that it is the geographical conflux not only of many peoples, but also of many beliefs and cultures, which in some way or other brought their gods with them. This examination of the use of intertexts, intratexts and archetypes in the novel is structured in three main chapters: The first chapter contextualizes the myths that appear in the novel and discusses the issues of genre and the concept of America in Gaiman’s text. The second chapter analyzes Gaiman’s use of myths in relation to other works – the original manuscripts of ancient beliefs as well as modern instances of myth and allegory – along with the connections between American Gods and Gaiman’s other works according to Affonso de Sant’Anna’s concept of intratextuality. Finally, the third chapter focuses on the punctual uses of intertexts in the novel, breaking them down into literary allusions, references to pop culture and the conflict between the digital era and the age of religious faith, and the use of archetypes and appropriation in the novel’s prose. At the end of the work, I aim to assert my belief that the intertextual nature of the novel is essential to its plot and setting, and re-defines the concept of late-90’s/early 2000’s America as a multicultural, dynamic mythical space.

A presente dissertação consiste em um estudo do romance Deuses americanos de Neil Gaiman levando em consideração suas conexões a outros textos bem como inserções de diversos textos provenientes de outros trabalhos na prosa do romance. A proposta de leitura do texto de Gaiman segundo este trabalho utiliza os conceitos de intertextualidade e arquétipos de forma a analisar a relação entre a trama de Deuses americanos às várias utilizações de textos cuja escrita “original” não é atribuída ao autor do livro inseridos (ou referenciados) na prosa do romance. Embora o objeto de estudo seja comumente visto como um livro difícil de ser categorizado dentre de um certo gênero, a proposta desta dissertação é demonstrar que o movimento e o fluxo contínuo de discursos (textos) e estilos na prosa do romance remonta a uma visão de um estrangeiro sobre os Estados Unidos e como o país foi criado: ou seja, que ele é não somente um ponto geográfico de confluência de muitos povos, mas também de muitas crenças e culturas que, de um modo ou outro, trouxeram os seus deuses consigo. A análise do uso de intertextos, intratextos e arquétipos no romance está estruturada em três capítulos centrais: o primeiro contextualiza os mitos que aparecem no romance e discute a questão de gênero literário do livro, além do conceito de América no texto de Gaiman. O segundo capítulo examina o uso de mitos por Gaiman em relação a outros trabalhos, tanto os manuscritos antigos de crenças pagãs quanto instâncias mais modernas de mito e alegoria, além de estudar as conexões entre Deuses americanos e outros textos escritos por Gaiman de acordo com o conceito de intratextualidade proposto por Affonso de Sant’Anna. Por fim, o terceiro capítulo se concentra no uso pontual de intertextos no romance, organizando-os entre alusões literárias, referências à cultura pop, além de estudar o conflito entre a era digital e o antigo reinado da fé religiosa, sem deixar de investigar o uso de arquétipos e apropriação na prosa do romance. O trabalho, assim, tem como objetivo verificar a alegação de que a qualidade intertextual do romance é essencial tendo em vista sua trama e cenário, bem como a afirmação de que ele redefine o conceito da América do final dos anos 90 como um espaço multicultural, dinâmico e mítico. / This thesis consists of a study of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods in the light of its connections to other texts as well as the punctual insertions of various texts from other works in the novel’s prose. The proposed reading of Gaiman’s text employs the concepts of intertextuality and archetypes in order to further analyze the relation of the plot of American Gods to the various uses of texts - that were not originally written by the book’s author – which are inserted (or alluded to) in the novel’s prose. Although the object of study is generally seen as a book that is hard to brand within a certain genre, this thesis’ approach to the novel demonstrates that movement and the continuous flow of speeches (texts) and styles in the novel’s prose comprises an outsider’s view of America and how the country came into existence – that is, that it is the geographical conflux not only of many peoples, but also of many beliefs and cultures, which in some way or other brought their gods with them. This examination of the use of intertexts, intratexts and archetypes in the novel is structured in three main chapters: The first chapter contextualizes the myths that appear in the novel and discusses the issues of genre and the concept of America in Gaiman’s text. The second chapter analyzes Gaiman’s use of myths in relation to other works – the original manuscripts of ancient beliefs as well as modern instances of myth and allegory – along with the connections between American Gods and Gaiman’s other works according to Affonso de Sant’Anna’s concept of intratextuality. Finally, the third chapter focuses on the punctual uses of intertexts in the novel, breaking them down into literary allusions, references to pop culture and the conflict between the digital era and the age of religious faith, and the use of archetypes and appropriation in the novel’s prose. At the end of the work, I aim to assert my belief that the intertextual nature of the novel is essential to its plot and setting, and re-defines the concept of late-90’s/early 2000’s America as a multicultural, dynamic mythical space.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from pdf main screen (viewed on April 8, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, Department of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-17T16:51:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-08-28. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-05-17T16:55:05Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000864001.pdf: 2233983 bytes, checksum: 74437cf2aac5fed38f87fd02fcb64d8b (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Este trabalho tem o objetivo de analisar o modo como a figura do herói é construída em um romance contemporâneo e, a partir dos dados obtidos nesse estudo, entender a maneira como esse herói é traduzido para o suporte fílmico. Como base para meu trabalho, utilizo o romance Stardust (1999), do escritor inglês Neil Gaiman, e sua adaptação cinematográfica Stardust (2007), lançada no mesmo ano no Brasil sob o título de Stardust: o mistério da estrela. Como aporte teórico utilizo, principalmente, os textos de Campbell (2007), Propp (1978) e Simonsen (1987) no que concerne ao herói, sua jornada e como ele a enfrenta. Utilizarei também, especialmente, as teorias de Hutcheon (2006), Sanders (2006), Stam (2000) e Leitch (2007, 2008) no que refere-se ao estudo da adaptação de obras literárias; e os textos de Martin (2003), Xavier (2005) e Vanoye e Goliot-Lété (1994), sobretudo, ao comentar sobre o cinema, suas características e o modo como produz suas obras. Proponho aqui uma visão da adaptação enquanto obra artisticamente autônoma, bem como do herói como uma figura que, apesar de beber dos grandes clássicos, apresenta-se com novas características / This study aims at analysing the way the figure of the hero is built in a contemporary novel and, from the data obtained, understanding the way the hero is translated to the filmic media. The corpus of the research was constituted by the novel Stardust (1999), by the English writer Neil Gaiman, and its film adaptation Stardust (2007), released in Brazil, in the same year, under the title Stardust: o mistério da estrela. As theoretical contribution I use, mainly, the texts by Campbell (2007), Propp (1978) and Simonsen (1987) regarding the hero, his journey and how he faces it. I will also use, specially, the theories of Hutcheon (2006), Sanders (2006), Stam (2000) and Leitch (2007, 2008) for the study of the adaptation of literary works; and the texts of Martin (2003), Xavier (2005) and Vanoye and Goliot-Lété (1994) to comment on film, its characteristics and the way it produces its works. I propose here a vision of the adaptation as an artistically independent work, and the hero as a figure that, despite the recurrent dialogue with the great classics, shows himself with new characteristics

Twentieth century American fiction assimilates archetypes of traditional mythologies, in particular the hero archetype, to create a contemporary mythology which relays social issues relevant to its age. This is first approached by creating a theoretical framework, which primarily consists of both Jungian theories of the collective unconscious and the model on which Joseph Campbell based his conception of the archetype in what is known as myth criticism. The theoretical framework also introduces and describes the graphic novel and its use of characterisation distinctive to post-modern fiction. The Sandman, which is the subject of this study, is then contextualised against the backdrop of the evolution of the American comic book, with its influence of folklore, mythology and visual presentation. Through an overview and analysis of The Sandman series as a whole, as well as a reading of its pivotal narrative, The Kindly Ones, this thesis explores the way in which The Sandman fulfils its purpose of integrating an archetypal hero into contemporary mythology. This is achieved by validating claims proposing the existence of a contemporary mythology through an analysis of Morpheus, The Sandman's protagonist and his unique heroic journey. The conclusion reached is that The Sandman indeed represents a contemporary mythology that contains a new form of social commentary, incorporating archetypes from traditional mythology and re-evaluating the role of the hero in this day and age. / Afrikaans & Theory of Literature / M. A. (Theory of Literature)

Twentieth century American fiction assimilates archetypes of traditional mythologies, in particular the hero archetype, to create a contemporary mythology which relays social issues relevant to its age. This is first approached by creating a theoretical framework, which primarily consists of both Jungian theories of the collective unconscious and the model on which Joseph Campbell based his conception of the archetype in what is known as myth criticism. The theoretical framework also introduces and describes the graphic novel and its use of characterisation distinctive to post-modern fiction. The Sandman, which is the subject of this study, is then contextualised against the backdrop of the evolution of the American comic book, with its influence of folklore, mythology and visual presentation. Through an overview and analysis of The Sandman series as a whole, as well as a reading of its pivotal narrative, The Kindly Ones, this thesis explores the way in which The Sandman fulfils its purpose of integrating an archetypal hero into contemporary mythology. This is achieved by validating claims proposing the existence of a contemporary mythology through an analysis of Morpheus, The Sandman's protagonist and his unique heroic journey. The conclusion reached is that The Sandman indeed represents a contemporary mythology that contains a new form of social commentary, incorporating archetypes from traditional mythology and re-evaluating the role of the hero in this day and age. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / M. A. (Theory of Literature)

The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct an intertextual study of two fantasy texts — Alice in Wonderland by Victorian author Lewis Carroll, and Stardust by postmodern fantasy author Neil Gaiman — and their filmic re-visionings by Tim Burton and Matthew Vaughn respectively. In scrutinising these texts, drawing on insights from feminist, children’s literature and intertextual theorists, the actions of ‘growing up’ and ‘falling down’ are shown to be indicative of a paradoxical becoming of the text’s central female protagonists, Alice and Yvaine. The social mechanisms of the Victorian age that educate the girl-child into becoming accepting of their domestic roles ultimately alienate her from her true state of being. While she may garner some sense of importance within the imaginary realms of fantasy narratives, as these female protagonists demonstrate, she is reduced to the position of submissive in reality – in ‘growing up’, she must assume a ‘fallen down’ state in relation to the male. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct an intertextual study of two fantasy texts — Alice in Wonderland by Victorian author Lewis Carroll, and Stardust by postmodern fantasy author Neil Gaiman — and their filmic re-visionings by Tim Burton and Matthew Vaughn respectively. In scrutinising these texts, drawing on insights from feminist, children’s literature and intertextual theorists, the actions of ‘growing up’ and ‘falling down’ are shown to be indicative of a paradoxical becoming of the text’s central female protagonists, Alice and Yvaine. The social mechanisms of the Victorian age that educate the girl-child into becoming accepting of their domestic roles ultimately alienate her from her true state of being. While she may garner some sense of importance within the imaginary realms of fantasy narratives, as these female protagonists demonstrate, she is reduced to the position of submissive in reality – in ‘growing up’, she must assume a ‘fallen down’ state in relation to the male. / English Studies / M.A. (English)