The investigation maintains that the late fiction of Anita Brookner exhibits an autonomous region of auto-affective experience. This region shapes the materialization of subjectivity in the artifact. The study proposes that the autonomy of the region establishes the ontological nature of Brooknerian reality as a priority of the uncreated over the created. Using Michel Henry's Eckhartian phenomenology of auto-affection as a methodological and philosophic rationale, the study begins by exploring the experience of emptiness and boredom in the late Brookner novels: Lewis Percy, Visitors, Fraud, Falling Slowly, A Closed Eye, Altered States, Undue Influence, Incidents in the Rue Laugier, Brief Lives, A Family Romance, and A Private View. After excluding extrinsic considerations by means of phenomenological reduction, the study investigates the aesthetic and ontological implications furnished by the tension in the late Brookner novel s between autonomous and non-autonomous spheres of phenomenalization. Following the terminological usage set up in the 14th century by the controversial writings of Meister Eckhart, these two spheres are identified as those of the uncreated and the created. This non-dialectical model of phenomenalization, refined in the phenomenology of Michel Henry, is used in the study for the purpose of clarifying the nature of abstraction in the late Brookner novel: it is demonstrated, especially in close readings of Lewis Percy, Visitors and Falling Slowly, that the extreme experiential reduction accomplished in the Brookner novel through ruthless abstraction of subjectivity leaves an experiential remainder which, in so far as it is a plane of emptiness or a plane of uncreatedness, is analogous to the non-figurative frontality forwarded in the paintings and writings of Wassily Kandinsky as the abstract but material origin of a realm of pure worldlessness. The study shows that the latent excitement discovered in the hidden truth of this plane is descriptively graspable in terms of an understanding of a key factor in Brooknerian real ity: the absence of transcendence. Although subjectivity's reality is firmly situated on the hither side of the world, and although that worldless sphere is essentially one of non-difference, subjective life is nevertheless crucially attuned to a sense of the contrast between two modes of non-difference: the empty and the uncreated. However, these two modes are not experienced as transcendent to each other; they are not two different phenomena, and the passing from the one to the other is not a transcending of a phenomenon but a discovery of its depth.

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Karin Boyes Crisis (Kris) was published in 1934 as a contribution to the contemporary ideas of moral issues, challenging the dominating traditionalism within the literature critisism. With different kinds of stylistic procedures is Crises expressing a self which seeks to relieve itself from the repressing experience of Language. The text shows an attempt to create meaning beyond the conventional system of linguistic signs, beyond the tradition of literature. The focus in the essay is the self; the self is the basic structure and the theme of the text. Crisis shows it’s self-assuredness and points out a dialogue with the nietzschean philosophy. Nietzsche claims that the truth is a rhetorical creation, something which the language produces in the will of power. He expresses this standpoint with an effective simulate: the metal. My essay points out how this symbolic element functions in the text. The narrative structure leads to a solution of Malin’s, the protagonist’s, crisis: the dialogical structure of rebirth. The ritual pattern leads the protagonist to confront the inner Mother, a discussion taking it’s stand in Julia Kristeva’s psychoanalytical theory. This structure is set to redraft and expose the linguistic bound to a dualistic gendered system. It also brings out the sensual and the passion as a part of the linguistic structure. The analysis reveals a process where Malin seeks the solution in “Siv”. The narrative of Crisis is made up of sections to illustrate Malin´s inner struggle against the traditionalism, the religious system and the inner longing for passion. For Malin the transformation is initiated by the passion for Siv, a fellow student, and this passion confirms Malin´s new perspective on the world. “Siv” is formulated as a metaphor for a new sight and a new voice — the sight and voice of the self. On the meta-level is the passion formulated as a passion for creation, between the text and the reader. The novel ends in the creation of the artistic self—the artist-as-woman.

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The aim of this essay is to investigate the attitudes and assumptions made about Africa in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Caryl Phillips’ Crossing the River from a postcolonialist perspective. In this context, the main two characters Mr Kurtz and Nash Williams are given specific critical attention. On the surface, these characters share similar destinies, but when examining them more closely it becomes apparent that they do not. The critical model used is taken from Edward Said’s notion of the binary division between the East and the West. Thematically, both novels address the issue of the ‘other’, the unknown qualities of other races and other cultures, the Western world’s construct of what separates us from them. The analysis shows that Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a scathing late nineteenth-century critical account of the imperialist forces behind Europe’s colonization of Africa, but does not succeed in depicting the Africans as a people worthy of respect. Phillip’s Crossing the River, on the other hand, clearly avoids stereotypes. Instead, it is an account of how humans, regardless of race or sex, have hurt each other through the slave trade. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of Mr Kurtz and Nash Williams shows that while Mr Kurtz loses himself in Africa, engrossed in the hunger for money and power, Nash Williams actually finds his identity when he is freed of the metaphorical shackles put on him by the white man.

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The aim of this thesis was to show how important both the outward and inward factors are in decision-making process in relation to marriage in the four novels Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park. The argument was that all Austen’s novels revolve around the balance of all external and internal factors. Individual novels seem to focus more or less on specific factors. Chapter one deals with money factor in the novel Sense and Sensibility. Marianne Dashwood is a symbol with unworldly character that shows no  care about money. Unfortunately, her first love John Willoughby chooses a mercenary marriage over true love, and Marianne learns more prudence and realism. It is Elinor, who keeps a good balance between heart and head, which Austen highly praises in the novel. And her happy marriage with Edward Ferrars proves to be a right and wise choice. Chapter two, Emma, concerns the rank issue. Emma Woodhouse makes many mistakes in her match-making interference with Harriet Smith because of her class consciousness and superiority. Her wrong-doings are corrected by Mr. Knightley’s good judgment. On the whole, the novel discourages rejection of class boundaries, but we also see that people from different social class are also able to build a happy marriage, as long as there is equality of minds between them. Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill prove this point. Chapter three and four turn to the inward factors. In Pride and Prejudice, the main focus, as shown in Jane and Frank’s case, is the equality of minds. The two good marriages between Elizabeth and Darcy, and her sister Jane and Bingley, are good examples. The other two female characters, Charlotte and Lydia fail in their choices. The former chooses a mercenary marriage, which only an outward factor, money, is concerned; and the latter a marriage built mainly on sexual attraction, which is onlyan inward factor, yet a wrong one. Thus, neither of them considers equality of minds with her husband, and they both end up in bad marriages. The last Mansfield Park chapter explains the importance of principle in marital choices. The Crawfords have everything but principle. They are intelligent, good-tempered, elegant and both show respect and affection to the cousins, but they do not have good moral judgments and the courage to act accordingly. Therefore, they do not deserve happy endings. In contrast, Fanny Price, who always keeps consistent principles, wins Edmund’s heart and respect, and ends with a happy life ever after. As a realistic novelist, all of these four Austen’s novels deal with realistic issues: money, rank, social status etc. With the in-depth reading and analysis, we realize that there are some romantic thoughts and imaginations in her realistic works. Austen understands the importance of fortune, there is financial security in either good or bad marriages in her novels. This is the social circumstances and trend at her time. But in all her good marriages, the characters value some other factors more. Austen’s ideal marriage consists of true affection, mutual admiration and respect, equality of minds and high moral and principles between a couple, which is not an easy thing to do back to pre-Victorian period. Those bad or less satisfactory marriages explain her disappointment in people who are too realistic and materialistic, or too unrealistic and too unworldly. It is also maybe the reason why she remains single through her entire life. Her expectation in marriage is higher than the social standards, which makes her at the same time a romantic novelist. To sum up, marriage must reflect the social and economical reality of the society. Only when there is a firm base can individual desires be  considerable. Money and rank are outward factors which cannot be totally neglected in marital choices. But equality of intelligence, minds and moral principles are more important to determine a happy marriage. These four are Austen’s deeply serious novels, in spite of all the satire, humour, wit and romance portrayed in them. It is worth noting that these particular conditions belong to Austen’s time, but the theme of choice of spouse is universal. Every individual must find one balance between the demands of society, and his or her own desires, emotions and hopes. Hence readers are able to both learn from and enjoy Jane Austen’s novels. Anyhow, realistic or romantic, those factors mentioned in Austen’s novel are also relevant to people’s marital choices in modern society. Many of her good points are still referred to nowadays. This, together with her light humor and witty words, are the reason why there are so many ‘Janeites’ in the world, and why she still occupies a high place in English and world literature.

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