This thesis explores the relationship between Buzzati’s fiction and Anglophone culture, particularly the re-use of narrative and visual sources in his works. The analysis of the intertextual stratification in Buzzati brings to the fore the author’s urge to convey the significance of imagination through the fantastic mode. It also reveals an optimistic and playful side of Buzzati, which lies behind a pervading pessimistic tone. Buzzati’s re-working of images from other authors and of generic topoi is aimed at decrying the loss of imagination occurring in the transition to adulthood as well as a general disregard of fantasy characterizing modern technologized societies. Nonetheless, intertextual practices are a means to recover and originally re-present the fantastic imagery conveyed by the artists from whom Buzzati drew inspiration. Buzzati was especially keen on Anglophone literature and art; hence, the focus of this thesis, which is divided into four chapters. Chapter One deals with Buzzati’s re-use in his fiction of drawings by the English illustrator Arthur Rackham; this is a process in which visual memory and intermedia translation are paramount. Chapter Two investigates the link between Joseph Conrad’s heroes and the characterization of Buzzati’s (anti-)heroic figures; they are trapped in the mechanisms of lack of courage and time but eventually find their own ways to self-redemption. Chapter Three considers Buzzati’s reversal and borrowing of topoi belonging to the sea monster story and the ghost story; these practices are aimed at emphasizing the importance of fantasy. Chapter Four places Buzzati’s Christmas fiction between the Italian and the Dickensian tradition, showing how Buzzati re-works the genre’s stereotypes to recreate the Christmas spirit. Whether Buzzati engages in an intertextual dialogue with individual authors or literary traditions, examining the connections he established with Anglophone culture allows a reassessment of his work. Indeed, the Buzzatian fantastic reveals itself as poised between gloominess and faith in the redeeming power of imagination; the fantastic alternatives Buzzati offers against the dullness of reality also evince his enjoyment of the artistic creation per se.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Comparative Literature / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study attempted to determine the relationship between fantasy aggression and behavioral aggression, and whether fantasy aggression measured by the Thematic Apperception Test is related to behavioral aggression. Participant TAT protocols from psychology clinic files were scored for fantasy aggression, and these scores were correlated with self-reported presence or absence of behavioral aggression. The scoring system used was a blend of popular aggression scales used in the 1960s and newer theory. Other variables that were examined were story length and gender in relation to the measured amount of fantasy and behavioral aggression.

Uppsatsen studerar porträtt av ondska i poulärkultur, genom att titta på filmerna Star Wars- och Harry Potterfilmerna. Både manus, ljud och bild utgör fokus för uppsatsen.

The purpose of this study was to find the type of stories in which the children in the first and second grades were most interested. The writer wanted to determine whether or not there was a preference for fantastic or realistic stories in these grades, whether or not boys preferred one type of stories and girls another, and whether or not age and intelligence entered in as determining factors.

As a child growing up, I was always in love with the ritual of “dress up”. Whether it was my dolls, various reluctant pets, or myself, it was always an activity I loved. It is not surprising then that adornment has become the medium through which I express myself and bring my fantasy world to life. Jewelry and accessory have the potential to lead many lives. One particular piece can change entirely by putting it on one body as opposed to another, or by removing it to see it as an object. In fashion, the body is the canvas and the runway becomes the moment of performance. My work uses the body in much the same way where the wearer becomes performer. Through this act, we construct personal forms of armor, or “power suits”, to face the battlefield of the outside world. In harnessing this act of adorning and what it encompasses, I am consistently challenged as both designer and maker. Creating alter egos, whether subtly flirtatious or overtly sexual, demure or flamboyant, are some of the many ways in which these “power suits” can be concocted. The stories we project about ourselves daily, through how we adorn our naked bodies, become empowering. Myths versus reality, ascetic versus sensual, and beautiful versus ugly are some of the concepts from which I draw inspiration. These dualities are conceptually expressed in my work through physical combinations of opposing materials. Mixing mediums, through methods such as collaging, beading, needlepointing, knitting, and sewing, are integral in my designs. With alternative materials, such as feathers, textiles, and yarns, I add softness and new scintillating sensations when juxtaposed with the hard, cold qualities of metal. Through combining such materials, I construct pieces that not only challenge one’s notion of what “pretty” is, but also inspire the way one thinks about body adornment. The objects I create become vessels that actualize the dualities I strive to express. In producing hybrids of materials, my need to explore these dichotomies is satisfied.

A novel by JS Harlow. Mattock Corwin, a young man living in the vampire ruled kingdom of Gehenna, discovers that he is a mage and must escape the land of his birth before the rulers of his land destroy him as a potential threat to their power.

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Orientador: Cláudia Fernanda de Campos Mauro / Banca: Aparecido Donizete Rossi / Banca: Karin Volobuef / Banca: Andrea Peterle Figueiredo Santurbano / Banca: Marisa Martins Gama-Khalil / Resumo: Esta tese tem como objetivo principal demonstrar que o protagonista do livro O deserto dos Tártaros (1940), de Dino Buzzati, está inscrito como um dos heróis representantes do limiar entre o modernismo e o contemporâneo. Giovanni Drogo é o herói que, no momento seguinte em que veste seu uniforme de oficial, experimenta um vazio existencial que o faz, em resposta, replicar: "Que coisa sem sentido!". Tomado desse sentimento, muitas vezes a inércia será a única resposta possível deste protagonista frente aos requerimentos cotidianos. A partir dessa premissa, articulando teoria literária, filosofia e contexto, arvoramo-nos em identificar as razões que fundam a heroicidade de Drogo. Após o prefácio, segue-se o capitulo de introdução, no qual tecemos algumas considerações acerca da figura do herói, procurando evidenciar como, nos séculos XVIII e XIX, esse conceito passa por perceptível modificação, graças à ascensão e sedimentação do romance, tal como hoje o conhecemos. Entremeiam a introdução e o capítulo final, três capítulos centrais que formam, em conjunto, a demonstração da tese defendida: de que as razões de Drogo respondem, necessariamente, a uma nova forma de se relacionar e conhecer o mundo. Resignação, recusa e renúncia associam-se em cada um destes capítulos, os quais se iniciam sempre a partir de uma cena fundamental, seguida de sua avaliação. Chegamos ao capítulo final com a possibilidade de identificar, não apenas a posição de Drogo como herói - atendendo, como um pró... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This thesis has as the main objective to show that the protagonist of the book The Tartar Steppe (1940), by Dino Buzzati, is registered as one of the representative heroes of the barrier between modernism and what would be considered contemporary. Giovanni Drogo is the hero that, right after he puts on his officer's uniform, experiments an existential emptiness that makes him, in response, state: "What a nonsense!". Taken by this feeling, often the inertia will be the only possible answer this protagonist will offer while facing daily requests. Starting from this premise, articulating literary theory, philosophy and context, we stand up to identify the reasons that establish the heroism of Drogo. After the preface, the introduction chapter follows, at which we develop some considerations about the image of the hero, trying to demonstrate how, during the 18th and 19th centuries, this concept goes through a noticeable modification, thanks to the ascension and sedimentation of the novel, as we know it today. Between the introduction and the final chapter are three main chapters that shape, together, the demonstration of the defended thesis: that the reasons of Drogo respond, necessarily, to a new way to connect and to discover the world. Resignation, refusal and renouncement connect to each of these chapters, which start always from a fundamental scene, followed by its examination. We reached the final chapter with the possibility of identifying not just the position o... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The fictive world created by Oxford Professor J. R. R. Tolkien is intimately linked with his own views of the world. His love for the natural world shines through his works and has given rise to multiple scholars focusing on Tolkien and ecology. This study falls under that category and is an ecological interpretation of The Lord of the Rings and presents the argument that Tolkien divides his characters into three types. These types are representations of different approaches to nature: nature as a tool for human progress, nature as our ideal existence and nature as an equal part of the world. The significance of the study is the focus on the three wizards in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White and Radagast the Brown, as representatives of different ecological positions. The study centres on the argument that Gandalf is a representative of nature as an equal part of the world. A balanced, holistic view of nature and humanity is put forward by J. R. R. Tolkien as the correct way for humanity to view nature. Furthermore, Gandalf as a character shows how humanity is supposed to act in terms of natural protection and preservation.