Les cycles arthuriens en prose du XIIIe siècle (principalement la trilogie dite de Robert de Boron et le Cycle Vulgate ou Lancelot-Graal) sont des ensembles au statut singulier. Définis à la fois par l’autonomie et l’interconnexion des romans qui les constituent, ils se distinguent des romans en vers individualisés qui les précèdent et des proses amples mais plus homogènes qui les suivent. À leurs caractéristiques formelles s’ajoute le projet de construire des univers de fiction cohérents, susceptibles d’instaurer un canon arthurien définitif. La brièveté de la période de production (1200-1240 environ) est contrecarrée par le succès durable que ces textes connaissent pendant tout le Moyen Âge ; la cyclicité est une forme romanesque expérimentale qui crée un rapport neuf à la matière de Bretagne et génère surtout des modes de lecture nouveaux. Caractérisés par des tendances aussi bien centrifuges que centripètes, les romans cycliques génèrent un réseau que le lecteur peut explorer à sa guise, de manière partielle ou complète, ordonnée ou désordonnée ; mettant en relation des romans aux visées parfois disparates mais assumant leur interconnexion, le cycle offre au lecteur un parcours sans cesse renouvelé, où les grands effets de cohérence l’emportent sur les contradictions de détail. C’est ce réseau inter-romanesque qui est l’objet privilégié de la présente étude : les romans cycliques, loin de développer leur sens en autarcie, vivent de la mise en lien de leurs récits et construisent ensemble, par le biais de la lecture organisatrice, des mondes narratifs multipolaires. / The thirteenth-century Arthurian prose cycles (mainly Robert de Boron’s trilogy and the Vulgate or Lancelot-Grail Cycle) are groupings of a peculiar nature. Defined both by the autonomy and the interconnection of their constituent romances, they differ from the individualised verse romances which precede them as well as from the massive yet more homogenous prose narratives which follow. These formal characteristics go hand-in-hand with a coherent world-building project, which aims to formulate a definitive Arthurian canon. The brevity of the production period (ca. 1200-1240) is counterbalanced by the lasting success of these texts throughout the Middle Ages; cyclicity is an experimental form which creates a new take on the matter of Britain, and most of all, gives birth to new modes of reading. Defined by centrifugal as well as centripetal tendencies, cyclical romances generate a network which the reader may explore at will, either partially or completely, in an orderly or disorderly manner. By linking romances which may have different aims yet accept their basic connectivity, cycles allow their readers to navigate them in constantly renewed ways, while at the same time preserving their coherence in spite of localised contradictions. This cross-romance network is the subject of the present study: cyclical romances, far from existing in isolation, thrive in an interconnected narrative environment; in conjunction with the reader’s own structuring powers, they interact to build multifarious narrative worlds.

Seguindo uma pista lançada pelo próprio Proust num texto crítico sobre a leitura, a crítica proustiana vem dedicando bastante espaço à compreensão deste tema na Recherche. Em geral, essa compreensão tem sido levada a cabo por meio da análise das figurações da leitura no romance de modo a construir o posicionamento teórico do escritor sobre a leitura que, por sua vez, funcionaria como modelo para a leitura da própria Recherche. Entretanto, essas análises apontam para incoerências e contradições que potencialmente poderiam invalidar seu caráter de modelo. Revisitando algumas das interpretações críticas bem como o próprio ensaio de Proust sobre a questão, esta tese defende que a compreensão da leitura da Recherche vai além da discussão da figuração do tema no texto. Para isso, propõe a análise do papel do leitor dimensão textual virtual que comporta diversas operações interpretativas potenciais. Controladas pela organização do texto, isto é, por sua disposição arquitetônica, em seus mais diversos planos, essas operações, uma vez percebidas pelos leitores (o que não se deu imediatamente na história da recepção da Recherche) sustentam essas leituras (críticas ou não) de modo que podem ser vistas como a base ou as condições de possibilidade de toda e qualquer interpretação. / Following the clue given by Proust himself on his essay on reading, recently, proustian critics have been paying a lot of attention to this theme in A la Recherche. In general, these interpretations analyse the figurations of reading in the text which, in turn, is used as a model for the reading of Prousts text. However, many of these analyses point out to incoherencies in Prousts theoretical discourse which can invalidate its status as a model for the reader. Revisiting some of the analyses on the topic and Prousts own essay On reading, this thesis tries to indicate that the understanding of the subject of reading should move beyond the discussion of its figuration in the text. In order to do that, we propose an analysis of the role of the reader a virtual textual dimension formed by the interpretive operations designed by the text itself. Controlled by the organization of the materials that form the text, these operations, once perceived by the reader, support many of the critical readings of Prousts text and so, they are, as it seems, the foundations for most of the readings of A la Recherche.

The diploma thesis discusses gender relationships, construction of romantic love, and questions of infidelity in the novel Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. These concepts are examined by means of feminist literary theories that deal with gender as an analytic category and that draw on resistant reading and reader response criticism as major theoretical and methodological points of analysis. The first analytical part focuses on the ways in which femininity and masculinity of the main characters are constructed within the context of patriarchal society under socialism. The second part of the analysis is devoted to various forms of love that appear among the characters. It investigates the role of these love schemes within the presented relationships and focuses on motives of infidelity while considering the gender identity of the characters. By employing gender analysis, this diploma thesis offers a new perspective that reflects on the reproduction of gender stereotypes and departs from existing interpretations of Kundera's major novel.

L’écrivain égyptien Yūsuf Zaydān s’inscrit dans la tradition - constituée à l’âge de la Nahḍa – de l’intellectuel “éducateur des consciences”. Depuis cette époque, face à un récit national contrôlé par le pouvoir politique ou religieux, la littérature arabe a souvent revisité l’histoire et l’actualité dans le but de rétablir - grâce à la liberté offerte par le discours fictionnel - la vérité occultée par le récit officiel. Dans ce processus de réécriture, Zaydān s’intéresse particulièrement à la relation entre religion, politique et violence. L’objectif de cette étude est d’explorer l’oeuvre littéraire de cet auteur, dans le but d’en dégager l’originalité. Celle-ci apparaît, d’une part, dans la capacité de Zaydān à mettre en valeur son double profil d’universitaire et de romancier, à travers une production très variée allant du roman à l’essai; d’autre part, dans les stratégies spécifiques qu’il emploie afin de s’adresser à son destinataire privilégié: le lecteur égyptien. Auteur controversé autant pour son oeuvre que pour sa personnalité, Zaydān n’en demeure pas moins un phénomène littéraire : illustration à la fois de l’éclatement du champ littéraire et d’une démocratisation exacerbée de la culture en Egypte, son cas permet de mieux comprendre la littérature arabe ultra contemporaine et ce qu’elle exprime sur les sociétés en recomposition - politique, économique et culturelle - desquelles elle émane. / The Egyptian writer Yūsuf Zaydān is part of the tradition – dating from the age of the Nahḍa – of intellectuals as "educators of consciousness". Since then, faced with a national narrative controlled by political or religious power, Arab literature has often revisited history and current affairs with the aim of restoring – through the freedom offered by fictional discourse – the truth overshadowed by official history. Through this rewriting process, Zaydān is particularly interested in discussing the relationship between religion, politics and violence. The objective of this thesis is to explore Zaydān’s literary work in order to identify its originality. This originality is manifested, first, through Zaydān's dual profile as both academic and novelist, engaged in varied production that ranges from novels to essays; second, in the specific strategies he employs in order to address his privileged audience: the Egyptian reader. A controversial author in both his work and his personality, Zaydān is above all a literary phenomenon. An example of the blossoming literary field and the exacerbated cultural democratisation in Egypt, his case allows us to better understand ultra-modern Arab literature and what it expresses about the (politically, economically, culturally) recomposed and changing society that have produced it.

Austin's Speech Act Theory is a valuable tool for the analysis of a literary text. In interaction, the intentionand purpose-success of linguistic communication can be gauged by establishing whether participants have met felicity conditions and have respected maxims. When the Co-operative Principle is ignored, special effects are achieved and receivers can only make sense of utterances through implicature and inferences based on background knowledge and mutual contextual beliefs. In the drama, Buzani kubawo, characters interact on four levels of time in space and place. They reveal themselves and convey theme through their speech and actions. Conflict is entrenched by lines of force drawn between opposing characters and between sub-worlds contrasted. Cohesion, determined by plot structure, and form, expressed on the endophoric and exophoric levels, give meaning to the drama. The micro-analysis of the wedding scene illustrates how communication can misfire should the playwright allow it! / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

Austin's Speech Act Theory is a valuable tool for the analysis of a literary text. In interaction, the intentionand purpose-success of linguistic communication can be gauged by establishing whether participants have met felicity conditions and have respected maxims. When the Co-operative Principle is ignored, special effects are achieved and receivers can only make sense of utterances through implicature and inferences based on background knowledge and mutual contextual beliefs. In the drama, Buzani kubawo, characters interact on four levels of time in space and place. They reveal themselves and convey theme through their speech and actions. Conflict is entrenched by lines of force drawn between opposing characters and between sub-worlds contrasted. Cohesion, determined by plot structure, and form, expressed on the endophoric and exophoric levels, give meaning to the drama. The micro-analysis of the wedding scene illustrates how communication can misfire should the playwright allow it! / African Languages / M.A. (African languages)

advancements in Old Testament and New Testament Studies. For example, new knowledge is available on the variant versions of the Septuagint and application of the literary concept of intertextuality has yielded significant results in recent biblical scholarship. However, considering that 1 Peter arguably uses the Old Testament in the most condensed manner of all the New Testament writings, it is surprising that relatively few recent studies have been carried out on the use of the Old Testament in 1 Peter. As a partial corrective to this situation, this in-depth study is focused on the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter, utilizing an integrated hermeneutical procedure that combines traditional grammatical-historical analysis with the state of the art on New Testament use of the Old Testament. The aim is to clarify the hermeneutical implications of the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter for Old Testament and New Testament exegesis within the Reformed tradition today. Thus, a comprehensive exegetical approach is systematically applied to each pericope of 1 Peter and to every relevant Psalm passage in order to establish a valid foundation for understanding how the author interprets the Psalms and how the Psalm references function within the argument of 1 Peter. In addition, intertextual resonance is considered as an effective means to enhance understanding of the function and effect of Psalm references as intended by the author, and to determine the possible unintended effect of Psalm references upon the addressees and later readers. Furthermore, consideration of reader response sometimes makes it possible to identify echoes of Psalm passages not likely intended by the author, but nevertheless, very likely to have come to the minds of the recipients with significant effect. One conclusion of this study is that there is no compelling evidence that the author’s interpretation of the Psalms ignored the intended meaning of the Psalm in its own context, or merely reflected contemporary Second Temple interpretations. Furthermore, it has been possible to refine the criteria for identifying and classifying Psalm allusions rather than merely following broad, predetermined criteria. Thus, a distinction is made between specific allusion, in which case the author’s argument depends upon recognition of specific Psalm passages, and general allusion, in which case the author’s argument depends upon a concept recognizably derived from the Psalms but not limited by the wording of specific references. This study also demonstrates that the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter is based upon a strong sense of solidarity with believers of the past, especially as they expressed their responses to God in the context of suffering. In particular, compared with other New Testament writings, 1 Peter stands out for the fact that the majority of its Psalm allusions are used for the purpose of developing and reapplying significant themes. Thus, 1 Peter provides compelling reason for present-day interpreters to view theme development as a valid and effective way to apply the Psalms to the circumstances of Christian believers as they face the challenge of living faithfully in new contexts of suffering and persecution. / PhD (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

advancements in Old Testament and New Testament Studies. For example, new knowledge is available on the variant versions of the Septuagint and application of the literary concept of intertextuality has yielded significant results in recent biblical scholarship. However, considering that 1 Peter arguably uses the Old Testament in the most condensed manner of all the New Testament writings, it is surprising that relatively few recent studies have been carried out on the use of the Old Testament in 1 Peter. As a partial corrective to this situation, this in-depth study is focused on the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter, utilizing an integrated hermeneutical procedure that combines traditional grammatical-historical analysis with the state of the art on New Testament use of the Old Testament. The aim is to clarify the hermeneutical implications of the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter for Old Testament and New Testament exegesis within the Reformed tradition today. Thus, a comprehensive exegetical approach is systematically applied to each pericope of 1 Peter and to every relevant Psalm passage in order to establish a valid foundation for understanding how the author interprets the Psalms and how the Psalm references function within the argument of 1 Peter. In addition, intertextual resonance is considered as an effective means to enhance understanding of the function and effect of Psalm references as intended by the author, and to determine the possible unintended effect of Psalm references upon the addressees and later readers. Furthermore, consideration of reader response sometimes makes it possible to identify echoes of Psalm passages not likely intended by the author, but nevertheless, very likely to have come to the minds of the recipients with significant effect. One conclusion of this study is that there is no compelling evidence that the author’s interpretation of the Psalms ignored the intended meaning of the Psalm in its own context, or merely reflected contemporary Second Temple interpretations. Furthermore, it has been possible to refine the criteria for identifying and classifying Psalm allusions rather than merely following broad, predetermined criteria. Thus, a distinction is made between specific allusion, in which case the author’s argument depends upon recognition of specific Psalm passages, and general allusion, in which case the author’s argument depends upon a concept recognizably derived from the Psalms but not limited by the wording of specific references. This study also demonstrates that the use of the Psalms in 1 Peter is based upon a strong sense of solidarity with believers of the past, especially as they expressed their responses to God in the context of suffering. In particular, compared with other New Testament writings, 1 Peter stands out for the fact that the majority of its Psalm allusions are used for the purpose of developing and reapplying significant themes. Thus, 1 Peter provides compelling reason for present-day interpreters to view theme development as a valid and effective way to apply the Psalms to the circumstances of Christian believers as they face the challenge of living faithfully in new contexts of suffering and persecution. / PhD (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In this dissertation, I investigate the cognitive processes integral to intertextual readings by referring to the cognitive linguistics framework known as conceptual blending. I refer to different genres of intertextual texts and then explain these intertexts in terms of cognitive principles and processes, such as conceptual blending networks. By applying the framework of conceptual blending to intertexts within different genres, I suggest that the underlying cognitive processes are universal for the interpretation of any type of intertextual text. My findings indicate that conceptual blending underpins intertextuality which is cognitive, creative and dynamic in nature. This means that the meaning we construct from intertexts is dependent on the context in which they appear and cannot be studied in isolation. Investigating intertextual texts from a cognitive linguistics perspective reveals new inferences (such as the influence of implicit knowledge as a type of intertext) and the creativity involved in the meaning-making process. / Linguistics / M.A. (Linguistics)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie is 'n herskepping van die wereld van die Afrikaanse roman van 1934-1939. Al die romans is bekom en gelees. Die beskikbaarheid van hierdie romans word aangedui. 'n Sketsmatige beeld van elke roman word gegee, waarin die aard daarvan aangetoon word ten opsigte van die volgende aspekte: milieu, tema en konflik (moreel, religieus, maatskaplik, polities). Die lotgevalle van hierdie romans is nagegaan aan die hand van tydgenootlike resepsiegeskiedenis, sowel as die van die literatuurgeskiedskrywing tot op hede. Hieruit het dit geblyk dat sekere romans aanvanklik hoog aangeslaan is, maar nie in die kanon opgeneem is nie. Moontlike redes hiervoor word ondersoek. Na my oordeel verdien Die loutering van Petrus deur Ella Fischer en Die jare daarna deur Aletta Steyn 'n herbesoek. Albei romans is boeiend en interessant, die karakters "lewe" en dit wat hul beleef en ervaar, spreek steeds tot die leser van die negentigerjare / This study is a recreation of the world of the Afrikaans novel of 1934-1939. All the novels were obtained and read. The availability of these novels is indicated. A schematic account of each novel is given, in which the nature of each is explicated in respect of the following aspects: milieu, theme and conflict (moral, religious, social and political). The fate of these novels was researched in the context of their contemporary reception history and that of literary historiography to date. From the study it appears that certain novels were initially highly acclaimed, but were not included in the canon. Possible reasons for this are investigated. It is my opinion that Die loutering van Petrus by Ella Fischer and Die }are daarna by Aletta Steyn need to be re-evaluated. Both novels are absorbing and interesting, the characters are lifelike and their life experiences are still relevant to the reader of the nineties / Afrikaans & Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)