The aim of this thesis is to facilitate dialogue between the narrative fiction of three Spanish women novelists (Carmen Martin Gaite, Rosa Montero, and Lourdes Ortiz) and key concepts in the writings of Russian theorist Mikhail Bakhtin. The thesis centres on the concept of dialogue, both within and beyond textual boundaries. Dialogue may be an integral part of a narrative, where at a most basic level, characters are engaged in conversation; the thesis starts by focusing on texts which contain a split narrative voice, resulting in intratextual dialogue between two conversation partners, or interlocutors. On a second level, there may be a dialogue between the diverse levels of a more complex narrative; the texts analysed in the third chapter demonstrate this further fragmentation of the narrating voice. In these novels, a plurality of voices may be found, as well as written texts produced by the characters. All of these internal dialogues make up what is known as intratextuality and contribute to a text's heteroglossia. A further category of dialogue occurs when a text refers, by citation, mimicry, parody or revision, to other, external texts. This dialogue between texts is intertextuality; a fourth chapter develops an analysis of intertextual dialogues between independent novels or entire genres. These divisions of the thesis can only be relative, as will be seen when overlaps occur. The conclusion offers a discussion of a novel by Martin Gaite which brings together all of the three elements (dialogue, heteroglossia, and intertextuality)previously discussed separately. The fragments, strands, and webs referred to in the introduction to the thesis indicate the complexity of contemporary narrative fiction written by women; these. texts are composed of fragments of other, pre-existing discourses, combined to produce various strands of plot and overlapping webs of intrigue. Dialogue emerges as a salient feature of contemporary narrative fiction written by women. Whether it is also a feature of texts written by men, and the implications of their use of this strategy, still remains to be seen. By concentrating on women novelists, the thesis illustrates how Bakhtin's theory can be applied to a feminist analysis and a gendered reading of literature; and indicates the many substantial connections that exist between the texts produced from the late 1970s to early 19908 by the three different Spanish women writers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:569192 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Bolton, Sharon Elaine |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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