This thesis is an investigation into the nature of the 'postmodern' narrative strategies and fictional
methods in the work of two British Catholic writers. The work of David Lodge and Muriel Spark is
here taken as an example ofthe 'Catholic novel'. In order to determine ifthe overlap ofpostmodern.
and Christian-influenced narrative strategies constitutes more than a convergence or coincidence of
formal concerns, narrative form in these novels is analyzed in the light of neo-Tho mist and Tho mist
aesthetics, a traditional Catholic Christian theory of the arts. The 'postmodern' in these 'Christian'
texts becomes largely a coincidence of terminology. Narrative forms which can be classified as
'postmodern' can also be categorized using the terminology of Thomas Aquinas. The apparent
similarities betray radically divergent metaphysical presuppositions, however. The nature of the
Catholic 'difference' lies in the way postmodern forms are used to challenge the metaphysical
bases of those forms. / English Studies / M.A. (English)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/18636 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Mitras, Joao Luis |
| Contributors | Batley, Karen, Rabinowitz, Ivan Arthur |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | 1 online resource (140 leaves) |
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