Rewriting reality : Elfriede Jelinek and the politics of representation
Rewriting reality : Elfriede Jelinek and the politics of representation
This thesis investigates the literary oeuvre of Elfriede Jelinek, a contemporary Austrian Marxist-feminist writer. It is the first study of its kind, offering both a thorough documentation and analysis of her work as well as an account of the contextual background to her literary activity and of the reception of her work. The guiding principle to Jelinek's writing is to expose the way in which patterns of oppression - particularly those of a class or sexual nature - are masked by the ruling ideology of partiarchal capitalism and represented as immutable facts about the `natural' way of the world. Jelinek explores these myths in her fictional plots and suggests by means of parody, satire, commentary and additional humorous linguistic devices that the `reality' of life is more accurately portrayed by her own very negative and exaggerated picture of brutality, ignorance and perversion. Each chapter focuses on a particular thematic group and discusses the texts which represent most fully Jelinek's confrontation with these themes. My analysis explains how the texts operate to advance their criticisms and appraises the devices which she employs in her writing. Running parallel to my exploration of the themes of the media, the everyday, the Austrian `Heimat', and sexuality and subjectivity, therefore, there is an attempt to chart the aesthetic progression of Jelinek's work to date. The broad political orientation which underpins Jelinek's fiction is transparent although the translation of her personal attitudes into fictional respresentations reveals a consciousness which is split between fascination for and condemnation of a number of the phenomena which she considers. In the case of Jelinek's feminism this problematic fusion has the effect of unmasking the mechanisms of oppression without being able to provide any solutions. Instead her fiction achieves the author's aim of inspiring thought and provoking controversy.
University of Southampton
Fiddler, Allyson Lesley
a1362f8b-bbb8-4597-8114-c4dae60a6b6f
1990
Fiddler, Allyson Lesley
a1362f8b-bbb8-4597-8114-c4dae60a6b6f
Fiddler, Allyson Lesley
(1990)
Rewriting reality : Elfriede Jelinek and the politics of representation.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis investigates the literary oeuvre of Elfriede Jelinek, a contemporary Austrian Marxist-feminist writer. It is the first study of its kind, offering both a thorough documentation and analysis of her work as well as an account of the contextual background to her literary activity and of the reception of her work. The guiding principle to Jelinek's writing is to expose the way in which patterns of oppression - particularly those of a class or sexual nature - are masked by the ruling ideology of partiarchal capitalism and represented as immutable facts about the `natural' way of the world. Jelinek explores these myths in her fictional plots and suggests by means of parody, satire, commentary and additional humorous linguistic devices that the `reality' of life is more accurately portrayed by her own very negative and exaggerated picture of brutality, ignorance and perversion. Each chapter focuses on a particular thematic group and discusses the texts which represent most fully Jelinek's confrontation with these themes. My analysis explains how the texts operate to advance their criticisms and appraises the devices which she employs in her writing. Running parallel to my exploration of the themes of the media, the everyday, the Austrian `Heimat', and sexuality and subjectivity, therefore, there is an attempt to chart the aesthetic progression of Jelinek's work to date. The broad political orientation which underpins Jelinek's fiction is transparent although the translation of her personal attitudes into fictional respresentations reveals a consciousness which is split between fascination for and condemnation of a number of the phenomena which she considers. In the case of Jelinek's feminism this problematic fusion has the effect of unmasking the mechanisms of oppression without being able to provide any solutions. Instead her fiction achieves the author's aim of inspiring thought and provoking controversy.
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Published date: 1990
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Local EPrints ID: 461581
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/461581
PURE UUID: afc6c570-f2ed-4e97-9a8e-8f794a747459
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:50
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 01:08
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Author:
Allyson Lesley Fiddler
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