| Description |
1 online resource |
| Contents |
Cover; Half-Title; Title; Imprint; Contents; List of Abbreviations; Foreword; Introduction; 1. Aims and method; 2. An 'aesthetic sea-change' in American literature; 3. Outline of primary literary works; 4. Heuristic perspectives; 5. Outline of the study; Part One Problems; 1 Hyperreflexivity; Introduction; 1. Factors of heightened contemporary reflexivity; 2. Sartre's view of consciousness and self-reflection; 3. The alienation of self-reflection; Conclusion; 2 Endless Irony; Introduction; 1. Irony as an attitude towards existence; 2. Irony as negative independence |
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3. Endless 'aesthetic' irony4. Meta-irony; Conclusion; Problematic Fiction; 3 Postmodernist Metafiction: John Barth.; Introduction; 1. Metafiction; 2. Deconstruction and metafiction; Conclusion; 4 Postmodernist Minimalism: Bret Easton Ellis.; Introduction; 1. General comparison; 2. Four aspects of the escalation of ironic-aesthetic existence; 3. A continuation of reflexive irony; Conclusion; Part Two Engaged Fiction; 5 Wittgenstein and Wallace: The Meaning of Fiction.; Introduction; 1. Wittgenstein: The temptation of essences; 2. Wittgenstein: The irrelevance of essences |
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3. The virtues of the late-Wittgensteinian language view4. A late-Wittgensteinian view of fiction; Conclusion; Engagement; 6 Sincerity; Introduction; 1. Sincerity versus authenticity; 2. Sincerity: A Sartrean, existentialist ideal; 3. Case studies of sincerity: The fiction of Wallace, Eggers and Foer; Conclusion; 7 Reality-Commitment; Introduction; 1. The realization of choice: Freedom, despair, urgency; 2. The reality of the self as gift and task; 3. Reality as repetition; Conclusion; 8 Community; Introduction; 1. Absurdity and rebellion: Two main themes of Camus's thought |
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2. The role of the other: Kierkegaard and Sartre versus Camus3. Discovering the other: Wallace, Eggers and Foer; 4. Towards a dialogic community of meaning; Conclusion; Concluding Remarks; 1. Literature and philosophy; 2. Existentialist engagement; 3. Love me till my heart stops?; Acknowledgements; Works Cited; Index |
| Summary |
"The novels of David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers and Jonathan Safran Foer are increasingly regarded as representing a new trend, an 'aesthetic sea change' in contemporary American fiction. 'Post-postmodernism' and 'New Sincerity' are just two of the labels that have been attached to this trend. But what do these labels mean? What characterizes and connects these novels? Dulk shows that the connection between these works lies in their shared philosophical dimension. On the one hand, they portray excessive self-reflection and endless irony as the two main problems of contemporary Western life. On the other hand, the novels embody an attempt to overcome these problems: sincerity, reality-commitment and community are portrayed as the virtues needed to achieve a meaningful life. This shared philosophical dimension is analyzed by viewing the novels in light of the existentialist philosophies of Soren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Albert Camus"-- Provided by publisher |
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"A philosophical analysis of existentialist themes in the fiction of Wallace, Eggers and Foer"-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Wallace, David Foster -- Criticism and interpretation
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Eggers, Dave -- Criticism and interpretation
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Foer, Jonathan Safran, 1977- Everything is illuminated
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| SUBJECT |
Eggers, Dave fast |
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Wallace, David Foster fast |
| Subject |
American fiction -- 21st century -- History and criticism
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Existentialism in literature.
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Literature -- Philosophy.
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Postmodernism (Literature) -- United States
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Irony in literature.
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Literary studies: from c 1900.
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Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers.
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LITERARY CRITICISM -- American -- General.
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LITERARY CRITICISM -- General.
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LITERARY CRITICISM -- Semiotics & Theory.
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American fiction
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Existentialism in literature
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Irony in literature
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Literature -- Philosophy
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Postmodernism (Literature)
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United States
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| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9781628923346 |
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1628923342 |
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9781501326875 |
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1501326872 |
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9781628923339 |
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1628923334 |
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1501322672 |
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9781501322679 |
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