A comparative study of the narrative structures of "Volveras a Region" and "Das Einhorn"
Abstract
Although Juan Benet and Martin Walser are among the most prominent contemporary figures in Spanish and German literature respectively, a comparative study of the narrative structures of their work has yet to appear in publication. By applying recent narrative theory to two of their novels, Volveras a Region and Das Einhorn, this study demonstrates that both Juan Benet and Martin Walser incorporate their ideological viewpoints into the very narrative structure of the text. Benet expresses the destruction of time with the frequent juxtaposition of retroversions, the interruption of speech and thought sequences of the characters, the drastic configuration of the prefigured events of the fabula, and by presenting a great number of past events in less than twenty-four hours of the story. Walser uses shifting focalization and narration to express the psychological conflict experienced by Anselm Kristlein as he tries to write a novel about love.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Caracciolo-Trejo, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Comparative literature|Romance literature|Germanic literature
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