”Men bruset ökar tills du inte längre känner igen ditt jag” – megarunda gestalter, narrativ identitet och omänsklig odödlighet i Lars Jakobsons De odödliga (2015)
Author
Summary, in English
This thesis aims to study the construction of immortality in Lars Jakobson’s novel The Immortals
(De odödliga, 2015) by examining the difference between how immortal and mortal characters are portrayed. Initially the characters of the novel are classified according to E. M. Forster’s narratological division between flat and round characters. It soon becomes evident that the immortal character, with access to endless, eternal time, does not fit into the regular category of round character, instead expanding beyond conventional rotundity into mega-rotundity.
In order to explain the mega-rotundity, Paul Ricoeur’s theory of narrative discourse as means for explaining human existence and identity in time, is then used. By studying how the immortal characters are described using the narrative connectors presented by Ricoeur, it once again becomes evident that the immortal character refuses categorization. Ricoeur’s narrative connectors are collective processes that when applied to immortal characters become individual, thus resulting in establishing that eternal life is by necessity in-human.
(De odödliga, 2015) by examining the difference between how immortal and mortal characters are portrayed. Initially the characters of the novel are classified according to E. M. Forster’s narratological division between flat and round characters. It soon becomes evident that the immortal character, with access to endless, eternal time, does not fit into the regular category of round character, instead expanding beyond conventional rotundity into mega-rotundity.
In order to explain the mega-rotundity, Paul Ricoeur’s theory of narrative discourse as means for explaining human existence and identity in time, is then used. By studying how the immortal characters are described using the narrative connectors presented by Ricoeur, it once again becomes evident that the immortal character refuses categorization. Ricoeur’s narrative connectors are collective processes that when applied to immortal characters become individual, thus resulting in establishing that eternal life is by necessity in-human.
Department/s
- Master's Programme: Literature - Culture - Media
Publishing year
2016
Language
Swedish
Full text
Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (one year)
Topic
- Languages and Literatures
Keywords
- Odödlighet
- Lars Jakobson
- De odödliga
- platt gestalt
- rund gestalt
- E.M Forster
- narrativ identitet
- Paul Ricoeur
- megarund
Supervisor
- Erik Zillén (Associate Professor)