Abstract

This dissertation investigates the literary phenomenon of disorientation in English and German-language literature from the early 20th to 21st centuries with specific attention to its narratological implications. Three case studies focusing on W.G. Sebald’s "Austerlitz", Peter Weiss’ "Der Schatten des Körpers des Kutschers", and Franz Kafka’s "Der Prozess", framed by a reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s "Klara and the Sun", illuminate the works’ textual depictions and thematizations of temporal and spatial loss of orientation. Using the analytical frameworks provided by Brian Richardson and Jan Alber’s unnatural narratology as well as Marie-Laure Ryan’s possible worlds theory, this work observes the distortion associated with the blurred boundaries of narrative space and temporal units. The conflating effect of overlapped spatial frames corresponds to a vertical movement and results in the disruption of a linear, unitary flow of time; ultimately subverting the readers’ expectation of a grounded, intact story world.

Committee Chair

Lynne Tatlock

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Germanic Languages and Literatures

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

9-5-2023

Language

English (en)

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Available for download on Friday, August 17, 2029

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