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Fictions of Dementia: Narrative Modes of Presenting Dementia in Anglophone Novels PDF

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SusanneKatharinaChrist FictionsofDementia Narratologia Contributions to Narrative Theory Edited by Fotis Jannidis, Matías Martínez, John Pier, Wolf Schmid (executive editor) EditorialBoard CatherineEmmott,MonikaFludernik,JoséÁngelGarcíaLanda,InkeGunia, PeterHühn,ManfredJahn,MarkusKuhn,UriMargolin,JanChristophMeister, AnsgarNünning,Marie-LaureRyan,Jean-MarieSchaeffer,MichaelScheffel, SabineSchlickers Volume 82 Susanne Katharina Christ Fictions of Dementia Narrative Modes of Presenting Dementia in Anglophone Novels Cotutelle-VertragzwischenJustus-Liebig-UniversitätGießen,Fachbereich05–Sprache, Literatur,KulturundKarl-Franzens-UniversitätGraz,GeisteswissenschaftlicheFakultät– AnglistikundAmerikanistik,Einreichung2020. Prämiertmitdem1.PreisfürDissertationen2022vonderGeisteswissenschaftlichenFakultät derUniversitätGraz. GedrucktmitfreundlicherUnterstützungderGeschwisterBoehringerIngelheimStiftungfür GeisteswissenschafteninIngelheimamRhein. ISBN978-3-11-078975-1 e-ISBN(PDF)978-3-11-078980-5 e-ISBN(EPUB)978-3-11-078987-4 ISSN1612-8427 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2022941957 BibliographicinformationpublishedbytheDeutscheNationalbibliothek TheDeutscheNationalbibliothekliststhispublicationintheDeutscheNationalbibliografie; detailedbibliographicdataareavailableontheinternetathttp://dnb.dnb.de. ©2022WalterdeGruyterGmbH,Berlin/Boston Typesetting:IntegraSoftwareServicesPvt.Ltd. Printingandbinding:CPIbooksGmbH,Leck www.degruyter.com Acknowledgements Theroadfromformtofunctionislongandwindingindeed.Iwanttothankall ofyouwhopavedit.Thankyoutothosewhoprovidedthetrafficinfrastructure inthefirstplace,theteamofroadmaintenanceworkers,andthepetrolstations that provided fuel. Thank you most of all to those individuals who accompa- nied me along the way, kept cheering, pushed me back on track, advocated breaks, and who waved the chequered flag in my face. Thanks to those who were lost along the way and are sorely missed. Words can hardly express the gratitudeIfeel.Thankyouforbearingwithme,andformakingthecompletion ofthisdoctoralthesispossible. Thank you, Professor Ansgar Nünning and Professor Roberta Maierhofer, for supervising this thesis. I am immensely grateful for all the opportunities youprovidedmewith,thegreatsupportandtheinvaluablefeedbackyougave me.ProfessorNünning,yourpositivecan-doattitude,yourloveforliteraryand culturalstudies,andyourencouragementaswellasyourunwaveringguidance was paramount. Roberta, thank you especially for the warm welcome in Aus- tria, for your generosity, for your help with structure, and for your inspiring newperspectives. Iwouldalsoliketoexpressmygratitudetotheprofessors,staffandmyfel- low PhD students at the GCSC, the IPP and the PhD-Net. Your feedback in the manycolloquiawasmosthelpful.ThankyoutoTeonaMicevskaandAnn-Marie Riesner for your friendship. Thank you also to my Austrian colleagues at CIAS Graz. Professor Elisabeth Herrmann, thank you for mentoring me. I immensely appreciate your effort and your time. Our conversations have always been a vitalsourceofencouragementandgoodspirits. I also thank Professor Mirjana Stančić, the team at Ruhr-Universität Bo- chum,andalltheparticipantsofRUBEuropadialogfortheinspiringmonthsin BochumandthejointtravelsthroughEurope. AbigthankyoutoProfessorGerhardKöpfwhokepttellingmetocheerup andbebrave. MassivethankstomyindefatigablereadersNadjaSchlüterandAnnaKatha- rinaSchmidt.Ioweyou. Kerstin Rüther, thank you for helping me to stay organised, Leonie Höck- bert, thank you so much for helping me with the format, and especially Ina Weckop – I cannot thank you enough for your companionship during the last years. IalsowanttoextendmythankstomycolleaguesattheChairofPublicand BehaviouralEconomicsatJGUMainzforlettingmebecomepartoftheteam. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110789805-202 VI Acknowledgements To ¾ of Vokalquartett Quartuos: Judith Brombacher, Dr. Thorsten Laux, andPitMarquardt–thankyou.Itisanabsolutepleasuretosingwithyouand spend time with you. I am certain that our musical work made a difference in thelivesofmanywithandwithoutdementia. I am indebted to my friends, my family, and my partner. Thank you so much. Contents Acknowledgements V ListofFigures XIII ListofSigla XV 1 Introduction:CulturalandLiteraryFictionsofDementia 1 1.1 MappingtheFieldofResearch 8 1.2 ResearchQuestion,AimandArgumentofthisStudy 16 1.3 TheInterfaceofSubjectiveExperience,Narrationand Dementia 18 1.3.1 QualiaandtheProblemofOtherMinds 18 1.3.2 NarrativeintheCaseofDementia 24 1.3.3 TransparencyofMindsandExperientialityinNarrative Fiction 30 1.4 NarratingDementiainFiction:ANarrative-Epistemological Paradox 35 1.4.1 DementiaasaNarrativeSubjectwithParadoxical Qualities 38 1.4.2 DelineatingtheCorpus 42 1.4.3 OutlineofthisStudy 45 2 NarrativeModesfortheRepresentationofDementia 47 2.1 DevelopingaModelofNarrativeModesforRepresenting Dementia 47 2.1.1 FromPerspectivetoNarrativeMode 48 2.1.2 TypesofNarration 53 2.1.3 TechniquesforConsciousnessRepresentation 61 2.1.4 EpistemicStrategiesforApproachingtheSubjective ExperienceofDementia:SimulatingwhatisandReflecting Uponwhatitislike 66 2.1.5 ApproachestotheNarrative-EpistemologicalParadox 69 2.1.6 FromAffordancesandConstraintstoHypothesesabout Functions 74 2.2 Narrating‘withDementia’:PrimarilyAffectedCharacter Narration 79 2.2.1 DefinitionandOntological-EpistemologicalProfile 81 2.2.2 AffordancesandConstraintsof‘NarratingWithDementia’ 100 VIII Contents 2.2.2.1 NarrowingofScope:ForegroundingtheCharacterWith Dementia,BackgroundingtheNarrativeEnvironment 101 2.2.2.2 FocusingonConsciousness:IntrospectionandNarrationof SubjectiveExperiencevsPlotandStory 106 2.2.2.3 ConsequencesofCharacterConsciousnessCongruence: ConfrontingtheNarrative-EpistemologicalParadox,Exhibiting thePotentialofNarrativeDifference 114 2.2.3 TheEndofStory? 123 2.2.4 OnLeavingReadersAlonewiththeCharacterwithDementia 126 2.3 TheViewofaFamilyCaregiver:SecondarilyAffected CharacterNarration 128 2.3.1 DefinitionandOntological-EpistemologicalProfiles 130 2.3.2 AffordancesandConstraintsofSecondarilyAffectedSelf- Narratives 144 2.3.3 ConsequencesofSecondarilyAffectedCharacterNarration fortheRepresentationoftheCharacterwithDementia 154 2.3.4 ElucidatingDementiafromanInvolvedPointofView 164 2.4 TheRelationalSidebySideofMultiperspectivalAffected CharacterNarration 167 2.4.1 MultiperspectivityandtheNarrationofDementia 169 2.4.2 DefinitionandOntological-EpistemologicalProfiles 176 2.4.3 AffordancesandConstraintsofMultiperspectivalAffected CharacterNarration 187 2.4.3.1 WideningNarrativeRangeandScope 189 2.4.3.2 ContextualisingandEmbeddingDementiainaCulture 193 2.4.3.3 ExhibitingtheNarrativePotentialofFragmentation,Inviting Complexity 195 2.4.3.4 StagingDifference 199 2.4.3.5 EncirclingtheNarrative-EpistemologicalParadoxofDementia NarrationandQuestioningEpistemicCertainty 201 2.4.3.6 TransparencyandEpistemicSelf-Regulation 203 2.4.3.7 ReflectingUpontheNarrativeProcess 208 2.4.3.8 DemandingReaderEngagement 210 2.4.4 EncirclingDementiawithMultipleAffectedVoices 214 2.5 NarratorialAccompanyingoftheCharacterwithDementia: InspectiveNon-CharacterNarration 216 2.5.1 DefinitionandOntological-EpistemologicalProfiles 220 2.5.2 AffordancesandConstraintsofInspectiveNon-Character Narration 234 Contents IX 2.5.2.1 PermeatingtheCharacterBoundary:ElucidatingSubliminal StrataandCounteringDementia-RelatedImpairments 235 2.5.2.2 TranscendingCharacterBoundariesandWideningNarrative ScopewiththeNon-DiegeticExternalView 249 2.5.3 NarratorialElucidating,ChangingthePositionofthe CharacterwithDementiaandChangingtheNarrative FunctionofDementia 259 2.5.4 NarratorialAccompanyingoftheCharacterwith Dementia 263 2.6 ConstraintsandAffordancesofthisApproach 265 2.7 FourNarrativeModesforRepresentingDementiainFiction: ASummaryOverview 269 2.7.1 PrimarilyAffectedCharacterNarration:Self-Narrated Dementia 269 2.7.2 SecondarilyAffectedCharacterNarration: DiegeticOther-NarratedDementia 271 2.7.3 MultiperspectivalAffectedCharacterNarration: TheRelationalSidebySideofSelf-Narratedand DiegeticOther-NarratedDementia 274 2.7.4 InspectiveNon-CharacterNarration: Non-DiegeticOther-NarratedDementia 277 3 Elucidating-explainingDementia,ShowingFamilyRelations,and HighlightingthePowerofAmbiguityinSelf-NarratedDementia inEmmaHealey’sElizabethIsMissing(2014) 281 3.1 NarrativeSituation:ACapableSelf-ElucidatingCharacterin NarrativeMid-Distance 282 3.2 AffordancesandConstraintsofElucidatingWhatItIsLiketo LivewithDementia 291 3.2.1 Narrating‘through’Dementia,despiteDementia 292 3.2.2 ProblematisingLonelinessinOldAge 295 3.2.3 ShowingMemoryandForgetting 296 3.2.4 HighlightingMaud’sAffects 300 3.2.5 PortrayingFamilyRelationshipsduringDementia 302 3.2.6 CombiningDetectionandDementia 306 3.2.7 ExhibitingEpistemologicalBlankEffectsandthePowerof Ambiguity 309 3.3 Self-ElucidatingDementia 315 X Contents 4 ShowingCaringandCoping,ExploringtheLimitsofMemoryand Knowledge,andCelebratingImaginationintheSecondarily AffectedCharacterNarrationinStefanMerrillBlock’sTheStory ofForgetting(2008) 320 4.1 NarrativeSituation:DetachedCaregiverNarratives 321 4.2 AffordancesandConstraintsoftheExpansiveCaregiver Narratives 334 4.2.1 CaringandCopinginSeth’sandAbel’sNarrativesofFamilial Dementia 335 4.2.2 BranchingOuttheFamilyTree:MultiplyingVoices,Writing History,ReadingCulturethroughDementia 343 4.2.3 ExploringtheLimitsofMemoryandKnowledgewithSeth’s Investigations 348 4.2.4 ValuingImaginationwiththeCounterworldofIsidora 351 4.3 ThePowerofNarrativeintheFaceofDementia 354 5 ProbingCharacterProximity,StagingIndeterminacyand ReflectinguponNarrativeintheMulti-perspectivalAffected CharacterNarrationinNaomiKruger’sMay(2018) 360 5.1 NarrativeSituation:CloseProximity,LimitedTangencyand HighlightedDifference 361 5.2 AffordancesandConstraintsoftheOpenMultiperspectivity inMay 368 5.2.1 May’sMonologue:ProbingConsciousnessCongruence, CreatingIndeterminacy 369 5.2.2 May’sIndeterminabilityinaMultiperspectivalEnvironment: PlayingwithDifference,QuestioningEpistemic Self-Regulation 385 5.2.3 ShowingProfessionalCareandSeekingConnectionswith Afsana’sPerspective 393 5.2.4 UsingDementiaasaLooking-GlassonContemporary Ailing 398 5.2.5 ProblematisingNarrationandNarrativeandEngaging Readers 400 5.3 May’sNaggingEpistemicLack 404

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