Richard Stock
Louise Erdrich’s Place in American Literature
Číslo: 1/2016
Periodikum: Prague Journal of English Studies
Klíčová slova: Louise Erdrich; Narrative; American Literature; David Foster Wallace; omas Pynchon; Native American Literature; Love Medicine
Pro získání musíte mít účet v Citace PRO.
Anotace:
As a novelist, Louise Erdrich is unique in receiving both popular and critical acclaim.
Strangely, her popular appeal has discouraged study of her novels as experimental
narrative texts. is is unfortunate, since innovations in Erdrich’s novels rival much
“experimental” contemporary American fi ction. is study outlines a convention of
a three-level hierarchy of characters in novels and compares this convention with two
experimental American novels: Infi nite Jest (1996) by David Foster Wallace and
Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) by omas Pynchon. e study then addresses Erdrich’s
fi rst novel, Love Medicine (1984), to show that it is unique in not having a main
character. Although the other two experimental novels try to do without a main
character, neither of them succeed at getting beyond this convention. Love Medicine
innovates in at least one major narrative convention in a way that other experimental
novels cannot do. is is one way in which Louise Erdrich and Love Medicine
compare favorably to some of the most respected experimental contemporary American
novels. Erdrich’s novels should take their place alongside other experimental American
novels, being studied in similar ways, regardless of whether they are also read by
a broad public audience.
Zobrazit více »
Strangely, her popular appeal has discouraged study of her novels as experimental
narrative texts. is is unfortunate, since innovations in Erdrich’s novels rival much
“experimental” contemporary American fi ction. is study outlines a convention of
a three-level hierarchy of characters in novels and compares this convention with two
experimental American novels: Infi nite Jest (1996) by David Foster Wallace and
Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) by omas Pynchon. e study then addresses Erdrich’s
fi rst novel, Love Medicine (1984), to show that it is unique in not having a main
character. Although the other two experimental novels try to do without a main
character, neither of them succeed at getting beyond this convention. Love Medicine
innovates in at least one major narrative convention in a way that other experimental
novels cannot do. is is one way in which Louise Erdrich and Love Medicine
compare favorably to some of the most respected experimental contemporary American
novels. Erdrich’s novels should take their place alongside other experimental American
novels, being studied in similar ways, regardless of whether they are also read by
a broad public audience.