Political initiation in the novels of Philip Roth / Claudia Franziska Brühwiler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brühwiler, Claudia Franziska, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Roth, Philip--Criticism and interpretation.

Roth, Philip.

Political participation in literature.

Political socialization in literature.

Self in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (193 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Political Initiation in the Novels of Philip Roth exemplifies how literature and, specifically, the work of Philip Roth can help readers understand the ways in which individuals develop their political identity, learn to comprehend political ideas, and define their role in society. Combining political science, literary theory, and anthropology, the book describes an individual's political coming of age as a political initiation story, which is crafted as much by the individual himself as by the circumstances influencing him, such as political events or the political attitude of the parents. Philip Roth's characters constantly re-write their own stories and experiment with their identities. Accordingly, Philip Roth's works enable the reader to explore, for instance, how individuals construct their identity against the backdrop of political transformations or contested territories, and thereby become initiands--or fail to do so. Contrary to what one might expect, initiations are not only defining moments in childhood and early adulthood; instead, Roth shows how initiation processes recur throughout an individual's life."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Framework. Beginnings and transitions in political science and literature

Classical initiation stories. Political awakenings in The plot against America and Indignation

Guided by the particularizer: I married a Communist

Political odysseys: Prague, Israel, and elsewhere

Initiation as radical self-invention. Passing and other escapes from the hereditary predicament

The religious void, or terrorist art: fanaticism as a quest for identity de-initiation

For another go: (Zucker)man as a perpetual initiand

Epilogue.

Notes:

Based on the author's dissertation (doctoral)--Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research (SIAW-HSG) of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781441135711

1441135715

9781472543783

1472543785

9781441142283

1441142282

OCLC:

851972485