Proust's Metaphors from the Natural and the Exact Sciences

PMLA ◽  
1954 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1038-1059
Author(s):  
Reino Virtanen
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Scientific Culture ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Artistic Value ◽  
Point Of Interest ◽  
Elective Affinities ◽  
The Ideal

Goethe with his elective affinities, Stendhal with his cristallisation, are among Marcel Proust's forerunners in the use of scientific analogies in fiction. In our time, D. H. Lawrence has made his readers familiar with electricity as an analogue for the passion of love. But it seems safe to say that no writer has ever made more varied and skillful use of metaphors from science than Proust. This is the more remarkable because A la Recherche du Temps perdu is better known for the allusions to painting and music than for the allusions to science. Admirers like André Maurois, Camille Vettard, and Jean Mouton content themselves with citing a few examples. A study of Proust's analogies from the sciences is interesting for several reasons. There is, for one thing, the question of Proust's scientific culture. Another question is the value of these analogies for clarification of the phenomena described. A third point of interest concerns their artistic value. Do they come up to the ideal of the author who wrote: “Je crois que la métaphore seule peut donner une sorte d'éternité au style … ”? What is the function of these metaphors in the novel conceived as a work of art?

L’absence qui devient présence : la vie et l’Idée dans Sixtine de Remy de Gourmont

2011 ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
Agata Sadkowska-Fidala
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Principal Character ◽  
Ideal Woman ◽  
The Ideal

Sixtine by Remy de Gourmont marks the refusal of nature and tangible reality and the choice of imagination to the detriment of reality. Its principal character, Hubert d’Entragues is a faithful disciple of idealism of symbolism. Since he chooses to think rather that to live, it is not surprising that the plot of the novel is almost nonexistent. The plot develops around of d’Entragues’ desire to win the beautiful Sixtine, which is in itself condemned to failure since he is doing nothing to reach her and refuses to take any effort. The woman, who could have served as the principal impulse of the plot, is practically inexistent in this story (though it is a passionate story) and is replaced by the ideal woman: the story is doubled by the second story, e.g. a novel written by the character which is a transposition of his “cerebral” relation with Sixtine and a realisation of presence of the latter. Art replaces life and life does not exist in itself. It is shaped by thought. But the chosen absence of any facts of life is fruitful: it gives birth to a novel. It is a story of a prisoner in love with the statute of the Virgin which he sees while taking a daily walk. In this novel the carnal accomplishment is not necessary in order for a true and sincere passion to develop and the satisfaction of desire may destroy the dream and the ideal.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: EAST AND WEST STUDIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 02 (09) ◽  
pp. 8-14
Author(s):  
Aziza Komilovna Akhmedova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Literature ◽  
Professional Ethics ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Literary Studies ◽  
The Novel ◽  
World Science ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Aesthetic Ideal ◽  
The Ideal

The article analyzes the results of the research on the representation of the aesthetic ideal through the image of the ideal hero in two national literatures. For research purposes, attention was paid to highlighting the category of the ideal hero as an expression of the author's aesthetic views. In Sinclair Lewis’s “Arrowsmith” and Pirimkul Kodirov's “The Three Roots”, the protagonists artistically reflect the authors' views on truth, virtue, and beauty. In these novels, professional ethics is described as a high noble value. The scientific novelty of the research work includes the following: in the evolution of western and eastern poetic thought, in the context of the novel genre, the skill, common and distinctive aspects of the creation of an ideal hero were revealed by synthesis of effective methods in world science with literary criteria in the history of eastern and western literary studies, in the example of Sinclair Lewis and Pirimkul Kodirov.

scholarly journals Art, the Artist and Ethics in Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Zrinka Frleta
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Picture Of Dorian Gray ◽  
Dorian Gray ◽  
Art For Art's Sake ◽  
Art And Ethics

This paper examines ideological and philosophical premises of aestheticism, presented in Wilde's critical essays (The Critic as Artist and The Decay of Lying), and epigrams in the preface to the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which both offer a philosophical context to the novel. Aestheticism emphasized that art can not be subordinated to moral, social, religious and didactic goals, because its ultimate goal is art itself, l'art pour l'art (art for art's sake). „Art never expresses anything but itself.“ „All bad art comes from returning to Life and Nature, and elevating them into ideals.“ „Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.“ „Lying, the telling of beautiful untrue things, is the proper aim of Art.“ (Wilde, 1891). The relations between art and reality (concealment of reality) and art and ethics (an ethical function of art) have been explored through the interaction of the characters of Basil Hallward and Sibyl Vane with Dorian Gray. The paper also examines the role of the artist, his morality in the process of creating and experiencing the work, and the influence of the work of art on the artist himself/herself.

scholarly journals THE NAME OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN AS THE PRECEDENT LEXICAL ITEM IN ANTHONY BURGESS’S NOVEL “A CLOCKWORK ORANGE”

2017 ◽  
pp. 169-177
Author(s):  
L. V. Korobko
Keyword(s):  
Ludwig Van Beethoven ◽  
Positive Characteristic ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Lexical Item ◽  
Literary Discourse ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Personal Attitude ◽  
Proper Name

The article analyzes features of the proper name of Ludwig van Beethoven as well as represents its intentional use in the process of verbalization of the phenomenon “Music” (based on the novel “A Clockwork” by Orange A. Burgess). On the basis of a stage-by-stage research three models of the proper name Ludwig van Beethoven within the anthroponomical field of the literary discourse of A. Burgess were allocated: MODEL I [Personal name]; MODEL II [Surname]; MODEL III [Surname + Work of Art]. The use of the model [Personal name] – Ludwig van is prepotent and reflects the main character’s personal attitude towards the composer. Functional meanings of the proper name are defined, 4 lexical portraits of Beethoven are allocated: physiological, psychological, emotional and intellectual. Positive and negative signs of Beethoven are expressed by means of evaluative lexicon and antinomies in the analyzed novel. The positive characteristic of the composer prevails, which is connected with the greatness of his figure and is motivated by the main character’s affection to Beethoven. Beethoven’s educational, noble features belong to positive signs. Negative signs of the composer’s personality are reflected in his emotional and intellectual portraits as he is represented as a gloomy, angry, mad person. In Anthony Burgess’s novel “A Clockwork Orange” both universal and specific features of Ludwig van Beethoven are represented. The universal features include physical characteristics of the musician (deafness, long flying hair, etc.), and also recognition of genius of the composer and his creations. Beethoven’s character belongs to the sphere of universal and specific features. The fact of the detached, lonely lifestyle of the musician, his severe, gloomy character, which was caused by his disease, is wellknown. Annoyance, rage, hidden threat, penetrating look are the specific features which are allocated to Beethoven by the author of the novel A. Burgess.

scholarly journals Valorisation of Ensiled Fodder Beets

1970 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas LAUWERS ◽  
Jo VICCA ◽  
Joos LATRE ◽  
Didier HUYGENS ◽  
Dirk LIPS
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Harvest Time ◽  
Point Of Interest ◽  
Optimal Harvest ◽  
Feeding Value ◽  
High Level ◽  
Matter Basis ◽  
The Ideal

Fodder beets (Beta vulgaris L.) are especially respected for their high feeding value and high netto-energy yield per hectare. The price per nutritive value is lowest as compared to other forages. Preservation of fodders beets demands thorough cleaning without damaging and regularly occurs as a whole in well closed piles. In addition, feeding them to the animals is labour demanding. These disadvantages enforce the research towards other preservation methods which may be able to valorise this valuable type of roughage. The preservation of fodder beets in silages using silo bags, either separately or in combination with maize was investigated. Fodder beets were harvested and ensilaged at the ideal moment of maize harvest (October) or fodder beets were harvested at the ideal moment for fodder beet harvest (November) and consequently ensilaged with previously ensilaged maize. Highest energy yields of the silages were recorded at optimal harvest time for fodder beets. Ensilaging fodder beets separately resulted in large energy losses due to effluent and dry matter losses. Using lab scale silage, possible solutions for these large losses were investigated. Addition of 10% maize did reduce the effluent losses but dry matter losses remained at a high level. Addition of 4,5 l propionic acid per ton beets reduced effluent and dry matter losses sufficiently. Ensilaging foliage was another point of interest. This appeared to result in a lowered energy yield at organic and dry matter basis, an increased amount of ashes and doubling of the iron (Fe) concentration

scholarly journals Wiersz o jesieni. O Frantzu François Ozona

2019 ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Kozłowski
Keyword(s):  
Main Theme ◽  
Film Material ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Feature Film ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Paul Verlaine ◽  
Ernst Lubitsch ◽  
Synthetic Work ◽  
Adam Mickiewicz

Kozłowski Krzysztof, Wiersz o jesieni. O Frantzu François Ozona [A Poem on Autumn. Frantz by François Ozon]. „Przestrzenie Teorii” 32. Poznań 2019, Adam Mickiewicz University Press, pp. 77–92. ISSN 1644-6763. DOI 10.14746/pt.2019.32.3. The film Broken Lullaby ([1932] Ernst Lubitsch) and the novel L’Homme que j’ai tué ([1921, 1925, 1930] Maurice Rostand) are seen to be the main inspirations for Frantz (2016) by François Ozon. On the basis of methodology broadly understood as the concept of bringing into relief (Domański, 1992, 2002), this article aims to demonstrate the means by which the French director expanded upon the literary-film material, imbuing it with a totally singular meaning. Ozon’s inventiveness did notlimit itself to transformations typical for adaptations, but ventured towards feature film understood as a synthetic work of art that by exploiting the audiovisual properties of the medium itself, acts as a unifying force of poetry (Verlaine, Banville), music (Chopin, Debussy) and painting (Manet). The famous poem recited by the heroine, Ann, Chanson d’automne (Paul Verlaine), serves as the analytical starting point for the above. It is thus used as a pivot for the entire film, a veritable lodestarfor guiding motifs, allowing important aspects of the film to be highlighted and consequently, bring its main theme to the fore.

scholarly journals Alfred Döblin, crítico-romancista: propostas para o novo romance e a aliança da teoria e da prática em Berlin Alexanderplatz

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Izabela Baptista do Lago
Keyword(s):  
Literary Genre ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Artistic Practice ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Berlin Alexanderplatz ◽  
Alfred Döblin ◽  
Epic Novel ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Resumo: A partir de ensaios de Alfred Döblin sobre o romance, publicados entre 1913 e 1930, o presente artigo examina as considerações críticas e teóricas do autor sobre o romance enquanto gênero literário e obra de arte em consonância com seu tempo. Considerando em especial a proposta romanesca de Döblin na forma do romance épico, uma breve análise do romance Berlin Alexanderplatz, publicado em 1929, verificará em que medida os elementos presentes nesta obra se adequam com o posicionamento expressado por seu autor. Por fim, conclui-se que Döblin concilia suas propostas teóricas com a sua prática artística, transformando-se no crítico-romancista do romance épico, alinhado com as transformações e aspirações culturais do século XX.Palavras-chave: Döblin; romance épico; crítico-romancista.Abstract: Based on Alfred Döblin’s essays on the novel, published between 1913 and 1930, this article examines the author’s critical and theoretical considerations of the novel as a literary genre and work of art in accordance with its time. Chiefly considering Döblin’s novelistic proposal in the form of the epic novel, a brief analysis of the novel Berlin Alexanderplatz, published in 1929, will verify the extent to which the elements present in this work can correspond with the position expressed by its author. Finally, it can be concluded that Döblin conciliates his theoretical proposals with his artistic practice, which turns him into a critic-novelist of the epic novel, aligned with the transformations and cultural aspirations of the 20th century.Keywords: Döblin; epic novel; critic-novelist.

The Problem of “Higher Individuals” in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-134
Author(s):  
Li Xiaoyu ◽  
I.I. Evlampiev
Keyword(s):  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Traditional Church ◽  
Crime And Punishment ◽  
Existential Crisis ◽  
Kingdom Of Heaven ◽  
The World ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Ideal

This article deals with the controversial issue of F.M. Dostoevsky’s concept of “Higher Individuals.” The latter are people who rise above other people and have a special influence on society and on history. The authors argue that this concept is most clearly expressed in “The Diary of a Writer” (1876) as well as in the story “The Sentence”, along with Dostoevsky’s commentaries on this story. By means of a detailed analysis of Raskolnikov’s “theory” within the novel “Crime and Punishment”, it is demonstrated that only a superficial version of the concept of “higher individuals” is refuted in the heroes’ argumentations; at the same time, the novel’s characters – Marmeladov, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, and Raskolnikov – can be viewed as examples of different degrees in the personal accomplishment of this “higher personality” state. In conclusion, it is observed how a person must go through three stages of development in order to become a “higher character”: firstly, the experience of an existential crisis and the understanding of the lack of meaning in one’s life; secondly, the “rebellion” against the Creator of the world and its laws along with the rejection of the traditional church faith, whose rejection leads this person on the edge of suicide; thirdly, the acquisition of a new faith, first of all, a faith in one’s immortality, which happens in an unusual, unorthodox form, as is well demonstrated by the character of Svidrigailov in Dostoevsky’s novel. According to Dostoevsky’s doctrine, the meaning ofimmortality lies in the continuation of a person’s existence in a new form in the earthly world or in a “parallel” world similar to the earthly one, and not in the ideal Kingdom of Heaven, as the church claims. Finally, the authors maintain that the process of a character’s transformation into a “higher individual” was consistently and fully described by Dostoevsky in the stories of Raskolnikov and Ivan Karamazov.

Formalism in art

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Budd
Keyword(s):  
Work Of Art ◽  
Artistic Value ◽  
Precise Meaning

Formalism in art is the doctrine that the artistic value of a work of art is determined solely by the work’s form. The concept of artistic form is multiply ambiguous, however, and the precise meaning of formalism depends upon which sense of form it operates with. There are two main possibilities. The first understands form as the structure of a work’s elements, the second as the manner in which it renders its ‘content’. If form is understood as structure, formalism is still ambiguous: understood one way, it has never been denied; understood another way, it is untenable. If form is understood as manner, formalism is false.

Context as resource for constructing artistic value: cases of non-recognition

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lisa Tota
Keyword(s):  
Decisive Role ◽  
Reception Theory ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Artistic Value ◽  
Artistic Production ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
Underground Station ◽  
Talented Artist ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Aby Warburg

This article sets out to document the plausibility of adopting a contextual conception of a work of art. Underlining the eminently social nature of the formation processes of artistic value, it illustrates how a work of art is also created by the local contexts in which it is produced and, above all, by those in which it is consumed. The first part of the article questions those romantic conceptions, according to which artistic value is normally attributed to a work of art exclusively on the basis of the author's talent, and tries to document the existence of a series of social factors that play a decisive role in establishing that a given object belongs to the “art system”. Different conceptions of the work of art are classified according to the way in which they solve the problem of genesis. Three main perspectives are identified: authorial, reception and contextual theories. It is argued that neither the authorial nor the reception theory is able to explain, on a sociological level, the process of artistic production and reception. In the second part, the different approaches to the genesis problem are connected with different interpretations of cases of non-recognition, those cases in which a “true” work of art is not recognized, for example, because it has been placed outside its own traditional reception context. It is argued that explanation of these cases of “non-recognition” is linked to the implied conception of artistic production. Three examples are considered: (a) the young Mozart; (b) Botticelli, who, held to be a mediocre painter up to the middle of the 19th century, becomes a talented artist thanks to the studies of Herbert Horne and Aby Warburg; and (c) Sting, who, in the Ladbroke Grove underground station in London, performed as a street musician.

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