Bowen's recesses: from realism to inter-objectivity
Edited book (chapter)
Johnson, Laurie. 2019. "Bowen's recesses: from realism to inter-objectivity." Gildersleeve, Jessica and Smith, Patrica Juliana (ed.) Elizabeth Bowen: theory, thought and things. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 127-144
| Chapter Title | Bowen's recesses: from realism to inter-objectivity |
|---|---|
| Book Chapter Category | Edited book (chapter) |
| ERA Publisher ID | 1755 |
| Book Title | Elizabeth Bowen: theory, thought and things |
| Authors | |
| Author | Johnson, Laurie |
| Editors | Gildersleeve, Jessica and Smith, Patrica Juliana |
| Page Range | 127-144 |
| Chapter Number | 8 |
| Number of Pages | 18 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Publisher | Edinburgh University Press |
| Place of Publication | Edinburgh |
| ISBN | 9781474458641 |
| 9781474458672 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474458641.001.0001 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://edinburgh.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474458641.001.0001/upso-9781474458641-chapter-009 |
| Abstract | This chapter re-orients consideration of realist elements in Bowen’s short stories by framing readings according to a series of 'recesses'. The first is as a building feature designed to conceal and display, which frames a discussion of the status of 'things' in Bowen’s writing, that is, the objects that deck out her narratives and become a focus for critical interest in her realism. The second is as a cue for the notion of receding, which I use against claims about consistency in narrative voice in Bowen’s work to argue instead that Bowen’s 'voice' can be shown increasingly to recede, leaving the subject-position in such doubt as to compel the willing reader to complete the point of view. Finally, 'recess' is used in the sense of suspension or adjournment, against claims that the 'psychological realism' created by Bowen presents a 'transtemporal subjectivity', to argue that agency in Bowen’s narratives becomes, by virtue of the points raised above, suspended, such that 'subjectivity' is itself untenable. The term I will use to describe the coming together of people and things in Bowen’s fictional universe, and indeed in her writings about the world of the blitz, is 'inter-objectivity'. |
| Keywords | Bowen, Elizabeth; inter-objectivity; narration; realism; subjectivity; voice |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 470504. British and Irish literature |
| Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Humanities and Communication |
| Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
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