Interfaces in narrative research: letters as technologies of the self and as traces of social forces
Article
Tamboukou, M. 2011. Interfaces in narrative research: letters as technologies of the self and as traces of social forces. Qualitative Research. 11 (5), pp. 625-641.
Authors | Tamboukou, M. |
---|---|
Abstract | Abstract: In this paper I explore the use of letters in narrative research in the social sciences. Taking Gwen John’s love letters to Auguste Rodin as an exemplar of epistolary analysis, I raise questions around the ontological and epistemological nature of epistolary narratives, particularly focusing on openness as a force generating meaning, challenging conventions in classical narratology and destabilizing discourses around the constitution of the social and the subject. Further drawing on Kristeva’s notion of intertextuality I propose an analysis of epistolary narratives along the axes of subject-addressee and text-context. In this light I trace connections between ‘real life letters’ and the genre of the amorous epistolary novel, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary approaches in the analysis of letters in narrative research. |
Keywords | amorous discourse; desire; epistolary narratives; Gwen John; dialogism; intertextuality; love letters; technologies of the self |
Journal | Qualitative Research |
Journal citation | 11 (5), pp. 625-641 |
ISSN | 1468-7941 |
Year | 2011 |
Publisher | SAGE |
Web address (URL) | http://qrj.sagepub.com/content/11/5/625.short |
Publication dates | |
Oct 2011 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 15 Feb 2013 |
File |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/86056
Download files
144
total views246
total downloads0
views this month0
downloads this month