Apocalyptic Futures , livre ebook

248

pages

English

Ebooks

2011

Écrit par
Russell Samolsky

Publié par
Fordham University Press

Lire un extrait

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Découvre YouScribe et accède à tout notre catalogue !

Je m'inscris

Découvre YouScribe et accède à tout notre catalogue !

Je m'inscris

248

pages

English

Ebooks

2011

Lire un extrait

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus

Publié par

Fordham University Press

Date de parution

29 septembre 2011

EAN13

9780823241514

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

2 Mo

In this book, the author argues that certain modern literary texts have apocalyptic futures. Rather than claim that great writers have clairvoyant powers, he examines the ways in which a text incorporates an apocalyptic event into its future reception. He is thus concerned with the way in which apocalyptic works solicit their future receptions.
Apocalyptic Futures also sets out to articulate a new theory and textual practice of the relation between literary reception and embodiment. Deploying the double register of “marks” to show how a text both codes and targets mutilated bodies, the author focuses on how these bodies are incorporated into texts by Kafka, Conrad, Coetzee, and Spiegelman.
Situating “In the Penal Colony” in relation to the Holocaust, Heart of Darkness to the Rwandan genocide, and Waiting for the Barbarians to the revelations of torture in apartheid South Africa and contemporary Iraq, the author argues for the ethical and political importance of reading these literary works’ “apocalyptic futures” in our own urgent and perilous situations. The book concludes with a reading of Spiegelman''s Maus that offers a messianic counter-time to the law of apocalyptic incorporation.

Voir

Publié par

Fordham University Press

Date de parution

29 septembre 2011

EAN13

9780823241514

Langue

English

Poids de l'ouvrage

2 Mo

Europe

Apocalyptic Futures

This page intentionally left blank

Apocalyptic Futures

m a r k e d b o d i e s a n d t h e v i o l e n c e o f t h e t e x t i n k a f k a , c o n r a d , a n d c o e t z e e

Russell Samolsky

f o r d h a m u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s

New York

2 0 1 1

this book is made possible by a collaborative grant from the andrew w. mellon foundation.

A ll rights reserved. No part of this publication m ay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system , or transm itted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other— except for brief quotations in printed reviews, w ithout the prior perm ission of the publisher.

Fordham University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of U R Ls for external or third-party Internet websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or w ill remain, accurate or appropriate.

Fordham University Press also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Samolsky, Russell. Apocalyptic futures : m arked bodies and the violence of the text in K afka, Conrad, and Coetzee / Russell Samolsky. —1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN978-0-8232-3479-0(cloth : alk. paper) ISBN978-0-8232-3480-6(pbk.) 1. Fic t io n —20th century— H istory and criticism. 2afka, Franz,. K 1883–1924— Criticism and interpretation.3Joseph,. Conrad, 1857–1924— Criticism and interpretation.4. Coetzee, .,J. M 1940— Criticism and interpretation.5pie gel m a n ,. S A rt— Criticism and interpretation.6. Ethics in literature.7literature.. Apocalyptic 8. Prophecy in literature.9in literature.. Violence 10. M i m e sis in literature. I. Title. II. Title: M arked bodies and the violence of the text in K afka, Conrad, and Coetzee. III. Title: Violence of the text in K afka, Conrad, and Coetzee. PN3347.S26 2011 809.3'04— dc23 2011032058

Printed in the United States of A merica

13 12 11

First edition

5 4 3 2 1

For Rita, with love and admiration

This page intentionally left blank

c o n t e n t s

List of Figures Acknowledgments

Introduction: Writing Violence: Marked Bodies and Retroactive Signs 1.Metaleptic Machines: Kafka, Kabbalah, Shoah 2.Apocalyptic Futures:Heart of Darkness, Embodiment, and African Genocide 3.The Body in Ruins: Torture, Allegory, and Materiality in J. M. Coetzee’sWaiting for the Barbarians Coda: The Time of Inscription:Maus and the Apocalypse of Number

Notes Index

viii ix

1 33

123

177

211 233

f i g u r e s

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

The Thirteenth Book of the Dead, in which the publisher reads his own fate inscribed on the body of the sumo-wrestler sent to assassinate him Leonard’s body tattooed with the injunction to kill. The license plate number that will establish John Gammell as his next victim is inscribed on his thigh Timecover (August1994) Maus: Hitler did it! Maus: Prisoner on the hell planet comic Maus: Spiegelman at the drawing board Maus: reading the number

22 75 184 187 190 198

a c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

Work on this book began at the University of Colorado, Boulder. It has been a number of years in the making and the path from the inception of the project to its becoming a book has taken me through many twists and turns. Some valued friends and col-leagues accompanied me along the way, and I want to express my gratitude to those who offered their help and to pass on my thanks to those who read this book in its various stages. I want ﬁrst of all to thank Richard Halpern for kindly reading and commenting on my work. His belief in the merit of my writ-ing has always meant a great deal to me. Particular thanks are due to Sue Zemka not only for her readings and thoughts on the project but also for her intimate friendship. Eric White, Adeleke Adeeko, and Paul Gordon read and remarked on the earliest draft of this book. I wish also to acknowledge R. L. Widmann, who of-fered her support during my early years at the University of Colo-rado, and to thank Katheryn Rios for her friendship. For her sage advice on matters professional, I owe thanks to Katherine Eggert. I would like further to acknowledge a number of people who have in their various ways played important parts in my life dur-ing the course of the composition of this book: Rohan Quince for early imparting an appreciation for the powers of literature. Our friendship has been long and abiding. Christopher Brown for his encouragement at a moment when it was needed. Dirk Aardsma, who followed and encouraged the progress of this book from its

Voir