8,271 research outputs found

    Polyphony and the anxiety of influence in the fiction of Henry James

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    James's fiction, especially in the Middle Phase, centres on the figure of the artist and is characterized by, the two interrelated aspects which previous criticism has largely overlooked: the Bakhtinian 'polyphonic' -creation of 'author-thinkers'; and the conflict between ephebes and precursors, for which Harold-Bloom's concept of 'the-anxiety of influence' is the most illuminating model. Polyphony is the narrative mode, and influence is the intra-artistic, theme. These, as the Introduction to the thesis makes clear, are rehearsed in James's inaugural novel, Roderick Hudson. Rowland Mallet is an author-thinker, and his failure is caused by authorial limitations. His monologism -is impaired by his mistaking empathy for the authorial sympathy. Likewise, Hudson's failure does not arise from a mercurial temperament, but from a polyphonic shortcoming: not possessing the power of fiction to contain the fiction of power in, his mentor. And the relationships among the three artists - Gloriani, Hudson and Singleton - perfectly exemplify the Bloomian-theme. It is these two concepts, polyphony and influence, which are the major preoccupation in the Middle Phase; as, the works chosen demonstrate. These are a novella, a novel, and a number of short stories all of which have been unjustifiably neglected. Chapter One, on The Aspern Papers, argues that Tina Bordereau, far from being, the artless victim seen by many critics, actually challenges and defeats the narrator by the very form of her narrative. Her 'realist' discourse undermines his language of 'romance', and shows up its internal unstability. Chapter Two is an extensive study of the critical reception of The Tragic Muse. The most common areas of critical attention have been its contemporary topicality, its relation to previous novels on similar themes, and the possible genealogy of Gabriel Nash. Those have all missed the core of the work. - Chapter Three demonstrates how polyphony and the anxiety of influence make the novel what it really is. Influence arises from the juxtaposition of, and the wrestling between, artistic ephebes and their precursors (Nick and Nash,, Miriam and Madame Carre). The dialogic quality defined by Bakhtin is crucial to the proper, and even-handed, characterization of all, the conflicts in the novel. And since most of James's tales in the eighties and nineties -are about 'masters - and acolytes, the anxiety of influence remains central. Chapter Four is a study of 'The Author of Beltraffiol' and 'The Lesson of the Master'. Again the characters' manipulations are a crucial focus in a way that G6rard Genette's terminology helps to illuminate. The fact that the ephebe is the author-thinker emphasizes the inextricability of the Bakhtinian and the Bloomian in James. Just as polyphony offers a different focus for explicating the poetics of James's fiction; so the ephebal conflict provides the basis for a fresh perception of James's own artistic struggle

    Engraved portrait of Sir James Turner (b. c.1615, d. in or after 1689)

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    Engraved portrait of Sir James Turner, army officer and author (b. c.1615, d. in or after 1689) by Robert White (1645-1703

    A critical comparison of William James and Søren Kierkegaard on religious belief

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    This thesis is a critical comparison of the accounts of religious belief proposed byWilliam James and Søren Kierkegaard. Both James and Kierkegaard greatly emphasizethe subjective aspects of religious belief. In view of this fact, surprisingly littlecomparative work has been done in this area. I contribute to this literature in two ways.Firstly, I make a brief assessment of what James knew of Kierkegaard’s work.Secondly, I draw four comparisons between Kierkegaard and James. In Chapter One Iexamine the claim that Kierkegaard proposes a pragmatist account of faith of the kindthat James sets out in his essay The Will To Believe. I argue that this claim rests on amisunderstanding of Kierkegaard’s argument that to have faith is to take a risk. In thefollowing chapter I discuss James’s and Kierkegaard’s views on formal proofs for theexistence of God. Both philosophers reject the notion that faith can be based on suchproofs. I distinguish between their positions, and argue in favour of Kierkegaard’s. Inthe third chapter I compare Kierkegaard’s and James’s accounts of religious experience.James views religious experiences as a special kind of evidence for the existence ofGod. For Kierkegaard it is a mistake to view religious experiences as evidence. Suchexperiences should be understood in relation to the concept of religious authority. In thefinal chapter I examine Kierkegaard’s conception of faith as a life-view. I argue that forKierkegaard a life-view is a fundamental perspective on one’s existence. I compare thisconception with James’s concept of philosophical temperament and in relation to hisdiscussion of the sick soul

    Theology in suspense : how the detective fiction of P.D. James provokes theological thought

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    Electronic redacted version excludes material for which permission has not been granted by the rights holderThe following dissertation argues that the detective fiction of P.D. James provokes her readers to think theologically. I present evidence from the body of James’s work, including her detective fiction that features the Detective Adam Dalgliesh, as well as her other novels, autobiography, and non-fiction work. I also present a brief history of detective fiction. This history provides the reader with a better understanding of how P.D James is influenced by the detective genre as well as how she stands apart from the genre’s traditions. This dissertation relies on an interview that I conducted with P.D. James in November, 2008. During the interview, I asked James how Christianity has influenced her detective fiction and her responses greatly contribute to this dissertation. However, James’s novels should be interpreted and explored in the manner that they are received by the reader. How the reader receives and responds to the novels, not only how James writes the novels, is what causes her stories to provoke theological thinking. By examining Christian symbolism that is present in setting, character, the Detective Adam Dalgliesh, and plot, this dissertation seeks to assert that James contributes to a theological conversation through her popular detective fiction

    Letter from James C. Purcell to Ernest Besig, Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, July 15, 1942

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    Letter from James C. Purcell to Ernest Besig: "Dear Mr. Besig, Enclosed please find the copy of the petition of writ of habeas corpus in the matter of Mitsuye Endo which you requested of this office. We hope this will supply the information you seek but if it does not do not hesitate to call upon us for further information at any time."The ACLU-Northern California case file records contain legal documents and correspondence pertaining to the case Ex parte Mitsuye Endo (1944), in which the United States Supreme court unanimously ruled that the federal government could not indefinitely detain United States citizens who were loyal to the government. Files include documents related to the Gordon Hirabayashi Supreme Court case Hirabayashi v. United States

    Sex Differences in Clopidogrel Effects Among Young Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Role for Genetics?

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    BACKGROUND: Poorer health outcomes experienced by young women with acute coronary syndrome may be related to sex differences in the safety and efficacy of antiplatelet agents, such as clopidogrel. Polymorphisms in drug metabolism enzyme (cytochrome P450 [CYP] family) genes are independent factors for the variability in response to clopidogrel. However, a sex-specific impact of genetics to explain worse clinical outcomes in women has not been explored extensively. Therefore, our objective was to determine whether an interaction of sex with CYP variants occurs among users of clopidogrel, and if so, its impact on 1-year adverse clinical outcomes. METHODS: We used data from a combined cohort of 2272 patients (median age 49 years; 56% female) hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. We examined interactions between sex and CYP variants among clopidogrel users at admission and discharge to assess associations with 1-year readmission due to cardiac events. RESULTS: The case-only analysis of 177 participants on clopidogrel at the time of presentation showed that the risk of an atherothrombotic event was greater in female carriers of the CYP2C9∗3 loss-of-function allele (odds ratio = 3.77, 95% confidence interval = 1.54-9.24). The results of the multivariable logistic regression model for users of clopidogrel at discharge (n = 1733) indicated that women had significantly higher risk of atherothrombotic readmissions at 1 year (odds ratio = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.16-2.07), compared to the risk for men, but the loss-of-function alleles, either individually or through a genetic risk score, were not associated with 1-year readmissions. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the need for an improved understanding of the role of sex-by-gene interactions in causing sex differences in drug metabolism

    James McConkey Interview

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    Tom Kenny of WLEX-TV Lexington, Kentucky interviews James McConkey, author of Rowan\u27s Progress discussing the exploits of Dr. C. Louise Caudill of Morehead, Kentucky in 1992

    James H. Cathey Author of "Genesis of Lincoln"

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    This undated photograph showing James H. Cathey (1866-1929) is part of the William E. Bird Collection. On the back of the photograph is written “James H Cathey Senator from Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Swain. Author of ‘Genesis of Lincoln.’” William Ernest Bird (1890-1975) was born in the Qualla community of Jackson County, NC. Bird served Western Carolina University in various capacities during his long career. Bird’s roles at WCU included head of the English Department, Dean of Men, Acting President, and President. In 1963, he published The History of Western Carolina College: The Progress of an Idea. He was married to Myrtle Wells (1891-1983)
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