To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes
of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical
Texts

J 2018

To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts

TLUSTÝ, Jan

Basic information

Original name

To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts

Authors

TLUSTÝ, Jan (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Prace filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo, Warszawa, Uniwersytet Warszawski, 2018, 2084-6045

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60204 General literature studies

Country of publisher

Poland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/18:00104561

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

Bohumil Hrabal; autobiography; autofiction; perspective; identity

Abstract

V originále

This study analyses the use of perspective in the autobiographical trilogy (In-House Weddings, Vita Nuova and Gaps) and the late “journalistic” texts by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal. The article examines Hrabal’s play with perspective on several levels: on the narrative level, Hrabal experiments with the narrative voice and focalization, and views himself through the eyes of his wife Eliška, who is also the narrator of the whole trilogy; this strategy allows him to gain distance from the “I-perspective” and to touch upon sensitive moments of his life (particularly auto-censorship, his relationship with the Communist authorities, and various fears). Furthermore, Eliška’s view clashes with the view of Hrabal as a character in the narrative world, which results in an original autobiographical polyphony; the article presents a detailed scrutiny of these perspectives with regard to time. Drawing from hermeneutics as a way of self-understanding shaped by texts and culture, the analysis of perspectivity will demonstrate that Hrabal also views himself through the eyes of books and cultural images; additionally, the article points to parallels with Hrabal’s other works, particularly Too Loud a Solitude. Finally, Hrabal’s playful use of perspective concerns the question of identity: the textual self that appears in the stream of images manifests itself in constant motion, thus unveiling the non-substantiality and openness of human identity. In this way, Hrabal’s writing about himself approximates the view of self in Eastern philosophies (esp. Buddhism and Taoism––Hrabal’s sources of inspiration) as well as contemporary cognitive approaches to the theory of autobiography (Paul John Eakin).

Citovat

TLUSTÝ, Jan. To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts. Prace filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo. Warszawa: Uniwersytet Warszawski, 2018, 2018 (11), No 8, p. 85-98. ISSN 2084-6045.

@article{1470520,
   author = {Tlustý, Jan},
   article_location = {Warszawa},
   article_number = {8},
   keywords = {Bohumil Hrabal; autobiography; autofiction; perspective; identity},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2084-6045},
   journal = {Prace filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo},
   title = {To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts},
   volume = {2018 (11)},
   year = {2018}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1470520
AU  - Tlustý, Jan
PY  - 2018
TI  - To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts
JF  - Prace filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo
VL  - 2018 (11)
IS  - 8
SP  - 85-98
EP  - 85-98
PB  - Uniwersytet Warszawski
SN  - 20846045
KW  - Bohumil Hrabal
KW  - autobiography
KW  - autofiction
KW  - perspective
KW  - identity
N2  - This study analyses the use of perspective in the autobiographical trilogy (In-House Weddings, Vita Nuova and Gaps) and the late “journalistic” texts by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal. The article examines Hrabal’s play with perspective on several levels: on the narrative level, Hrabal experiments with the narrative voice and focalization, and views himself through the eyes of his wife Eliška, who is also the narrator of the whole trilogy; this strategy allows him to gain distance from the “I-perspective” and to touch upon sensitive moments of his life (particularly auto-censorship, his relationship with the Communist authorities, and various fears). Furthermore, Eliška’s view clashes with the view of Hrabal as a character in the narrative world, which results in an original autobiographical polyphony; the article presents a detailed scrutiny of these perspectives with regard to time. Drawing from hermeneutics as a way of self-understanding shaped by texts and culture, the analysis of perspectivity will demonstrate that Hrabal also views himself through the eyes of books and cultural images; additionally, the article points to parallels with Hrabal’s other works, particularly Too Loud a Solitude. Finally, Hrabal’s playful use of perspective concerns the question of identity: the textual self that appears in the stream of images manifests itself in constant motion, thus unveiling the non-substantiality and openness of human identity. In this way, Hrabal’s writing about himself approximates the view of self in Eastern philosophies (esp. Buddhism and Taoism––Hrabal’s sources of inspiration) as well as contemporary cognitive approaches to the theory of autobiography (Paul John Eakin).
ER  -

TLUSTÝ, Jan. To See Oneself Through the Eyes of Others and Through the Eyes of Books: Perspective in Bohumil Hrabal's Autobiographical Texts. \textit{Prace filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo}. Warszawa: Uniwersytet Warszawski, 2018, 2018 (11), No~8, p.~85-98. ISSN~2084-6045.

Detailed Information on Publication Record