Self and society : the dialectic of themes and forms in the novels of Carson McCullers

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Christopher Michael Smith (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Charles E. Davis

Abstract: This study provides an understanding of Carson McCullers' novels that spans the traditional distinction between the romance and the realistic novel and questions her image as a stereotypically "feminine" author. Support for such an approach is provided by McCullers' own comments, notably in her article "Russian Realists and Southern Literature”, in which she calls for a new “philosophical novel” which brings together passion and realism in an exploration of the fundamental issues in human existence. Her own novels use elements of the romance and the realistic novel in a dialectical process through which the conflict between self and society is analyzed.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1976
Subjects
McCullers, Carson, $d 1917-1967 $x Criticism and interpretation
Self in literature
Individuality in literature

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