ENGLISH

Prosaics and Other Provocations: Empathy, Open Time, and the Novel

By Gary Saul Morson

Book information

Publisher
Academic Studies Press
Year
2013
ISBN
1618111612, 9781618111616
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
2 MB (1915817 bytes)
Series
Ars Rossika
Pages
300\301
Scanned
yes
Time added
2014-07-19 13:32:29

Description

This far-ranging study develops Morson’s concept of “prosaics,” which stresses the importance of ordinary events and the novel’s unique ability to portray them. Arguing that time is open and contingency real, Morson develops a “prosaics of process” showing how some masterpieces have found an alternative to structure. His well-known pseudonym Alicia Chudo, the inventor of “misanthropology,” explores the disturbing philosophical content of laughter, disgust, and even empathy. Northwestern University’s most popular professor, Morson attributes declining student interest in literature to current teaching methods. He argues in favor of showing how literature fosters empathy with people unlike ourselves. Ever playful, Morson explores the relation of games to wit, which expresses the power of the mind to triumph over contingency in the social world.

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