Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MA
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
Committee Chair
Cynthia Chalupa
Committee Member
Deborah Janson
Committee Member
Johan Seynnaeve
Abstract
The works of the Austrian writer Ilse Aichinger are often considered impenetrable and incomprehensible. Aichinger’s doubt about conventional language serves as the basis for her use of highly pictorial and complex linguistic constructions. Although many literary scholars have alluded to the impenetrability of Aichinger’s works, few attempts have been made to investigate the meaning of her texts. In his theory of aesthetic response, Wolfgang Iser explains that literary works contain vacancies in the system of the text that need to be filled by the reader’s imagination. They serve as an impetus for the reader, during the process of reading, to draw together apparently unrelated or conflicting textual aspects. Thus, the reader creates the meaning through interaction with the text. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the applicability of Iser’s theory to Aichinger’s works to determine whether they leave space for the reader to create meaning. I will analyze selected texts in an attempt to dissolve their impenetrability and show how the meaning comes to life through an Iserian reading.
Recommended Citation
Brassat, Julia Sonja, "Filling the Silence --An Iserian Reading of Ilse Aichinger's Work" (2006). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10153.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10153
Included in
European Languages and Societies Commons, Language Interpretation and Translation Commons, Modern Languages Commons