The Gospel of Something or Other / Critical mass

Abbott, Paul Joseph (2015) The Gospel of Something or Other / Critical mass. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis is comprised of two components: a creative work of fiction and a critical analysis of the fiction through a discussion of craft and creative influence. The creative section, the novel The Gospel of Something or Other, is a formally experimental work that explores authenticity - of both narrative and voice - authorial identity, the performativity of grief and sincerity, and the aesthetic function of narratalogical failure.

The critical section of the thesis, Critical Mass, analyses the work of David Foster Wallace and James Wood in relation to the aforementioned fiction, discussing aspects of craft most relevant to the novel: the function of comedy and the function of manipulation. The critical piece investigates the extent to which influence can be identified in the creative process and the unstable relationship between critical interpretation and authorial intent.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Performativity, sincerity, comedy, rhetoric, manipulation, David Foster Wallace, James Wood.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General); P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism; P Language and Literature > PR English literature
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Supervisor's Name: Coyle, Dr. John
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Dr Paul Joseph Abbott
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-7328
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 18 May 2016 11:43
• Last Modified: 20 May 2019 11:15
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/7328