Systematizing evil in literature

Twelve Models for the Analysis of Narrative Fiction

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4472975
AutoresDaniel Candel (Universidad de Alcalá , Alcalá de Henares , Spain), Daniel Candel Bormann (0000-0003-4320-4639, Universidad de Alcalá, autor de correspondencia)
Año2021
Volumen2021
Número242
Páginas141-168
Fecha de publicación2021-09-27
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSemiotica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0037-1998 • E-ISSN: 1613-3692
EditorialWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/sem-2020-0071
OpenAlexW3195285673
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas45

While there are interesting connections between literature and evil, there is as of yet no systematic collection of models of evil to study literature. This is problematic, since literature is among other things an evaluative discourse and the most basic evaluative category is the polarity of good versus evil. In addition, evil shows important affinities with basic narratological principles. To initiate a discussion of models of evil for the analysis of literature, this article organizes a dozen models of evil into four groups. The first consists of a core model which coincides with basic narratological elements in character analysis and narrative tension. The second group contains two pre-modern models of evil, defilement and moral-natural evil. The third group takes its cue from personality theory and proposes the five-factor model of personality and an enriched "dark triad," and, to balance description against narration, a model which categorizes kinds of murder. The last group organizes six models around the thematic opposition between nature and society, an opposition which forms the backbone of Western philosophy and narrative. To test their validity, the models are applied to a series of literary examples/characters, above all Grendel (Beowulf), Browning's "My Last Duchess," and Carol Oates' short story "Heat

Art · Binary opposition · Epistemology · Good and evil · Literature · Narrative · Opposition (politics) · Political ponerology · Humor Studies and Applications · Law · Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies · Personality Traits and Psychology · Philosophy