Chuck Palahniuk - development and popular aspects

Bc. Michal Minárik

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Diplomová práca sa zaoberá prvkami populárnej kultúry v autorskej tvorbe Chucka Palahniuka a postupnými zmenami, ktorými jeho tvorba prechádzala. Analýza aspektov populánej kultúry vychádza z jej charakteristických znakov, ktoré John Fiske popísal v knihe Understanding Popular Culture (1989), pričom práca sleduje ich prítomnosť v prvom Palahniukovom románe Fight Club (1996), jeho doteraz najúspešnejšom diele. Druhá polovica práce sa venuje vývoju jeho literárnej tvorby, ktorý je demonštrovaný krátkymi analýzami románov Lullaby (2002), Rant (2007) a Tell-All (2010) a ich porovnaním s jeho prvým románom.

Abstract:

The diploma thesis focuses on aspects of popular culture traced in writing of Chuck Palahniuk and gradual changes his writing has gone through. Popular culture analysis is based on the characteristics as described by John Fiske in Understanding Popular Culture (1989), as the thesis traces their presence in Palahniuk's first and most successful novel Fight Club (1996). Second part of the thesis follows development of Palahniuk's writing, which is demonstrated by analysis of three of his later novels - Lullaby (2002), Rant (2007) and Tell-All (2010), which are put into comparison with the first novel.

Keywords

Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Lullaby, Rant, Tell-All, John Fiske, Understanding Popular Culture, popular culture, transgressive fiction

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 13. 12. 2011

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 31. 1. 2012
• Supervisor: Ph.D. Stephen Paul Hardy

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature