Erotic Places in John Berger's "Into Their Labours" Trilogy

Bc. Lenka Filipová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Práce se zabývá zobrazením místa a vývojem jeho společenských vztahů od rolnické společnosti k moderní industriální kultuře v trilogii Johna Bergera “Into Their Labours” (V jejich práce) – “Pig Earth” (Kaliště), “Once in Europa” (Jednou v Evropě), “Lilac and Flag” (Šeřík a prapor).

Abstract:

The thesis explores the significance of the representation and recreation of place and the development of its social dimensions from the peasant culture to modern industrial civilisation in John Berger’s “Into Their Labours” trilogy. It examines the ways in which the narratives in the “Into Their Labours” trilogy – “Pig Earth”, “Once in Europa”, “Lilac and Flag” – reflect the change in the status of place under the integration of the world market in the age of globalisation and the impacts of this change on human life and consciousness. The thesis analyses the narratives in terms of both their formal and thematic aspects. The predominantly socio-geographical perspective of the analysis is also extended to a more “green” politico-aesthetic one. Berger’s socialist politics of resistance, in response to some of the oppressive aspects of capitalist-dominated modernity, is shown to cast a socially critical light on the increasing lack of sense of place as a site of centeredness and meaning. The analysis also points to the crucial role of the erotic element in Berger’s narratives and its relation to a sense of place.

Keywords

space, place, experience, the peasant, modernity, sensual realism, the commodification of the senses, temporal and spatial dislocation, the erotic, erotics of reading

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 27. 11. 2009

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 17. 2. 2010
• Supervisor: Ph.D. Stephen Paul Hardy

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / English Language and Literature