Autobiographische Werke erfreuen sich zunehmender Beliebtheit. Nicht zuletzt unterstreichen ständig steigende Verkaufszahlen den Vormarsch von Autobiographien auf dem Buchsektor und legitimieren diese Textsorten immer deutlicher als eigenständige Gattung. Begriff und Umfang der "Autobiographie" sind dabei umstritten und seit jeher einem geschichtlichen Wandel unterworfen. Was macht eine Autobiographie aus? Was unterscheidet eine Autobiographie vom Roman, was von einer Biographie oder gar von Memoiren? Auf diese und andere Fragen der Begriffsbestimmung einer Autobiographie geht die vorliegende Arbeit ein. Sie gibt nicht nur einen Überblick über den geschichtlichen Wandel des Begriffes, sondern entwickelt außerdem einen Katalog konstituierender Merkmale einer Autobiographie. Anhand dieser Kriterien werden die Werke des US-Erfolgsautors Bret Easton Ellis untersucht und herausgearbeitet, ob und inwiefern sie als autobiographisch bezeichnet werden können. Im Mittelpunkt der Untersuchung steht dabei Ellis’ Werk „Lunar Park“, mit dem der Autor den Leser auf eine Reise zwischen Traum und Wirklichkeit schickt. Es ist eine Reise zwischen Autobiographie und Roman, die den Leser in vielfältiger Weise maßregelt und seine Leseerwartung dadurch nachhaltig beeinflussen wird.
This work examines autobiographical theories in their development over the last decades and gives an overview of predominant theoretical approaches until today. Against this background, a catalogue of constitutive conditions of autobiography is being created. In the following, the works of Bret Easton Ellis are examined for these autobiographical characteristics, especially his latest work "Lunar Park" will be in the center of this paper.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Life and Works of Bret Easton Ellis
III. The Autobiography – Overview and Convergence
1. Range and Dimension of Autobiography
1.1. Definition, History, and Development of Autobiography
1.2. Between Fact and Fiction: Solving the Problem of ‘Truth’ in Autobiographies
1.3. Autobiography and the Question of Genre
1.4. Distinction of Different (Auto)biographical Styles of Narration
a) Memoirs
b) Diary
c) Autofiction
d) Semi-Autobiography / “Wunschautobiographie”
e) Autobiographical Novel
f) Biography
1.5. Intermediate Result: The Essence of Autobiography
2. The Form of Autobiography and How It Is Reflected in the Works of Bret Easton Ellis
2.1. About the (Auto)biographical Influence on Ellis’s Works between 1985 and 2000
2.2. The Aspect of Authenticity and Verifiability
2.3. The Selection of Facts and the Form of Depiction
2.4. Orientation towards the Reader and the Reader’s Expectation
2.5. The Aspect of Autobiographical Intention and Authorship
a) Narrative Situation
b) Intention of the Author
2.6. Metanarrative Aspects
2.7. Attempting a Categorization of Bret Easton Ellis’s Works
IV. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The primary objective of this thesis is to examine the extent to which the works of Bret Easton Ellis, particularly his 2005 novel Lunar Park, utilize autobiographical elements, conventions, and structures. The study investigates whether these works can be classified as traditional autobiographies or if they should rather be considered as novels that consciously manipulate the dichotomy between fact and fiction to challenge reader expectations.
- Theoretical analysis of autobiography as a genre and its constitutive conditions.
- Categorization of various autobiographical narrative styles (memoirs, diary, autofiction, etc.).
- Critical investigation of the relationship between the author's real life and his fictional protagonists.
- Examination of metanarrative techniques and the use of direct speech as stylistic devices.
- Analysis of the author’s intent in blurring the lines between reality and art to manipulate public reception.
Excerpt from the Book
1.2. Between Fact and Fiction: Solving the Problem of ‘Truth’ in Autobiographies
The German sociologist, philosopher, musicologist and composer Theodor Adorno once said about truth: “Wahr sind nur die Gedanken, die sich selbst nicht verstehen“83. According to this quotation truth is not an absolute but contradictory term. The problem with truth in autobiography results from a legitimate and logical question: how can autobiographies in their claim for authenticity recount absolute historical truth when the human memory is subject to mistakes and limited capacity? This question is crucial in so far as Aichinger states that the memory is the main source of an author. She considers three aspects to be important:
1. Kein Erlebnis ist so, wie es erlebt wurde, zu wiederholen, die frühere Erlebniswirklichkeit daher niemals adäquat reproduzierbar. 2. Was bewahrt wird, ist nicht das Erlebnis selbst, sondern nur die Vorstellung davon, die keineswegs die Fülle des Damaligen umschließt. 3. Nicht nur diese Vorstellungen, auch die mit ihnen verbundenen Bedeutungsgefühle unterliegen einer ständigen Wandlung.84
Gusdorf85 and Pascal86 emphasized that the divergence from historical truth in autobiographies underlines their extraordinary character as literary works of art. Thus, they promote the view of autobiographies representing works of art rather than historical documents, i.e. especially this divergence from historical facts is regarded to constitute autobiographies instead of running contrary to the genre.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter introduces the growing popularity of autobiography and outlines the research objective, which focuses on the autobiographical dimensions in the works of Bret Easton Ellis.
II. Life and Works of Bret Easton Ellis: This section provides a biographical overview of Bret Easton Ellis, touching upon his key novels such as Less Than Zero and American Psycho, and situating him within the 1980s literary "brat pack".
III. The Autobiography – Overview and Convergence: This comprehensive chapter defines the theoretical framework of autobiography, distinguishing it from related forms like memoirs and diaries while addressing the tension between fact and fiction.
2. The Form of Autobiography and How It Is Reflected in the Works of Bret Easton Ellis: This section applies the theoretical findings to Ellis's oeuvre, analyzing how he uses autobiographical conventions in his novels to play with reader expectations.
IV. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, concluding that while Ellis uses autobiographical markers, his works function as a critique of public image and genre expectations rather than as traditional autobiographies.
Keywords
Autobiography, Bret Easton Ellis, Lunar Park, Autofiction, Fact and Fiction, Narrative Theory, Literary Genre, Authenticity, Metanarrative, American Psycho, Reader Expectation, Biographical Fact, Memoir, Semiotic Fiction, Writing Cure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
This work explores the presence of autobiographical elements in the literary works of Bret Easton Ellis, investigating how the author blends his actual life experiences with fiction.
What are the central themes discussed in this study?
The study centers on the dichotomy of fact and fiction, the construction of authorial identity, the role of the reader, and the specific autobiographical conventions used by Ellis.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to determine whether Ellis's works, especially Lunar Park, can be classified as autobiographies or if they are "mock autobiographical novels" designed to critique public opinion.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a literary theory approach, drawing upon definitions and concepts from theorists like Philippe Lejeune, Elizabeth Bruss, and Georges Gusdorf to categorize and analyze the texts.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body examines the evolution of autobiography as a genre, defines various narrative sub-genres, and performs a detailed analysis of how Ellis integrates his own life into his stories.
Which keywords define this thesis?
The work is defined by concepts such as autobiography, autofiction, literary genre, authenticity, and the strategic use of narrative construction by Bret Easton Ellis.
How does Lunar Park challenge the traditional autobiographical contract?
Lunar Park initially presents itself as an autobiography to gain the reader's trust, but then introduces fictional and horror elements that invalidate this contract, forcing the reader to question the narrator's reliability.
What is the significance of the "writing cure" in the context of Ellis’s work?
The concept refers to the therapeutic nature of writing for Ellis, where he uses fictionalization to reconcile with his past, particularly his relationship with his father.
Why are cross-references between Ellis’s books important?
These references emphasize the development of characters across Ellis's career and force the reader to possess "insider" knowledge of his bibliography, creating a more intimate, albeit complex, connection with the author.
- Quote paper
- Christian Hensgens (Author), 2006, Autobiography in the Works of Bret Easton Ellis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/63741
