Abstract
The main objective of this article is to redefine the Zeitroman as a historical novel about a contemporary theme. In order to overcome traditional definitions, which take variable and often unclear temporal criteria into account, we propose looking at the way in which a historical theme is approached as a benchmark. We lean on the Aristotelian notion of anamnesis and we understand the Zeitroman as a text which focuses on the recollection and reflection on the actions of the subjects in the near past, in the present as well as in the future. A second objective is to study the period between wars through the novels Die Kapuzinergruft (1939), by Joseph Roth, and Der Weg zurück (1931), by Erich Maria Remarque. We propose here a functional definition that allows us to define the Zeitroman as a historical novel of contemporary theme. Finally, we briefly report on how we read these novels emphasizing the aspects which made it possible to characterize them as historical novels of contemporary theme, paying special attention to the anamnetic reflections that are revealed in them.
Translated title of the contribution | The historical novel of contemporary theme in the period between 1918-1938: Die Kapuzinergruft by Joseph Roth and Der Weg zurück by Erich Maria Remarque |
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Original language | Spanish |
Pages (from-to) | 233-268 |
Number of pages | 36 |
Journal | Núcleos - Escuela de Idiomas Modernos, Universidad Central Venezuela |
Issue number | 32-33 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Anamnesis
- Historical novel
- Zeitroman
- Die Kapuzinergruft
- Der Weg zurück