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Review

Authors(s): Steven Ungar

Review by: Steven Ungar

Source: MLN , Vol. 103, No. 4, French Issue (Sep., 1988), pp. 929-931

Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2905030

Accessed: 25-03-2016 09:02 UTC

 

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 M LN9 2 9

 R e d B e n m T he B r t he E f fe ct t h e E y R ef e c t ve T e xt

 T r n Pt r c Fe dkw f o r ew o rdbyM ch e eR chmnMnn epo

U n v er t y o f M n n e ot P re 1 98 7 1 2 2 p g e

 T h b r e f t u dy y m or e b o ut t h e wr t n g o f R o n d B r t h e t h n n y

  n umber o fmo n ogr ph de vot e dt o h en t r e c r e e r Q ut e mpy T h e

 B r th e Ef f e c t th emo tn f o rmed ndpr ovo c t ve t udyo nB r the t o

  p pe r n r e ce nt y e r t f oc u o n t h e e y o w f o r n p p ro c h t o t he

 t ex t t r t n g w t h S Z 1 9 70 t h t b e t u t r t e w h t B r t he h d t h e

 o r e d e r y 1 95 3 n W r t n g D e gr ee Z e ro t he m u t p e p r c t c e o f

 w r t n g f t er o r b ey on d L t er t u re n t h e n g u r n d w t h c p t L

B en m f r t t t e h m o r p re m e n t h e fo rm o f q ue t o n W h y

t he re G e nr e n d n ot L t e r t ur e n t e d ? x x v T he v r t o n o n He

 de gge r n dLe bn Why th er e ome thngr th e r thnn o thng?

u g ge t t h t t he d p c em e nt f r om t e r tu r e to g e nr e m or e o f c r t c

 q u e t o nye t t o be r e o ve dthn h t o r c ph enomen o n o r f t c c omp

  o c t e d w t h P r n t ru c tu r m o f t he 1 9 60

 B en m f d ec o nt oc t h o wn te xt n e y on th ee y u

 t r t e t he g e ne r e co no my o f t y e n d t on e w h ch o e rv e t he o

  e n b e o b ec t o f h n qu r y T h mm e t c p er fo rm n c e n e t he r p

 t c h e no r p r o dy t u pp e m en t h m e d t t o n on t h e B r th e n e y

w t h t he m t e r t p r c t c e of w r t n g n T h e P e u r e o f t he T e xt R o n d

  B r th e b y R o n d B r t h e A L ov er D c ou r e n d C m e r L u c d R t h er

t h n m p y e b o r t n g n c c ou nt o f t he e y n t e rm o f c hr on o og y

 e v o ut o n n d n f u en c e B en m o ok f or t h e y t e m t c n d t r n n

 d v d u t r t p re e n t n t h e wr t n g p r c t ce o f M on t g n e V e ry B n

c ho t n d B r th e T he r e u t c om p r t v e p r o ec t o f po et c w h c h

e ng g e u rp r n g n um be r o f t e r r y n d c r t c c on ce rn

 Whythe e y?Andwhyr ef e c t ve ?Ath oughB enm n ever t t e t

n o m n y wo rd h f oc u o n ge nr e th t h e mp h o n th e co n

 c ep t of g en re w e h c ho c e of t he e y p ro b em t c c e n

p o nt c r t c r e p on e t o w h t p r op on en t o f t h e No uv e u R om n

 r e f er r edt o tw en tyt o th r tyye r go th e endo f th e bo o kB enm

c or re ct y e e S Z p r og r mm t c t e xt t h t k et ch e b oo k t o co me

 w h c h e o f d c r e te o b e ct t h n w r te r y t ex t f r g me nt ed n t o b t

p e c e n d n et wo rk t h t n t e r ct w t h ou t n y o f t he m b e ng b e t o u r

p t he r e t 5 4 H e o r g ue c o nv n c ng y t h t B rt he w r te r y

  p r ct c e e xt en d m r f oc u o n t h e e y n d o n th e f r gm e nt n t he

w r t n g o f M u r c e B n c ho t T h e r e ev n t t e xt r e B n c h ot L E p c e

  t te r r e 1 95 5 L e L v r e v en r 1 95 9 n d N e t c he e t & cr t u re f r g

 ment r e n LEn t r et en n fn 1 9 69

B en m f u e t he t e rm r ef e c t ve r t h er t h n r ef e x v e b e c u e h e

 g r n t n o p r v e g e t o re f ex v t y H e m n t n t h t B r t he t e w r t ng

 do n o tmereytur n t o w r dth emeve th ey r e o r e f e c t ven th t th ey

  u t r t e p e cu t v e o pp o e d to p p e d t ho ug h t W h e B r t he p r c

 t c e d r e ct e d to w r d p r t cu r o b ec t t ex t b d e t h t d o e n o t

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 930REVEWS

  n c r b e t he p r t c u r w t h n t h e u n v er T h q u t y w h c h B en m

  dpt f r omK n t c o nc e pt o f r e f e c t ve udgmen t ugge t th emo de r

  n ty o f w r t n g pr c t c e t h t B r th e h r e w t h B n ch ot n b o th c e

 t he p r t c u r c on d e r ed r d c y d t n c t n d t hu r em ov ed f r om

 u n v er r u e w o r p r n c p e T h e f r g me nt r re d uc b y t h t

 n o thngo th er thn ndn o thngmo r e o r e thn f r gmentwh o e

  o c t o n w t h n m p e d o r e xp c t w ho e r e d ef n t v e y u n t b e

  A e c on d r e o n f or B e n m f oc u o n t h e e y r ef e c t ve t e xt

 de vo ve f r omthe f ve c o de pr o r e t c h e rmeneut c emc ymbo c

n d cu t ur w h ch B r th e u e n S Z t o m u t e h r e d ng o f

B c S r r n e T o t t e th e po n t o me wh t d f fe re nt y t t ho ug h

 B en m r e d B r t he B r th e h d r e d B c T h e t ct c e v de nt

 w h en B e n m n ot e t h t t h e y m b o c c od e t h n k ng o f t he b o dy n

  t t e o f n guge 2 5wh o e de bt t o M o n tgn edo n o t f uy c c oun t f or

 t h e m t er t w r t n g p r c t ce w h c h o ne o f B r t he m o r co nt r b u

 t o n t o m o de rn t y L k e w e t o t he M on t g n n c m n R o n d B r t h e

 b y R o n d B r t he t h t t he b o ok t he b o ok o f t he S e f B e n m d d n

  th e n e k e e ve ry m o d er n w or k t h e E y d o e n o t r e p r ob e m o f

m e n n g b u t r t he r p ro b e m of u g e D e e u e o r n o t he r wo rd

p r ob e m o f e ff ec t n d o f m e n n g 5 3 B y e m ph n g f un c t on n d u g e

 r t h er t h n n t e nt o n n d m e n n g B e n m d d re e t he m t e r p ec

f c t y of t he e y n e nt re d eu x wh c h o d e t b e c o nv en t on c t

 e go r e o f g e nr e O ne c n y t h t t h e e y n ot g e nr e k e n y o th er

  nd p er h p n ot g en re t f r t b ec u e t n ot o ne b u t o b ec u e t

 n o o n ge r o beyth e r ue o f th e gme 9 1 9 2

A m en t on ed n p n g b ov e t he d p e r o n of f x ed n d t b e

m e n ng w h ch B en m e xp o re n t he B r th e n e y p o nt t o m

m e t c ge t u re n h o wn w r t n g w h ch d e r ve m uc h f ro m B n c ho t n d

D er r d f ro m B rt he B en m t r t ge m t o h ve w r tt en r ef e c

 t ve t e xtwh o en t e r pyo fh e t e r ogen ou mt e r e vok eB r the

 w r t n g b eg n n n g w t h S Z A p t y t h er e r e t e t t w o w y t o r e d T h e

 B r t he E ff ec t T h e f r t w ou d b e c r t c t u dy o n B r t h e o n t h e e y

w t h n c on v en t on h t o r y of t er t u re n d p h o o p hy f r om P t o t o

 M o nt gn en dV e r yT h e e c o n dn pr e dmo re byB n ch ot n d

D er r d w o u d u t r t e t he m t e r t y o f wr t n g f or w h c h th e f r t

 w o udc c o un tprmry co nc e pt n d/o r th eo r yT h e c on dr e dn g

d oe n ot e x c ud e t he f r t b u t u p p e m en t t b y g e t ur e of u t r t o n

w h c h Be n m p e rf or m t h ro ug ho ut h d e fe n e u t r t o n n d d e

 f e n e? M y v r t o n o n th e t t e o f D u Be y 1 54 9 D f en e e t u t r t o n d e

  n gu e fr n c e n te nt o n t m e n t o c on ve y Be n m e mu t o n

 o f B r t he n p r c t c e of w r t n g w h ch d e p t e t m od er n t q u t e

 n e ver uc ce e ded n e r n gt h umn tgr o undng S n c eM o nt gn e

E p r m e pr ec ed e nt f o r th e c on ce p t of t h e e y r ef e c t ve t e xt

 m g h t o u gg e t t h t B e n m h w r t te n w h t m o un t t o n A p o og e

  deR o n dB r the

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  M LN9 3 1

 B en m e y e x p n de d f ro m f r t v e r o n p u b h e d n F r e nc h

  B r t he e n tr od u ct o n u t e x te r e f ec h n t T u b ng en G N r r

1 98 6 p p e r t m om e nt o f r e t v e e nc e u r r ou n d ng B r t h e E x

 c e pt f o r Ph p pe R o ge r R o n d B r t he r om n P r G r e t 1 9 86 n d

  n c e nt J ou v e L L t t e r tu re e o n B r th e P r M n u t 1 9 86 B r t he

h e e m ng y b e en r e e g t ed t o n c u o n m o ng t h e t r ge t o f r ev

  o n t r ewr tn go f th e 1 9 6 0 e dbyJ en P u Ar on LeM o de r ne

  v et n T o do ro v C r t qu e d e c r t q ue P r S eu 1 98 5 n d L uc F e rr y

n d A n R e n ut L P e n e e 68 P r G m r d 1 98 5 S uc h re wr t n g

n o th o w eve r un c on t e t e dAo ngw thAn t o n eC ompgn o n Le D e ux

B r th e n L T ro e me R ep ub q u e de e tt re P r S eu 1 98 3 T he

 B r th e Ef f e ct pr o vde e vden c e th tB r th e c o nt r but o n t o t e r r y nd

c r t c p r c t ce w o ut t t h e cu rr en t w v e o f po e m c e d r e ce p t on

T h eUnver tyo f o w S T EV ENUNGAR

T ho m M K v n g h W r t n g th e T ru th A u t ho r ty n d D e r e n R o u e u

B e rk e e y L o A n g e e L o n do n U n v er t y o f C f or n P re 1 98 7

 2 2 7 pge

T h p ro vo c t v e n d e e nt b oo k f or n y o ne n t e re t e d n t h e E ur o

 pen e gh t e enth c en tur yT h om K vn ghunder tk e n n t er pre t t o n

o f Je n J c q u e R o u e u o eu v re o r g n e d r ou nd f m y t ru c tu re

  t h t n ot o n y d et e rm n e t h e v t r n g e o f Ro u e u w r t n g b u t o

u gg e t h ow R o u e u c o n ce v e d of t h e fo rm n d p o b e f u re o f h

  o r k T he n y b eg n w t h t he r e co un t n g of R o u e u r om n f

m p re e nt ed n B o ok o f th e Co nf e o n K v n g h p on t o ut t h t

R ou e u w ho e m o th er d e t h w t he v e ry c o nd t o n o f h o wn f e

 w e d t o de f n e th e t n d r d O e d p t u t o n n t e rm o f t e rf u c o m

 p c tyr th er thn r v r yw th h f th e rH en o t e th e r e c ur r en c e o f th

 p t t e rn n R ou e u u b e qu en t r e t o n h p w t h p r e nt f g u re

  C u de A ne t M n e d e W re n e t e c h t me R ou e u d v ow n y

 d e r e t o t k e t he f t h e r p c e n d e ve n e r e t r c e o f t he f t h e r

 e x t e nc e o t o e v e r o om o n y f or t h e e f u ff c e n t d e e x u e d

  ddo fmo th er be c ome t e r n dbr o the r tn dngbe f o re th e rmutu

y r e co gn e d y et w y d e ne g t ed f t h e r 1 1 A b ot h c u e n d e ff ec t

 o f th d y c d d t h e f th er w y d en eg t ed d e n ed n d m p c t y

 r e co gn e d butn e ve r do eR o u e u e ek t o r ep c ehm Ath o ugh t

  u e t h m o d f ed O ed p t r n g e p o nt o f de p rt ur e n d n

 f or me d b y p y ch o n y t c c o nc ep t K v n g h p p ro c h n ot r e y p y

 c h o n y t c n d c er t n y n o t p y c ho o g c D e p t e t he L c n n r e fe r

e nc e m g n r y y m bo c h e m or e c on ce rn ed w t h d e mo n t r t n g th e

r o e of t h t r n g e t ru ct ur n g e em en t n o f Ro u e u t te mp t

t o w r te t he t ru th o n th e pe r on o c n d po t c e ve F or e x

  mpe K v nghmo ve f r omth ebe gnnngo f theC o n fe o n t o th e

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