Neuroliterary Theory

Abstract

Neurology and humanities seem at first glance to be disparate disciplines. However, they share methods of solving interpretive problems. By linking principles of neurology to the study of literature, neuroliterary theory operates at the interstices of these domains. To develop this approach, the work of Oliver Sacks, among other neurologists, will play a foundational role. If neurological deficits, excesses, or transports can be explained in narrative terms, it follows that we can reverse the process and use neurology to better understand literary principles. The value of this approach will initially be demonstrated through two major case studies. For this purpose, James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) have been selected. Joyce’s dynamic formation of character identity and presentation of involuntary memory, alongside Vonnegut’s examination of trauma and subjective temporal experience, display themes and techniques which can be linked to neurology. To broaden the scope of neuroliterary theory to encompass other kinds of texts, the final chapter will apply this same perspective to a range of other fictional works. By engaging with reader response criticism’s model of the reader and other touchstones in literary theory, this thesis seeks to develop aspects of neuroliterary theory that centre on individual brain function as a significant component in the experience of reading.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Dundee
Supervisor	Daniel Cook (Supervisor) & Keith Williams (Supervisor)