Literary Epiphany in the Novel, 1850–1950 : Constellations of the Soul

Reading literature in relation to both contemporary theory and theology, Sharon Kim studies literary epiphany as the revelation of "being" within the British and American novel, with particular attention to why such realization of character is often attended by the language of spirituality. Epiphany presents a significant alternative to traditional models of linking the eye, the mind, and the self. This book analyzes in what way these epiphanies become "spiritual" and how both character and narrative shape themselves like constellations around such moments. Beginning with James Joyce, 'inventor' of literary epiphany, and Martin Heidegger, who used the ancient Greek concepts behind 'epiphaneia' to re-define the concept of Being, Kim offers engaging new readings of novels by Susan Warner, George Eliot, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner. This book has received the 2013 Book of the Year Award from the Conference on Christianity and Literature. Reading literature in relation to both contemporary theory and theology, Sharon Kim studies literary epiphany as the revelation of "being" within the British and American novel, with particular attention to why such realization of character is often attended by the language of spirituality. Epiphany presents a significant alternative to traditional models of linking the eye, the mind, and the self. This book analyzes in what way these epiphanies become "spiritual" and how both character and narrative shape themselves like constellations around such moments. Beginning with James Joyce, "inventor" of literary epiphany, and Martin Heidegger, who used the ancient Greek concepts behind "epiphaneia" to redefine the concept of Being, Kim offers engaging new readings of novels by Susan Warner, George Eliot, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner --Book Jacket This book studies literary epiphany as a modality of character in the British and American novel. Epiphany presents a significant alternative to traditional models of linking the eye, the mind, and subject formation, an alternative that consistently attracts the language of spirituality, even in anti-supernatural texts. This book analyzes how these epiphanies become'spiritual'and how both character and narrative shape themselves like constellations around such moments. This study begins with James Joyce,'inventor'of literary epiphany, and Martin Heidegger, who used the ancient Greek concepts behind'epiphaneia'to re-define the concept of Being. Kim then offers readings of novels by Susan Warner, George Eliot, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner, each addressing a different form of epiphany. Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: Epiphany and Enquiry 12 1 Opening the Subject: Joyce and Heidegger on Epiphany 42 2 The Promise of Being: Spiritual Epiphany in The Wide, Wide World 60 3 Reverse Projection: Moral Epiphany in Middlemarch 78 4 The Dark Flash: Epiphany and Heredity in The House of Mirth 98 5 The Mirror of Mental Ruin in To the Lighthouse 120 6 The Look of the Other in The Bear 138 Conclusion 156 Epilogue: Reading Epiphany 162 Notes 170 Works Cited 180 Index 202 A Study Of Literary Epiphany, Whose Varying Constructions Of Spirituality Are Crucial To The Shaping Of Character In The British And American Novel. Opening The Subject: Joyce And Heidegger On Epiphany -- The Promise Of Being: Spiritual Epiphany In The Wide, Wide World -- Reverse Projection: Moral Epiphany In Middlemarch -- The Dark Flash: Epiphany And Heredity In The House Of Mirth -- The Mirror Of Mental Ruin In To The Lighthouse -- The Look Of The Other In The Bear. Sharon Kim. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.