The Logic of Wish and Fear : New Perspectives on Genres of Western Fiction

"Through Aristotle's theory of catharsis and his concept of complex tragedy, Ben La Farge provides an original examination of genre. Moving effortlessly from Greek to Shakespearean tragedies, to nineteenth and twentieth-century British, American and Russian drama, and fiction and contemporary television, this study sheds new light on the art of comedy"-- Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Comedy’s Logic....Pages 2-25 Comedy’s Intention....Pages 26-45 Comic Romance....Pages 46-70 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 The Anatomy of Secular Myth....Pages 72-78 Front Matter....Pages 79-79 Its Genesis—Why Then?....Pages 80-84 Complex Tragedy....Pages 85-90 The Problem of Catharsis....Pages 91-94 The Question of Fate....Pages 95-100 The Tragic Flaw....Pages 101-103 Syphilis and War as Substitute Fates....Pages 104-112 High and Low Mimetic Tragedies....Pages 113-124 Conclusion....Pages 125-127 Back Matter....Pages 128-136 Machine generated contents note: Preface PART I: THE CONVERGENCE OF COMEDY AND ROMANCE 1. Comedy's Logic 2. Comedy's Intention 3. Comic Romance PART II: SECULAR MYTH 4. The Anatomy of Secular Myth PART THREE: THE PLEASURES OF TRAGEDY 5. Genesis - Why Then? 6. Complex Tragedy 7. The Problem of Catharsis 8. The Question of Fate 9. The Tragic Flaw 10. Syphilis and War as Substitute Fates 11. High and Low Mimetic Tragedies Conclusion.