Abstract
This essay proposes singularity as a more useful concept than
autonomy in understanding the distinctiveness of literary practice, and discusses
some theorizations of this concept by Jacques Derrida and Timothy Clark. The
relation of ethics to singularity is discussed, and it is argued that the responsibility
of the reader to do justice to the singularity of the literary work has an ethical
dimension. As an example, the multilingualism of W.F. Hermans’s Nooit meer
slapen is examined.
autonomy in understanding the distinctiveness of literary practice, and discusses
some theorizations of this concept by Jacques Derrida and Timothy Clark. The
relation of ethics to singularity is discussed, and it is argued that the responsibility
of the reader to do justice to the singularity of the literary work has an ethical
dimension. As an example, the multilingualism of W.F. Hermans’s Nooit meer
slapen is examined.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 17-32 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Dutch Literature |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2015 |
