Skov, Camilla

AbstractThe aim of this thesis is to investigate which particular form of aristocratism that is expressed in Karen Blixen’s narrative ”Syndfloden over Nordeney” along with the kind of philosophy of art and life behind this aristocratism. The first published work by Karen Blixen Syv Fantastiske Fortællinger was criticized for being aristocratic at the time, but what is this aristocratism rooted in? And what tendencies was it in the contemporary time that one attempted to stand up against with this aris- tocratism? These questions will be answered in the following paper on the basis of Karen Blixen’s narrative “Syndfloden over Nordeney” from her first work Syv Fantastiske Fortællinger published in Denmark in 1935.It was hypothesized that Blixen is one of the writers that has found inspiration in the aristocratic spirit of the time, which was presented to the Scandinavian public through Georg Brandes article ”Aris- tokratisk Radikalisme – En Afhandling om Friedrich Nietzsche” from 1889. Therefore, the account of the aristocratic spirit of the time will be made on the basis of this article. The analysis of the tale ”Syndfloden over Nordeney” is thematically focused around the characters ideological mind-set and philosophy of art. The chosen tale for the analysis are metafiction, where the characters reflect upon art and identity through narrative and dialogue, which is particularly interesting in relation to this investigation.It is concluded that Blixen’s aristocratism does not circle around the main characters’ social and cultural habitus – but around their elevated artistic temperament that functions beyond the norms of the surroundings and additionally commands that they prioritize self-realization over self-sacrifice, which is opposed to their conventional world.In particular Blixen’s cardinal characters manages to unite the preservation and creating forces of life – the Apollonian and Dionysian principles – and as a result of this are risen to the devine. Through the narrative we see a distinction between the sublime, brave and merry artistic temperament, and the conventional and democratic world, which is limited by the surroundings. The artistic, aristocratic characters fulfill Blixen’s aristocratic idea regarding the impersonal and unbiased portrayal of the world. The Aristocratic art circles around the eternal themes, which participates in making history immortal and capable of answering Blixen’s well-known identity question: Who am I? The Aristo- cratic, grand art is thus a source of reflexion, from which interpretational principles can emerge and potentially chance the being – an aristocratic art, which Blixen was incapable of identifying with the contemporary art

Blixen's aristocratism - An analysis of the narrative "Syndfloden over Norderney"

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Roskilde Universitet