University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages
Doi
Abstract
A main issue in Arendt writings is impossibility of action in modern bureaucratic society. Milan Kundera argued that a novel’s fundamental problem is action. This study discusses similarity between Arendt and Kundera's readings with reference to important Novels. Transition from epic world to Novel world means going beyond action and movement territory to reaction and ineffective territory. Adventures reduces to commands. Don Quixote, contrary to Homer heroes, has suffered a defeat at all. The despair of action, makes Flaubert novel’s character (Madame bovary) seek refuge in inside world and it makes her to withdraw from reality. Bureaucratization of life is allowed to dominate impersonal and unnamed powers over Kafka’s Novels personalities and they are no longer in touch with reality. Kafka’s Novels give us some examples for lack of action in a bureaucratic society. This world isnot tragic, but it is ironic. Considering Arendt and Kundera views, in bureaucratic world, action as poetical thing is revealed; not similar to Lyric poetic that Romantics promotes, but a surrealistic poetic: poetic as an unexpected events and surprising intersections and interrupting a dominant plot
