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Parody and Narrator in Thomas Mann's “Dr. Faustus” and “The Holy Sinner”
Author(s) -
Honsa William M.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
orbis litterarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.109
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1600-0730
pISSN - 0105-7510
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0730.1974.tb01876.x
Subject(s) - irony , faith , feeling , philosophy , sorrow , mythology , literature , action (physics) , art , aesthetics , theology , epistemology , physics , quantum mechanics
The method of parody is briefly described and then shown as a means for Mann to explore myth and legends without attempting to look at them directly. Parody can fall short of reality either on purpose or through necessity; again, parody can dissolve into meaninglessness. For Mann, in Dr. Faustus and The Holy Sinner , parody offered a way in which we can catch a glimpse of an ultimate truth about good. The device of narrator is also used to elucidate realities of faith and feeling. Zeitblom is the onlooker‐narrator, often used as a vehicle for Mann's irony, but also the other protagonist of the novel. The narrator in The Holy Sinner , Clemens, is not involved in the action but is free to shape it and comment on it. Parody is possible of a man who has read the tale and does believe. The artist‐narrator, Clemens, balances between joy and sorrow and rises beyond a mere spokesman for the unbelievable. Both parody and narrator allow Mann “to bring in his points through the back door,” conciliating systematic rational belief with the realities of faith and feeling.