“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin
This article focuses on two novels by Colum McCann, Dancer (2003) and Let the Great World Spin (2009) that place the body in extreme conditions, be it the dancing body of Rudolf Nureyev, the tightrope-walking body of Philippe Petit or the bodies of other characters when pushed out of their comfort z...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles, |
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprache: | Anglais |
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Angles
2020
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| Online Zugang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_1779 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_1779 https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.1779 urn:doi:10.4000/angles.1779 en https://journals.openedition.org/angles/1779 2020-07-16T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/9n0f https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin Angles Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2274-2042 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles Delage-Toriel, Lara corps McCann Colum empathie intersubjectivité kinesthésie narrative ordalie implication somatique perception sémiotisation métonymie expérience somesthésique body McCann Colum empathy intersubjectivity narrative kinæsthetics ordalium somatic engagement perception semiotization metonymy somaesthetic experience This article focuses on two novels by Colum McCann, Dancer (2003) and Let the Great World Spin (2009) that place the body in extreme conditions, be it the dancing body of Rudolf Nureyev, the tightrope-walking body of Philippe Petit or the bodies of other characters when pushed out of their comfort zones. By reflecting upon the function and impact of transgressive physical feats along with the heightened somæsthetic experience that is undergone by the novels’ characters and readers, this study aims to show how Colum McCann’s writing engages the human body in the literary process, both as sensitive and sense-making entity. To this end, it brings into play different scientific approaches: Peter Brooks on the correlation between semiotization of body and somatization of story, Henri Bergson on the relationship between the body’s position and its varying perceptions, David Le Breton on the social meaning of risk-taking, as well as various cognitive scientists on the mechanisms at work in kinaesthetic experience. Cet article se concentre sur deux romans de Colum McCann, Dancer (2003) et Let the Great World Spin (2009) qui placent le corps dans des conditions extrêmes, qu’il s’agisse du corps dansant de Rudolf Noureiev, du corps funambulesque de Philippe Petit ou du corps d’autres personnages poussés hors de leur zone de confort. Cette réflexion sur la fonction et l’impact d'exploits physiques d'ordre transgressif et des expériences somesthésiques intenses vécues par le personnage de fiction et le lecteur, se donne pour objet de mettre en évidence la manière dont l’écriture de Colum McCann engage le corps humain dans le processus littéraire comme entité à la fois sensible et créatrice de sens. A ces fins, cette étude met en jeu diverses approches scientifiques, notamment la corrélation entre sémiotisation du corps et somatisation du récit chez Peter Brooks, le rapport entre positionnement corporel et perception chez Henri Bergson, l’enjeu social de la prise de risque chez David Le Breton, sans oublier l’apport de la recherche en sciences cognitives dans l'analyse de l’expérience kinesthésique. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
corps McCann Colum empathie intersubjectivité kinesthésie narrative ordalie implication somatique perception sémiotisation métonymie expérience somesthésique body McCann Colum empathy intersubjectivity narrative kinæsthetics ordalium somatic engagement perception semiotization metonymy somaesthetic experience |
| spellingShingle |
corps McCann Colum empathie intersubjectivité kinesthésie narrative ordalie implication somatique perception sémiotisation métonymie expérience somesthésique body McCann Colum empathy intersubjectivity narrative kinæsthetics ordalium somatic engagement perception semiotization metonymy somaesthetic experience Delage-Toriel, Lara “In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| description |
This article focuses on two novels by Colum McCann, Dancer (2003) and Let the Great World Spin (2009) that place the body in extreme conditions, be it the dancing body of Rudolf Nureyev, the tightrope-walking body of Philippe Petit or the bodies of other characters when pushed out of their comfort zones. By reflecting upon the function and impact of transgressive physical feats along with the heightened somæsthetic experience that is undergone by the novels’ characters and readers, this study aims to show how Colum McCann’s writing engages the human body in the literary process, both as sensitive and sense-making entity. To this end, it brings into play different scientific approaches: Peter Brooks on the correlation between semiotization of body and somatization of story, Henri Bergson on the relationship between the body’s position and its varying perceptions, David Le Breton on the social meaning of risk-taking, as well as various cognitive scientists on the mechanisms at work in kinaesthetic experience. |
| author |
Delage-Toriel, Lara |
| author_facet |
Delage-Toriel, Lara |
| author_sort |
Delage-Toriel, Lara |
| title |
“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| title_short |
“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| title_full |
“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| title_fullStr |
“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| title_full_unstemmed |
“In Difficulty is Ecstasy”: Physical Experience at the Limits in Colum McCann’s Dancer and Let the Great World Spin |
| title_sort |
“in difficulty is ecstasy”: physical experience at the limits in colum mccann’s dancer and let the great world spin |
| publisher |
Angles |
| publishDate |
2020 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.1779 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/angles/1779 |
| _version_ |
1877293948544745472 |