| FB-52192-06 | Research Programs: Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars | James V. Morrison | Shipwrecks and the Reinvention of Self in Homer, Shakespeare, Defoe, and the Modern World | 7/1/2006 - 6/30/2007 | $40,000.00 | James | V. | Morrison | | | | Centre College of Kentucky | Danville | KY | 40422-1309 | USA | 2005 | Comparative Literature | Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars | Research Programs | 40000 | 0 | 40000 | 0 |
Homer, Shakespeare, and Defoe--and their literary descendants--probe the opportunities shipwreck disasters offer for personal transformation and a better society. I examine three "classical" models (THE ODYSSEY, THE TEMPEST, and ROBINSON CRUSOE) and twentieth-century adaptations of these works, including Walcott's works, other fiction, and several movies. My special interest concerns how literary shipwrecks are linked to the idea of the re-invention of self with respect to possible new roles and relationships. The historical context is also addressed, for in some cases real-life "triggers" may have inspired these works. My ultimate goal will be to explain why this archetypal scene continues to resonate today. |