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Olga Tokarczuk's Poetic Anthropology: Spheres and Intertexts

Research Project

Project/Area Number 22K00480
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 02050:Literature in general-related
Research InstitutionUniversity of Tsukuba

Principal Investigator

ヘーゼルハウス ヘラト  筑波大学, 人文社会系, 准教授 (40375382)

Project Period (FY) 2022-04-01 – 2026-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
Fiscal Year 2025: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
KeywordsOlga Tokarczuk / Polish Literature / Poetic Anthropology / Spherology
Outline of Research at the Start

This research project consists of the consecutive analysis of the following Polish original publications by Olga Tokarczuk "Primeval and Other Times" (Polish ed. 1996) "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" (2009), and "Flights" (2007) and it will clarify their poetics and use of anthropology.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

The second research year of this project focused in 2023 on Tokarczuk’s earlier novel "Primeval and Other Times". The original research plan was threefold: to compile relevant research literature on this text, to reconstruct, analyze and interpret a corpus of Gnosticism, and to analyze how and to what extent Tokarczuk is adapting these religious concepts for the construction of her text. The bibliographical research revealed the continuous desideratum of this research perspective. The analysis of the religious texts was quite time-consuming but did support the prior research hypothesis of intertextual adaptation, however as a highly hybridized procedure, therefore, further compilation was necessary. This slight and fruitful change in perspective was accomplished by my research results in 2022 which shed new light on the novel at hand. It brought not only to the fore the emotional and psychological structures of the narratives and their anthropological framework, but also revealed how contemporary political and social events, resulting from the times of Tokarczuk’s publication, are reflected and fractured in these conceptual structures. I have continued to disseminate research results of both research years directly in various graduate and undergraduate classes. In 2023, I also gave four lectures (two international and two national) and published already one paper, a second is being reviewed now, and a third is for a journal later this year.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.

Reason

This year’s research has been very time-consuming, not only because of the scarcity of relevant documents and existing research contributions to this topic, but also because of the complexity of the adaptation processes, which I had not expected to such an extent. However, my research has been exceedingly fruitful not only for this specific project at hand, but also for further research activities, as can be seen in the disseminated material and presentations. The perspective of my research has continually been broadening, while at the same time showing an ever clearer and more intricate structure. The findings of this year will be very supportive for the continuation of the project.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

The overall research scheme of this project will continue as it was developed at the time of application. This means that in 2024 my research will focus on the next novel by Tokarczuk, “Flights”, starting with the basic analysis of the text, compilation of material, research contributions etc. Because of the price hike in travel expenditures, I have been saving research money in this year 2023, in order to finance intensive research trips to Germany and Poland in 2024, and to interview the author Olga Tokarczuk herself. 2024 will also be an important time to take stock of the results and prospects of this project and to draft the framework of a monograph.

Report

(2 results)
  • 2023 Research-status Report
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (7 results)

All 2024 2023 2022

All Journal Article (1 results) Presentation (6 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results)

  • [Journal Article] The Herculean Labors the Humanities are Facing in the 21st Century2023

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Journal Title

      Review of American Literature

      Volume: 27 Pages: 11-27

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report 2022 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Virus and Literature2024

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      Tsukuba University Public Lectures
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] The Gender of Anger2023

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      JALT Conference
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The Gender of Anger and the Voice of Wrath2023

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      IGALA 2023
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report 2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Wut, Wahnwitz, Viren. Elfriede Jelineks Kritik des Opfer-Kults2023

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      日本独文学会
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Wut - Wahnwitz - Viren. Elfriede Jelineks Kritik des Opfer-Kults2023

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      日本独文学会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Vom Umgang mit antiker Literatur2022

    • Author(s)
      Herrad Heselhaus
    • Organizer
      日本独文学会
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report

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Published: 2022-04-19   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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