antw. Narrative Commentary & Control in VL/: adorno on "enigmatic irony" in the late thomas mann

[lorentzen-nicklaus]

Tim Strzechowski schrieb:

> Aside from perhaps adding to some of the humor in the passage, in much the
> same way Heller achieves humor by controlling the reader's expectations of
> what may/may not be fully accessible to a given character *and/or the
> reader* at a particular moment (e.g. the Dead Man in Yossarian's tent who
> wasn't there), the "effect" of these passages also adds to Zoyd's
> characterization by making him (and the reader) seem more out of the loop
> than anyone else in the passage.  By dropping lines like "He sure would" and
> "These were the first of several rude updates," the other characters (Slide,
> et al) and the narrative consciousness are aware of something that Zoyd and
> the reader aren't. You're correct -- technically, this isn't dramatic irony
> (in its classic definition). 

>  But it IS ironic, no?  Question is, what kind?


   ° not sure if the following is helpful but adorno, refering to the late 
   thomas mann, once speaks of "Enigmatic Irony" by which he means some higher 
   form of humor that can neither to 'dramatic irony' nor to satire be reduced; 
   if the contemporary novel wants to be up to date, adorno said in 1954, it has 
   to give up part of its 'realistic' heritage (especially the "naivety of    
   non-naivety") and reconstitute itself in the medium of Enigmatic Irony. in 
   the case of vineland the enigmatic elements, like the alien aircraft crew 
   ("do you believe in magic?"), evoke a sense of ontological instability which 
   allows us to give up our moralistic misunderstandings.
 
   " ... die verletzung der form liegt in deren eigenem sinn. heute erst lässt  
   thomas manns medium, die enigmatische, auf keinen inhaltlichen spott    
   reduzierbare ironie, sich ganz verstehen aus ihrer formbildenden funktion:   
   der autor schüttelt mit dem ironischen gestus, der den eigenen vortrag    
   zurücknimmt, den anspruch ab, wirkliches zu schaffen, dem doch keines seiner 
   worte entrinnen kann; am sinnfälligsten vielleicht in der spätphase, im    
   'erwählten' und in der 'betrogenen', wo der dichter, spielend mit einem    
   romantischen motiv, durch den habitus der sprache den guckkastencharakter der 
   erzählung, die unwirklichkeit der illusion einbekennt, und eben damit, nach  
   seinem wort, dem kunstwerk jenen charakter des höheren jux zurückgibt, den es 
   besaß, ehe es mit der naivität der unnaivität den schein allzu ungebrochen 
   als wahres präsentierte." - (theodor w. adorno: standort des erzählers im    
   zeitgenössischen roman, in: noten zur literatur I, pp. 41-48, here 45f). 


   who's ringing? kai +     


   ps. hey tim, good review of "the vineland papers": guess i'm gonna buy it --