The geometry of narrative : from naturalism to postmodernism.

Abstract

This thesis examines the interrelationship between narrative form and geometry. The firstsection will address the parallels between naturalist writing and Euclidean geometry, using Nana by Emile Zola as a case study. The second section will compare the development of both modern literature and hyperbolic geometry at the turn of the century. This time, we will analyze Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Lastly, the third section will explore the connection between postmodernist literature and fractal geometry. We will look at The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon.