Vocation and time in Rumer Godden’s In This House of Brede
Rumer Godden’s 1969 novel, In This House of Brede, transcends linear time in its account of a divinely inspired vocation. As Brede relates the events surrounding a monastery of Roman Catholic nuns, the novel’s blending of past, present, and future—along with an indeterminate beginning and open-ended...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Johns Hopkins University Press
[2015]
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In: |
Christianity & literature
Year: 2015, Volume: 65, Issue: 1, Pages: 68-87 |
RelBib Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture KBF British Isles KCA Monasticism; religious orders TK Recent history |
Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
Summary: | Rumer Godden’s 1969 novel, In This House of Brede, transcends linear time in its account of a divinely inspired vocation. As Brede relates the events surrounding a monastery of Roman Catholic nuns, the novel’s blending of past, present, and future—along with an indeterminate beginning and open-ended conclusion—reflects the connection between eternity and temporality experienced in a religious vocation. Drawing upon the narratological theories of 20th-century philosopher Paul Ricoeur, this article argues that Brede’s time-transcending structure creates a realistic and captivating narrative that invites readers to engage in the action of the novel as its story of Christian vocation unfolds. |
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ISSN: | 2056-5666 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Christianity & literature
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0148333115587869 |