“Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut
This essay brings together the fields of German literature, disability studies, and rhetoric in an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and representational implications of disability in Jürg Acklin’s 2009 novel Vertrauen ist gut. Resting on the theory of complex embodiment, the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-07-01
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| Series: | Humanities |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/71 |
| _version_ | 1811239536904110080 |
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| author | Alec Cattell |
| author_facet | Alec Cattell |
| author_sort | Alec Cattell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay brings together the fields of German literature, disability studies, and rhetoric in an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and representational implications of disability in Jürg Acklin’s 2009 novel Vertrauen ist gut. Resting on the theory of complex embodiment, the analysis considers the rhetoric of anmut as a literary strategy that invites readers to share imperfect, yet profound, embodied rhetorical connections with the protagonist without rendering invisible the differences that shape embodied experience. Although the characters in Vertrauen ist gut are fictional, this novel provides important insights regarding experiences of precarious embodiment and affirms the value of interdependence while challenging ideals of autonomy and independence. Furthermore, the novel’s narrative within a narrative—and the consequences of the narrator’s interpretation of their significance—challenges readers to use caution when interpreting literary narratives, as their relationship to personal narratives may not always be straightforward. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:02:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a63e57b72a2450680f8d0ff603ced42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:02:38Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a63e57b72a2450680f8d0ff603ced422022-12-22T03:32:08ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872018-07-01737110.3390/h7030071h7030071“Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gutAlec Cattell0Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2071, USAThis essay brings together the fields of German literature, disability studies, and rhetoric in an analysis of the rhetorical strategies and representational implications of disability in Jürg Acklin’s 2009 novel Vertrauen ist gut. Resting on the theory of complex embodiment, the analysis considers the rhetoric of anmut as a literary strategy that invites readers to share imperfect, yet profound, embodied rhetorical connections with the protagonist without rendering invisible the differences that shape embodied experience. Although the characters in Vertrauen ist gut are fictional, this novel provides important insights regarding experiences of precarious embodiment and affirms the value of interdependence while challenging ideals of autonomy and independence. Furthermore, the novel’s narrative within a narrative—and the consequences of the narrator’s interpretation of their significance—challenges readers to use caution when interpreting literary narratives, as their relationship to personal narratives may not always be straightforward.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/71contemporary German literaturedisability studiesrepresentationrhetoric |
| spellingShingle | Alec Cattell “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut Humanities contemporary German literature disability studies representation rhetoric |
| title | “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut |
| title_full | “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut |
| title_fullStr | “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut |
| title_short | “Hopefully I Won’t Be Misunderstood.” Disability Rhetoric in Jürg Acklin’s Vertrauen ist gut |
| title_sort | hopefully i won t be misunderstood disability rhetoric in jurg acklin s vertrauen ist gut |
| topic | contemporary German literature disability studies representation rhetoric |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/71 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aleccattell hopefullyiwontbemisunderstooddisabilityrhetoricinjurgacklinsvertrauenistgut |