THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA
Alice Munro’s dementia stories provide narrative tools for illuminating otherwise impenetrable brain territories and for gaining insight into and empathising with mental illness. The protagonists of “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” and of “In Sight of the Lake” set out on a quest for insight, invol...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Udine
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Le Simplegadi |
| Online Access: | https://le-simplegadi.it/article/view/1049 |
| _version_ | 1797661344860733440 |
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| author | Maria Micaela Coppola |
| author_facet | Maria Micaela Coppola |
| author_sort | Maria Micaela Coppola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alice Munro’s dementia stories provide narrative tools for illuminating otherwise impenetrable brain territories and for gaining insight into and empathising with mental illness. The protagonists of “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” and of “In Sight of the Lake” set out on a quest for insight, involving readers in the process, who can narratively explore cognitive deterioration from two different perspectives (internal and external). In “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” we can access the ‘Alzheimer’s mind’ from the point of view of Grant, who bears witness to his wife’s illness; in “In Sight of the Lake” readers witness the protagonist’s progressive cognitive decline. The processes of reading and comprehending throw light on the Alzheimer’s mind, and show readers the connections between acts of seeing and understanding, and acts of caring and empathy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:44:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c5a066bbb46846e191f4e7130f24506b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1824-5226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:44:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | University of Udine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Le Simplegadi |
| spelling | doaj.art-c5a066bbb46846e191f4e7130f24506b2023-10-12T07:27:16ZengUniversity of UdineLe Simplegadi1824-52262019-11-011912813810.17456/SIMPLE-133THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIAMaria Micaela Coppola0University of TrentoAlice Munro’s dementia stories provide narrative tools for illuminating otherwise impenetrable brain territories and for gaining insight into and empathising with mental illness. The protagonists of “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” and of “In Sight of the Lake” set out on a quest for insight, involving readers in the process, who can narratively explore cognitive deterioration from two different perspectives (internal and external). In “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” we can access the ‘Alzheimer’s mind’ from the point of view of Grant, who bears witness to his wife’s illness; in “In Sight of the Lake” readers witness the protagonist’s progressive cognitive decline. The processes of reading and comprehending throw light on the Alzheimer’s mind, and show readers the connections between acts of seeing and understanding, and acts of caring and empathy.https://le-simplegadi.it/article/view/1049 |
| spellingShingle | Maria Micaela Coppola THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA Le Simplegadi |
| title | THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA |
| title_full | THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA |
| title_fullStr | THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA |
| title_full_unstemmed | THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA |
| title_short | THE QUEST FOR INSIGHT AND EMPATHY IN ALICE MUNRO’S STORIES OF DEMENTIA |
| title_sort | quest for insight and empathy in alice munro s stories of dementia |
| url | https://le-simplegadi.it/article/view/1049 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariamicaelacoppola thequestforinsightandempathyinalicemunrosstoriesofdementia AT mariamicaelacoppola questforinsightandempathyinalicemunrosstoriesofdementia |