"The Agent": Probing into Agency
David Jones's fragment "The Agent," which he began writing around 1940, is one of his most enigmatic and complex pieces. Left unpublished at his death, but sitting at the heart of his epic-length collection of Roman poetry, the fragment has raised issues of interpretation not simply d...
| Published in: | Religion & literature |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Dep.
2017
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| In: |
Religion & literature
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| IxTheo Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture HC New Testament KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history NBE Anthropology |
| Further subjects: | B
Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.)
B DECLINE of the West, The (Book) B TRUTH in literature B Culture in literature B JONES, David, 1895-1974 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | David Jones's fragment "The Agent," which he began writing around 1940, is one of his most enigmatic and complex pieces. Left unpublished at his death, but sitting at the heart of his epic-length collection of Roman poetry, the fragment has raised issues of interpretation not simply due to the variant reconstructions made from the manuscripts but because of its style, context and intertextual depth. In particular, the piece examines Judas's rationale for betraying Christ and his conversations about this act with the High Priest Caiaphas. By probing into the presentation of "agency" in the text, this article explores the intricate relationships Jones developed between his poem (the scenes, characters and dialogue) and both the scriptural sources for the betrayal and Oswald Spengler's cyclical historical theories laid out in The Decline of the West (1918-22). Through this analysis, Jones's comprehension of the powerful forces which shape and counter individual agency comes to light as does his sympathy for characters caught up in moments of religious and historical change which they cannot control. |
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| ISSN: | 2328-6911 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion & literature
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