Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2000. [Vol. 6.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)

Studies - Judit Ágnes Kádár: A Possible Application of Philosophy in the Study of Recent American Fiction

as he moved on to Bach and she too felt more comfortable with the familiar sonorous sounds. (191) Shillitoe, an outstanding representative of the new type of (anti)hero, here a poet invited to read up his verses, responds to the mob of 'Momist Dragons' with mortal sting: That's probably the kind of lullaby you want me to sing. But can't do it. Neither sickly nor feminine. Never found out why, when a woman thinks about love she always starts about counting. Nothing against Lizzie, though she probably dimmed old Browning's lambent flame. Can't turn out a poem when you are horizontal. She tried to write poetry. Can't be written. Got to be formed, like a gallstone, only opposite direction. Still, what she did was better than any of you will do if you live to be three hundred and five. Just mention that so you'll know your place. (192) Unintelligibility is also neglected by authors such as Pynchon, Barthelme, Brautigan and Barth, which seems to underline the fact that their novels exist and create their own paradigm, moreover they function as living organisms through the authorial process of creation as well as through the (re-)creation in the readers' minds. Linda Hutcheon reminds us of the relevance and equal importance of both processes in her book on the Canadian Postmodern (45). A tangible example of the divergence in the artists' concept concerning the role, function and method of fiction is reflected in the famous Gass-Gardner debate. Besides many other differences, Gardner is advocating a so-called 'lovable fiction,' whereas Gass ignores the urge of writing something not lovable. He finds artistic satisfaction in the creative process and explains the mechanism through which postmodern fiction can work, as he claims: Very frequently the writer's aim is to take apart the world where you have very little control, and replace it with language over which you can have some control....You write the book to understand and get control of things that you haven't been able to control and understand in the world....Maybe it is an illusory understanding, but I think it helps you live. (LeClair 29) I consider the above idea to be the shared main concern of both literature and philosophy: by trying to form one's own ideas s/he can get a little more control of present reality, too. As for the difference in 48