Pain, Trauma and The Need to Visualize

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Theoretical Background

2.1 State of Research

2.2 Word and Image

2.2.1 Terminology

2.2.2 Mediality

2.2.3 The Nature of Text and Picture

2.3 Intermediality

2.3.1 The Concept of Intermediality

2.3.2 An Abstract of Intermediality in Literature

2.4 Photography

2.4.1 Terminology

2.4.2 The Nature of Photography

3. Intermediality in Austerlitz and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

3.1 The Use of pictures on the intrafictional Level

3.1.1 Memory and Identity

3.1.2 Evidence, Knowledge and Truth

3.1.3 Documenting and Preserving

3.1.4 Surrogating Experience

3.1.5 Communicating and Expressing Oneself

3.1.6 Conclusion

3.2 The Use of Pictures on the Extrafictional Level

3.2.1 Illustration

3.2.2 Narration and Plot Incentives

3.2.3 Authentication

3.2.3.1 Fictionalization of Photographs in Foer

3.2.3.2 Art vs. Documentary

3.2.3.3 Fictionalization of Photographs in Sebald

3.2.4 Reader Involvement

3.2.5 Text Substitution

3.2.5.1 Creation of Atmosphere

3.2.5.2 Omnipresence of Death and Suffering

3.2.5.3 Creation of Blind Fields

3.2.5.4 Pictures and Images of Buildings

3.2.5.5 Picture and Image Networks

3.2.6 Conclusion: Prompting Reflections on the Medium “Photography”

4. Conclusion

Objectives and Topics

This thesis examines the role of intermediality in W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz and Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The primary research goal is to compare how both authors integrate visual representations—specifically photographs—into their narratives to explore themes of trauma, memory, and the construction of identity. It investigates how these visual elements interact with the written text to move beyond simple illustration and serve as autonomous narrative layers.

• The function of photographs as mediators of personal and collective memory.
• The use of "iconotexts" and the intermedial strategies employed by Sebald and Foer.
• The dichotomy between the photograph as a documentary evidence and as an aesthetic, fictionalized object.
• The impact of visual media on the reader's involvement and the process of constructing reality.

Excerpt from the Book

Chapter Summary

1. Introduction: Presents the two authors and their novels, establishing the core focus on how photographic representations in their works relate to war, trauma, and memory.

2. Theoretical Background: Defines the concepts of intermediality, word/image relations, and the semiotic nature of photography, establishing the academic framework for the analysis.

3. Intermediality in Austerlitz and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Analyzes the dual levels of photographic usage—intrafictional (within the story) and extrafictional (as narrative devices)—exploring themes of memory, identity, evidence, and reader engagement.

4. Conclusion: Summarizes how both novels utilize visual media to address the impossibility of fully documenting history and the subjective nature of recovering memories after catastrophic events.

Keywords

Intermediality, Sebald, Foer, Photography, Trauma, Memory, Iconotext, Identity, Austerlitz, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Punctum, Blind Field, Documentary, Evidence, Visual Culture

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this paper?

The paper examines the intermedial use of photography in the novels Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, focusing on how visual elements navigate themes of trauma and memory.

What is the central research question?

The paper investigates how Sebald and Foer use graphic representations as an autonomous narrative layer to visualize meaning and address the limitations of language when dealing with personal and collective history.

Which theoretical approach is applied?

The author uses a mix of media theory, focusing on the work of W.J.T. Mitchell and Gabriele Rippl, and photographic theory, notably the concepts of Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag, to define and analyze the "iconotexts" in the novels.

How are photographs utilized within the stories?

Photographs act as surrogates for experience, memory triggers, and evidence of existence, helping the protagonists attempt to document their pasts and construct or recover their shattered identities.

What role does the reader play in this analysis?

The reader is viewed as an active participant who must decode the interplay between text and images, filling the "blind fields" of the photographs with their own mental imagery, which is a core component of the novels' narrative strategies.

How do the two novels differ in their use of photography?

While Sebald uses photography more as a documentary-like witness to historical trauma, Foer employs it as a more overtly fictionalized, artistic tool that reflects the protagonist’s attempts to create a "second reality" to master his loss.

Does the paper conclude that photographs provide objective truth?

No, the paper argues that both authors systematically deconstruct the notion of photography as objective evidence, revealing instead how photographs are subjectively selected, arranged, and interpreted to suit specific narrative and emotional goals.

What is the significance of the "Falling Man" in Foer’s novel?

The "Falling Man" serves as a central leitmotif of the trauma associated with 9/11. The paper analyzes how its visual repetition and the reader's knowledge of its context force a confrontation with the ungraspable nature of the tragedy.