St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • University of St Andrews Research
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Chaotic narrative : complexity, causality, time and autopoiesis in David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten

Thumbnail
View/Open
Chaotic_Narrative_Dillon_1.pdf (372.1Kb)
Date
10/03/2011
Author
Dillon, Sarah Joanne
Keywords
David Mitchell
Ghostwritten
Interconnection
Science
Autopoiesis
H.D.
Chaos Theory
PN0080 Criticism
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Altmetrics DOI Statistics
Abstract
David Mitchell is one of Britain’s foremost contemporary writers who is only just becoming the subject of academic attention. Focusing on his first novel, Ghostwritten (1999), this essay argues that the science of complexity provides a language with which to account for the novel’s complex interconnecting structure. The novel is defined as an autopoietic system according to the theories of Maturana and Varela and its engagement with the issues of causality and time explored in relation to the work of Ilya Prigogine. The paper concludes that Ghostwritten is a complex narrative system that responds to the intimate connection between the macroscopic and the microscopic in the contemporary world.
Citation
Dillon , S J 2011 , ' Chaotic narrative : complexity, causality, time and autopoiesis in David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten ' , Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction , vol. 52 , no. 2 , pp. 135-162 . https://doi.org/10.1080/00111610903380170
Publication
Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00111610903380170
ISSN
0011-1619
Type
Journal article
Rights
This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published as ‘Chaotic Narrative: Complexity, Causality, Time and Autopoiesis in David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten’, Critique 52:2 (2011), 135-62 [copyright Taylor & Francis], available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00111610903380170
Collections
  • University of St Andrews Research
URL
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952751404&partnerID=8YFLogxK
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3239

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter