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Of offal, corpses, and others
| Title: | Of offal, corpses, and others: an examination of self, subjectivity, and authenticity in two works by Alexandra David-Neel. |
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| Name(s): |
Jones, Robert William, II Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Department of English |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
| Date Issued: | 2010 | |
| Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
| Physical Form: | electronic | |
| Extent: | vii, 79 p. | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Summary: | This thesis examines two works (My Journey to Lhasa and Magic and Mystery in Tibet) by Alexandra David-Neel. These works subvert the self/other dichotomies both necessary to and critiqued by postcolonial theory. Central to this study is an examination of a claim by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama that David-Neel creates an "authentic" picture of Tibet. In order to do this the first chapter establishes a working definition of authenticity based on both Western philosophy and Vajrayana Buddhism. This project argues that the advanced meditation techniques practiced by Alexandra David-Neel allow her to access a transcendent self that is able to overcome the self/other dichotomy. It also discusses the ways in which abjection and limit experiences enhance this breakdown. Finally, this thesis examines the roles that gender and a near absence of female Tibetan voice play in complicating the problems of self, subjectivity, and authenticity within these texts. | |
| Identifier: | 610570232 (oclc), 1927604 (digitool), FADT1927604 (IID), fau:2953 (fedora) | |
| Note(s): |
by Robert William Jones II. Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. Includes bibliography. Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web. |
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| Subject(s): |
David-Neel, Alexandra, 1868-1969 David-Neel, Alexandra, 1868-1969 Bstan-®dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV, 1935- Self in literature Symbolism in literature Spiritual life -- Buddhism Buddhism -- Doctrines |
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| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927604 | |
| Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
| Host Institution: | FAU |
