Character Constellations: Representations of Social Groups in Present-Day Dutch Literary Fiction

Fiction has a significant social impact, and Character Constellations studies how characters are portrayed in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, and other identity categories. It combines network analysis with narratology to show how societal themes such as inequality, emancipation, integration, segregation, and social mobility are foregrounded, replicated, or distorted in the Dutch novel.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2021
Publisher: Leuven University Press

Fiction wields a significant societal impact, particularly through its ability to shape the perception that society holds of diverse social groups. By drawing upon a comprehensive collection of 170 contemporary Dutch-language novels, Character Constellations presents a diverse array of data-driven, statistical models aimed at examining the portrayal of characters across various identity categories, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, and more. Through the integration of network analysis techniques, each chapter delves into a specific aspect of fictional social networks that influences the representation of social groups. These aspects encompass centrality, communities, and conflicts within these networks. By juxtaposing the formal methods of social network analysis with the interpretive tools of narratology, this study demonstrates how central societal themes such as inequality, emancipation, integration, segregation, and social mobility and class struggle are foregrounded, replicated, or distorted in the Dutch novel. Furthermore, Character Constellations showcases the valuable insights that character-based critiques of literary representation can gain by incorporating data-driven methods into the practice of critical close reading. By contributing to societal debates on cultural representation and identity, as well as the role of fiction and art in these debates, this study makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the multifaceted impact of literature on society.

Weight: 395g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789462702950