Declamation, Paternity, and Roman Identity Authority and the Rhetorical Self [Paperback]

Radical re-evaluation of the genre of declamation and its social and psychic import.For centuries declamation was a staple of education and cultured literary life in the Roman world. This book offers a radical reevaluation of the genre, its social import, and its place in the history of the Western self. Ironically this genre that is obsessed with 'growing up' hs been rejected but its own posterity. Professor Gunderson explores the social and psychic dynamics of this refusal both within the ancient world and beyond. The book will interest specialists in classics, rhetoric, queer studies, and psychoanalytic literary criticism.For centuries declamation was a staple of education and cultured literary life in the Roman world. This book offers a radical reevaluation of the genre, its social import, and its place in the history of the Western self. Ironically this genre that is obsessed with 'growing up' hs been rejected but its own posterity. Professor Gunderson explores the social and psychic dynamics of this refusal both within the ancient world and beyond. The book will interest specialists in classics, rhetoric, queer studies, and psychoanalytic literary criticism.Declamation was a staple of education and cultured literary life in the Roman world over many centuries. This book offers a radical re-evaluation of the genre, its social importance, and its role in the history of the Western self. Ironically, this genre obsessed with growing up has been rejected by its own posterity. Erik Gunderson explores the social and psychic dynamics of this refusal within the ancient world as well as beyond. The book is of interest to specialists in classics, rhetoric, queer studies, and psychoanalytic literary criticism.Preface: Acheron; Introduction: a praise of folly; Part I. Where Ego Was &: 1. Recalling declamation; 2. Fathers and sons; bodies and places; 3. Living declamation; 4. Raving among the insane; Part II. Let Id Be: 5. An Cimbrice loquendum sit: speaking and unspeakinl37