Through Theses on Medieval Literature: Thinking with Confessional Voices

Abstract

This chapter aims to examine the role of identification as a foundational concept in the interpretive framework of Ksenija Atanasijević, specifically within the context of medieval (and) confessional literature. Atanasijević’s theses on medieval literature are dispersed across a range of essays, fragments, reviews and portraits, necessitating a comprehensive examination. To undertake this analysis, I will adopt the typology and theoretical foundations articulated by scholars Toril Moi, Rita Felski and Amanda Anderson in their post-critical study triptych Character. Three Inquiries in Literary Studies, which explores the reader’s perspective on literary characters. This approach marks a departure from formalistic literary analysis, wherein subjective inquiries in literature are tabooed. It is worth noting that Atanasijević’s work serves as a pre-formalist precursor to this approach. By introducing the concept of confessions within literature, Atanasijević foreshadows the idea of an implicit author. Employing this strategic framework, Atanasijević elevates medieval texts to the same level as canonical European literary works, spanning antiquity to modernism and encompassing various literary forms, including poetry and novels. By presenting her theses on medieval literature through the lens of feminist criticism, Atanasijević skillfully deconstructs stereotypical narratives about the Middle Ages.