Language and Literature paper by Fodor, Mónika
Twice Told Tales—Narrative and discourse features of ethno-cultural identity construction in re-storied life episodes
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
In this paper I discuss the narrative and discourse features of meaning making and identity construction in selected life episodes told more than once by second and third generation Hungarian Americans. The stories are part of a database of 34 qualitative interviews with 12 persons. According to Elliot G. Mishler, the process of restorying lives has long been a dilemma in identity related narrative and discourse studies. A generally held view about the retelling of the same event in multiple discourse settings is that each telling is different from the other and such anomalies decrease the truth validity of these narratives. I argue, however, that the qualitative interview setting triggers a special rhetorical interaction of small story and Labovian (or big) story templates, which remain identical or close to identical at each telling, thus making the identity work of the individual accountable.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
I have been teaching various subfields of American Studies and occasionally courses in TEFL at the University of Pécs for 14 years. In my research I combine the two areas through the study of narrative. So far I have published 17 articles in scholarly journals and volumes, and presented 24 conference papers. Currently I am working on a book on the narrative construction of ethno-cultural identities.