In fields as diverse as philosophy psychology and anthropology there has been an enormous
outpouring of research on the emotions in the last ten to fifteen years. In literary studies
however emotions are a surprisingly neglected topic. This study explores the relationship
between feelings narrative and identity. The author examines the links between these three
concepts and contrasts them with what three great English novels can teach us about feelings.
Traversing Emma The Portrait of a Lady and The Golden Bowl the author argues that narrative
has a unique role in psychological explanation: it is the stuff both emotion and personal
identity are made of. And he shows how the experience of strong emotions changes who we are by
altering the stories we tell about ourselves. Jürg Meier studied English Literature Philosophy
and Musicology at the Universities of Zürich and Berkeley.
