'Mr London' and eight tropes of friendship narratives

Pengelly, Tanya Ruth (2022). 'Mr London' and eight tropes of friendship narratives. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This submission contains a novel and a critical essay, each engaging with the philosophical ideals and narrative forms of male friendship within Western storytelling.

Mr London, is a literary fantasy fiction novel which charts the tragic adventure of Benjamin Farthing as he travels through worlds and wars to save a friend. Along the way, Benjamin discovers that nobody is immune to the potential atrocities inspired by friendship, including himself. The final part of the novel is provided as a summary.

The critical essay, Eight Tropes of Friendship Narratives, explores how fictional friendship seeks to identify and concretise itself within narratives, and how this influenced the writing of Mr London. The essay examines the commonality of the quest plot in friendship narratives and how the structure of the quest plot serves to build and explore friendship, before identifying eight narrative tropes of friendship – cohabitation, feasts, other realms, confessions, oaths, battles, sacrifice and leave-taking. Finally, the essay discusses friendship’s tendency to disappear from fiction in order to fully realise itself, and how this process is used to shape the individual.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):