A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Literature, Testimony, and Regimes of Truth




AuthorsDavis Colin, Meretoja Hanna

PublisherPenn State University Press

Publication year2022

JournalComparative Literature Studies

Journal name in sourceComparative Literature Studies

Volume59

Issue2

First page 271

Last page291

eISSN1528-4212

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5325/complitstudies.59.2.0271

Web address https://doi.org/10.5325/complitstudies.59.2.0271


Abstract

In the “post-truth” world, it seems possible to say anything we want. Drawing on examples from Holocaust testimony and fiction, this article argues that truth is nevertheless a central issue for readers, critics, and citizens, even if it is complex, difficult to grasp, and ethically fraught. It suggests that rather than retreating into a simple notion of truth, we need more refined vocabularies for talking about issues of truth. The article explores the relationship between literature and truth by outlining three different but interrelated regimes of truth: truth as correspondence, as disclosure, and as interpretative dialogue.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 13:51