The model and its repetition. Rituals in French Kellendonks romans ; Het model en zijn herhaling. Rituelen in Frans Kellendonks romans
This article analyses the textual representation of rituals in Frans Kellendonk's novels (1951-1990) and their role in the father-son relationship. A ritual, being characterised by repetition, repeats a model of the past in the present. Each actualization of that model is thus linked to the question of what kind of difference the ritual necessarily brings. Applying this to Kellendonk's novels, we notice that rituals in which father and son are involved show a problematic perception of difference that goes with repetition. The analysis of father and son's attitudes towards the recognisable otherness returning from the past will also outline a non-linear notion of history. This view on history is paradoxically oriented towards the future, since the narration considers the past as being necessary to build the future.
