An interdisciplinary exploration of the concept of passages.
The study of literature and culture is marked by various distinct
understandings of passages--as both phenomena and critical concepts.
These include the anthropological notion of rites of passage, the
shopping arcades (Passagen) theorized by Walter Benjamin, the Middle
Passage of the Atlantic slave trade, present-day forms of migration and
resettlement, and understandings of translation and adaptation. This
book explores passages as contexts and processes within which liminal
experiences and encounters are situated. Based on the premise that
concepts travel through times, contexts, and discursive settings, the
volume enables a meaningful exchange regarding passages across
disciplinary, national, and linguistic boundaries. Contributions from
senior scholars and early-career researchers whose work focuses on areas
such as cultural memory, performativity, space, media, (cultural)
translation, ecocriticism, gender, and race utilize specific
understandings of passages and liminality, reflecting on their value and
limits for their research.
