The Alchemist in Fiction: the Master Narrative
Year: 2007
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: : In Western culture, as expressed in fiction and film, the master nar-rative concerning science and the pursuit of knowledge perpetuates the arche-type of the alchemist/scientist as sinister, dangerous, and possibly mad. Like all myths this story may appear simplistic but its recurrence suggests that it embodies complex ideas and suppressed desires and fears that each generation must work through. This paper explores some of the most influential exam-ples of such characterization, links them to contemporary correlatives of the basic promises of alchemy and suggests reasons for the continuing power of such images.
Source: WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks
Author: Roslynn Haynes
Institution: UNSW Sydney
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2186534503