Malicious Objects, Anger Management, and the Question of Modern Literature

Introduction

This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume which is about the anger caused by supposedly malicious objects and anger management. This volume investigates why the encounter with recalcitrant objects triggers violent emotions such as anger and rage and examines what this anger says about the affective character of the modern individual. It argues for a reevaluation of the seemingly irrational, affective, qualities of things and analyzes the works of authors from the eighteenth through the twentieth century including Laurence Sterne, Jean Paul, Friedrich Theodor Vischer, and Heimito von Doderer.