The book first traces historical concepts of motivation. Next, based on narrative works from different cultures and epochs, it demonstrates specific forms of causal and aesthetic motivation. The analysis of works begins with Boccaccio and Cervantes and leads across different cultural forms of romantic, realist, and modernist styles, including postmodern motivation in the works of the Russian author Andrei Bitov.

Autorentext
Wolf Schmid, Universität Hamburg.