The Combination Of History And Fiction: An Interpretation Of The Plot Against America As A Historiographic Metafiction Text

According to the definition of “historiographic metafiction” coined by thefamous Canadian literary theorist Linda Hutcheon, historiographic metafictionincorporates the problematic treatment of history and the self-reflexivity ofmetafiction. Historiographic metafiction is a combination of historiography andmetafiction.Philip Roth is an influential and prolific author in contemporary Americanliterary circle. His works have always been research focuses at home and abroad.Some of them emphasize such theme as identity recognition, while some deliver thewriter’s perception of history that the numerous potential possibilities comprise thehistorical truth. Therefore, he investigates the credibility of official version of history.Published in2004, The Plot Against America is an exemplification. The dissertationattempts to interpret The Plot Against America as a historiographic metafiction text,which sheds new light to the research of the work. The organization of the paper andthe major contents are planned as follows:The first chapter is an introduction of the author and his works and a summary ofThe Plot Against America and its domestic and foreign study.Chapter two will provide a review of the theoretical framework exerted in thispaper, historiographic metafiction, followed by a general definition of this term, someissues concerning historiographic metafiction such as the problematizing of historyand intertextuality of history, the self-reflectivity of metafiction, the transition ofnarrative perspectives and the function of parody. Major characteristics ofhistoriographic metafiction including the unreliability of the writing of history, theparody of famous historical figures and events and the challenge to the authority ofofficial history are enumerated as the termination of this chapter.Chapter three is devoted to the testifying of The Plot Against America as ahistoriographic metafiction text. Firstly, the novel is a perfect combination of historiography and metafiction. Then the usage of various narrative techniques andliterary hallmarks of historiographic metafiction permeates the novel, which areself-reflexivity, the transfer of narrative angles, inter-textuality, the focus on themarginalized and dialogic polyphony of conflicting voices. Finally the novel is anembodiment of the major characteristics of historiographic metafiction, namely theincredibility of historiography, the parody of historical personages and events as wellas the authority of official history in question.Chapter four will discuss the significance of reconstructing “counterfactual”history. As far as the author of the paper is concerned, the reconstruction serves for apolitical allegory besides the expression of Roth’s perception of history.Chapter five is the conclusion of the research that The Plot Against America is agood union of history and fiction and a perfect combination of historiography andmetafiction, embodying respective features.