On The Plausibility Of Categorizing Anita Brookner's Novels As Postmodern Realistic

Although Anita Brookner is a renowned British writer and winner of the 1984 Booker Prize, she is in much dispute. So far most critics argue her style is traditional realistic and even that she is a living 19th-century Victorian. A few critics such as Laurence Petit and Deborah Bowen, however, point out her style ought to be postmodern realistic since she employs a typical postmodern literary technique—photography—in her works. (Not real photos, referring to most of her descriptions just like photos) The dissertation is in support of the latter view, but argues for it in a much different way. As is well known, D. H. Lawrence is one of the most reputed modernist writers in British literary history and his modernism is manifestly embodied in modernist themes rather than in language. In terms of language, his style is, arguably, traditionally realistic. Following his example, the dissertation places emphasis on demonstrating her postmodern realism from the perspective of theme and ideology. Besides, since no paper so far illustrates characteristics of her postmodern realism in a systematic and all-round way, the dissertation tries to make an attempt. Therefore, her postmodern realistic techniques are also included in discussion. Moreover, to make features of her postmodern realism well understood, the dissertation parallels its three main factors, namely realism, modernism and postmodernism, so as to on one hand analyze it in detail and on the other clarify their mutual relationship.First, the dissertation explores the concept of postmodern realism. Simply speaking, it depicts the phenomenon that in an artifact realism and postmodernism or realism, modernism and postmodernism not only co-exist but also play dominant roles, which shadow all other factors such as romanticism. Meanwhile, since realism and postmodernism are literarily and philosophically contradictory, postmodern realism forms an internal tension that helps integrate the two or three"isms"(plus modernism sometimes). Hence, a unified literary style is forged. In that sense, postmodern realism can be called as the latest development of realism under the contemporary circumstance and an embodiment of realism's greatness. Through a careful analysis, the dissertation argues that both realism, modernism and postmodernism have prominent representation in Anita Brookner's novels. They together support her writing style and pale other literary phenomena, which evidently distinguish the writer from other writers who are widely recognized as realists, modernists or postmodernists. Meanwhile, her realism and postmodernism are internally contradictory, which integrate the three"isms"into an organic whole. Thus, it is inappropriate to call her style as realistic, modernistic or post-modernistic. Instead, postmodern realism is plausible and much persuasive.Overall, the dissertation is arranged in six parts. The first is an introduction briefing the writer's life, researches of her works both at home and abroad, and originality, methodology, framework of the dissertation. The second aims to explore the term"postmodern realism". The third, fourth and fifth parts each deal with one of the three components in Brookner's postmodern realism. The last is a conclusion.