On Metafictional Narrative Strategies Of Horizontal Narrative Discourse And "Fragment" Narration In Zuckerman Trilogy

This paper aims at a study of metafictional narrative features of Philip Roth's Zuckerman Trilogy which has not been given due critical attention both at home and abroad. Based on relatively detailed textual analysis, this study tries to explore the narrative strategies of metafiction by elaborating on the horizontal narrative discourse and the"fragment"narration used in this trilogy.This dissertation consists of five parts. In the introduction, the central argument and the basic referential frame of this paper are explicated, and a brief introduction of Roth as well as a literary review of Roth's novels is presented.Part one gives a definition of metafiction, pointing out the"writer, work and their relationship"theme of metafiction is embodied through unique metafictional narrative strategies. Part two highlights the significance of"horizontal narrative discourse"in Zuckerman Trilogy. Apart from the general introduction of the term, this part also dwells on the concrete narrative forms of"horizontal narrative discourse", that is,"subversive discourse","paradox discourse"and"intrusive discourse". Part three aims to elucidate the concept of"fragment"narration and endeavors to study the artistic effect of"fragment"narration through the analyses of some artistic means which are borrowed from other fields, such as"short-circuit","pastiche"and"China-box structure".Part four is the conclusion: as a typical metafictional work, engendered in the postmodern society, Zuckerman Trilogy exploits a kind of innovative discourse and deepens the theme of the writer's"spiritual search"in alienated postmodern society. The metafiction also stresses and further embodies the unique literary aesthetic principles of metafiction. Anyhow, this trilogy explores a kind of historic succession as well as a kind of realistic renovation from the perspective of its metafictional narrative strategy and this strategy blazes a new mark in principles of narratology.