A Study On Postmodernist Writing Strategies In Donald Barthelme's Novels

There are a lot of features in postmodernist novels which are different from the traditional ones. Postmodernist novels subvert the traditional aesthetic criteria and form its characteristic writing strategies, including writing techniques and narrative modes. This thesis tries to analysis the writing strategies of Donald Barthelme's novels, who is a representative of American postmodernist writers.There are 3 parts in this thesis:Part 1 is the introduction, including Chapters one and two, which introduce the background of Barthelme and the postmodernist culture.Part 2 discusses the postmodernist writing strategies in Barthelme's novels, includeing Chapters three and four. Chapter three analyzes the details of his novel Snow White and 3 short stories, and explores the new writing techniques in postmodernist novels, including metafiction, parody, irony and college. Chapter four discusses the narrative modes of postmodernist novels with the reference to Snow White, focusing on the language game, intertextuality and hypertext in the novel.Part 3 is Chapter five that expounds the postmodernist features in Barthelme's novels. Barthelme is a bridge linking modernism and postmodernism, and we can view the culture and spirit of American post-industrial era by the study on his novels. The social environment and individual spirit of 1960s in American is quite similar to that of China today. High-speed economic development causes the loss of mental purity, which leads to the rising of postmodernism in both countries.Through these discussions and analyses, the thesis intends to disclose that American postmodernist novels deny traditional novels' internal structure and aesthetic criteria and which involves the writing techniques and narrative mode of novels. In addition, this thesis intends to use the theories of postmodernistnovels in the analysis of certain works to enrich the readers' knowledge about American postmodernist novels and postmodern American society. Further, many postmodernist novels, films or plays have been flourishing in China. A study on the postmodernist writing strategies in Donald Barthelme's novel will offer a reference for study Chinese postmodernist trend and for the comparison of the postmodernism in American and China.