A Metafictional Reading Of J. M. Coetzee's Slow Man

Slow Man is a recent work of J. M. Coetzee, the 2003 Nobel Prize winner in literature. Since Slow Man was published in 2005, there is little study on it in China and in the West. This thesis attempts to explore and analyze in details the thematic meanings embodied in the meta-narration of Slow Man in order to reveal the artistic enchantment of this postmodern text.Apart from introduction and conclusion, the thesis consists of three chapters.Introduction comprises a presentation to J. M. Coetzee's literary position, his works and a brief introduction to the plot, as well as a literature review on Slow Man.Chapter One is about the definition as well as the background of metafiction, which emphasis much on the skeptical attitude towards the acknowledgment that language can truthfully reflect reality, aroused by the developments from the modern philosophy and linguistic studies. It also discusses the characteristics of metafiction and the major metafictional strategies in modern fictions.Chapter Two analyzes the metafictional strategies embodied in Slow Man with detailed examples. They are the intrusive author and the author's rebellion against the traditional narrative conventions—the indeterminate features of the novel in terms of plot, theme and style.Chapter Three discusses the thematic meanings of the metafictional embodiments in Slow Man. Throughout the novel, the author displayed the metafictional themes to the most. They are: the exploration of the relationship between fiction and reality, by revealing the fictitious nature of reality constructed by language; intertextuality, a new approach to examine fiction and reality, which is in accord with the spirit of metafiction; the struggle of modern writers and the call on the reader's participation.In a word, the metafictional reading of Slow Man is divided into two connected concerns, one is the metafictional strategies used in the novel; the other is the exploration of the thematic meaning behind such a metafictional narration. Such an arrangement is in accordance with the narrative strategies of J. M. Coetzee in this novel that the author not only put his concerns on the plotting, but also weaves it into the wording of the text.Finally, the thesis concludes that Slow Man is a typical metafiction. By using the metafictional narrative strategies, J. M. Coetzee aims to reveal the interdependent relationship between fiction and reality as well as put forward a fresh way for contemporary writing. Reality is transitory, which one can hardly reproduce. And the knowing that language is the medium for mind to construct reality strengthens the fictitiousness of reality, the same with reality. Therefore, the revelation of the fictitiousness of fiction provides an ideal model for us to examine the artificiality of reality. On the other hand, through the portrayal of Elizabeth Costello's bewilderedness, the author not only vividly reveals the struggle and exploration of contemporary writer, but calls for the freedom from the traditional boundaries and the participance of the reader in completing a modern text. In a word, it is time that the writer should re-examine the relationship between author, readers and texts for the innovation of fictional writing.