A Kaleidoscope-On The Artistic Features Of David Lodge's Small World

Being one of the most preeminent novelist-critics in contemporary Britain, David Lodge (1935—) enjoys quite high reputation for his prolific works. He is best known for his Campus Trilogy—Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work, which has always been critics' persistent focus. Small World, representing Lodge's highest achievement in his writing career, has drawn most critics' attention. Most western critics and novelists regard this novel as a comedy of present western academic world. Many western Sinologists call it western Fortress Besieged (Wang Fengzhen 2).In the latter half of the 20th century, realism and experimentalism as two alternating streams dominated the development of the English novel. The unprecedented cultural pluralism allowed a single work to combine a variety of styles into a single work. David Lodge's Small World came into being in this pluralistic context. Many scholars treat it as a typical postmodern text grounded in the postmodern features in the novel; however, the author of the present thesis holds that David Lodge's Small World both inherits the great traditional realism and absorbs some new formal features of experimentalism. These artistic features aim at presenting to us a kaleidoscopic academic world in post-modern society. David Lodge wants to present to us a realistic academic world to show his great concern about the human world. In this sense, he inherits the traditional realism; meanwhile, he develops the traditional realism by adopting the kaleidoscope of experimental artistic features which have great significance in enlightening the developing trend of the contemporary English novel. The thesis analyzes the artistic features—contrast, intertextuality and narrative strategy, aiming to reveal their significant contribution to the theme and Lodge's literary creation, further to reveal Lodge's answer to the future direction of the English novel: a moderate faith in traditional realism combines with a willingness to incorporate unavailable formal innovations.The thesis consists of six parts: the introduction, four chapters and the conclusion.The Introduction introduces Lodge's life and writing experience, gives a brief survey and introduction of Small World and makes clear the writing purpose and perspective of the thesis.Chapter One consists of two sections. The first section briefly analyzes the postwar British literary history with two streams of realism and experimentalism alternating with each other. The second section analyzes Lodge's choice standing at two streams in order to attain a more accurate understanding of how his art of fiction is reflected by the artistic features.Chapter Two analyzes the contrast which is widely used in Small World to express the realistic and serious theme. Through sharp contrast, Lodge depicts a kaleidoscopic world of the academics in postmodern society. He presents the academic world as captivated by material and sensual comfort to reveal his great concern about the reality in the latter half of the 20th century. While criticizing the pursuits of the material and physical desire, Lodge praises the pure spiritual longings. This feature helps us understand Lodge's humanism. He tries to create a better society and help individuals discover and live a better life through his works.Chapter Three focuses on the Intertextuality as a thematic and structural device in Small World, which helps express the realistic theme and provide the unity for the work by creating a kaleidoscopic text. At first, this chapter gives a general presentation of the theory of intertextuality based on the theory of French semiotician Kristeva. Then this chapter discusses the intertextuality of Small World with the literary works and non-literary works. The intertextuality with The Arthurian Legend helps express the theme of the various pursuits of academics in the postmodern society and also provides the frame for the whole work. The intertextuality with The Canterbury Tales and The Waste Land helps reveal that the academics' spiritual state resembles the waste land, empty and meaningless, which needs to be rescued. The Intertextuality with the non-literary text reveals Lodge's attitude towards the literary creation and literary criticism: he objects the dominance of one theory but welcomes the cultural pluralism.Chapter Four explores the narrative strategy of Small World and probes into its function of enriching the traditional realism, aiming to reveal the narrative art of Lodge as a Kaleidoscope. Lodge indulges himself to the various experimental skills of narration. The binary structure makes the novel fascinating and also provides the unity for the work. By different narrative focalizations, Lodge makes the readers know what he wants them to know and conceals what he doesn't want them to know. Spatial form as a new narrative way which breaks the linear of chronology emphasizes the value of space and juxtaposes everything in space. The function of narrative strategy further reveals Lodge's constant innovations and experiments with the new forms of fiction writing.The Conclusion attempts to summarize the contributions of the artistic features to the theme and Lodge's literary creation. The significance of these artistic features lies in revealing Lodge's orientation and liberal humanism in literary creation: a moderate faith in traditional realism combines with a willingness to incorporate unavailable formal innovations. On the one hand, Lodge adheres to the great tradition of realism by displaying the realistic theme. On the other, he makes great use of many formal innovations. We may conclude that, Lodge's literary creation permeated with his liberal humanism enriches and develops the traditional realism into a new period. His novels represent the important trend in the postwar English fiction: the combination of traditional realism with formal innovations of experimentalism.