The Postmodern Narrative Strategies In Snow White

Since 1960s, with the development of postmodern literature, the narrative strategies and theories of postmodernism are studied by the majority of scholars. The postmodernist fiction makes use of the metafiction, parody, fragment and collage to break and subvert the aesthetic standard of traditional novel, thus forms its own unique writing style and narrative modes in the writing strategy.Donald Barthelme was one of the most important postmodern writers in America, who was regarded as the father of postmodern literature. And his novel Snow White is a typical work of postmodern fiction and is the parody of the well-known Green Brothers'fairy tale Snow White. Barthelme rewrites the novel by using the technique of fragments and collage; and he makes an innovation on the novel's structure and language, emphasizing the role of language construction. The purpose of this paper is to study the narrative strategies of Snow White: the metafictional features, non-linear narration and indeterminacy in the postmodern novel.To begin with, this paper gives an introduction of Barthelme and his masterpiece Snow White. Moreover, it makes a brief explanation and analysis of postmodern theory and also makes a review on the research condition of Barthelme and his works both at home and abroad.Chapter One studies the application of metafictional features in the novel: Barthelme's novel is a kind of mild metafiction which is between the extreme metafiction and traditional novel. On one hand, he inherited the traditional literary form such as plot and character; on the other hand, he made a profound reflection on novel and explored the novel's nature deeply. In the novel, the author exposes the limitations of literary tradition through the self-reflexive and fragmented narration; and reveals the essence of language: the delegation of language and its inability to convey meaning; then he reflects the complex relationship and gap between fiction and reality. Through metafiction, Barthelme creates a work which can better reflect the reality; he emphasizes the close relationship between authors and readers so as to promote the rapid development of the novel.Chapter Two discusses the novel's non-linear narrative discourse: postmodern fiction breaks the traditional linear narrative standard, but uses non-linear narrative structure and patterns, which clearly show the unique characteristics different from the traditional novel. Non-linear narrative discourse is mainly reflected in the following three aspects: subversive discourse overturns the traditional plot development (beginning, climax and ending); intrusive discourse shows the subjectivity of novel creation by inserting the narrative fragment from outside of the novel; universe discourse makes language games become the true hero of the novel.Chapter Three analyzes the indeterminacy of the novel: it is the subversion of traditional mode and seeks the variable possibilities of things'development. The novel is full of indeterminacies which will be analyzed from three aspects: focalization, distorted time and space, and uncertainty of theme. The narrative perspective is changing constantly; there is no definite theme in the novel so that the multiplicity of the theme has been fully demonstrated. This indeterminacy requires the active participation of the reader, only the reader's participation can realize the pursuit of the true meaning of the novel.In conclusion, the author reveals the playfulness of the postmodern world and exposes the nihilism and nothingness of the realistic society.