The Postmodernity Of Narration In Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People

Nadine Gordimer, one of the most important contemporary English writers, is the first South African writer to be a laureate of Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. As one of her major works, July’s People stands out in Gordimer’s fictional writings, for its presentation of Gordimer’s important fictional theme, which makes attempts to overthrow the Apartheid system in South Africa, and its complexity and creativity of narrative strategies taken in the novel. The present researches on this novel are mostly concerned with the analysis of its post-colonialism discourse, the studies of identity crisis of its characters, or the exploration of the racial problems in the novel. However, this thesis explores the postmodernity of narration in July’s People from the novel’s narrative content and forms, i.e., the novel’s postmodern characterization, postmodern narrative structure and narrative focalizations, hoping to have a basically complete study of the novel globally and locally.The thesis includes five parts. The introduction part makes a literature review about the studies of Gordimer’s July’s People at home and abroad, and meanwhile, a brief introduction about Nadine Gordimer and her writings as well as the theories of postmodernism and features of the postmodern narration are introduced. The first part analyzes the postmodern features of characterization in July’s People through exploring the postmodern traits of character embodied in several major characters in the novel, i.e., July, Maureen, and Bam. The second part discusses the innovative postmodern narrative structure in July’s People from the aspects of the non-linear narrative pattern, parody and the open ending used in the novel. The third part explores the diversity of narrative focalization made in the novel, and meanwhile the patterns of narrative focalizations, i.e., external focalization and internal focalization in July’s People are classified in order to further explore the multiple narrative features of this postmodern fiction.The conclusion offers the general understanding of the postmodernity of narration in July’s People with its indeterminacy and ambiguity in the text. Through the vague images of characters, fragmented narrative structure, and diversified narrative focalization, Gordimer challenges the traditional writing style with her postmodern narrative strategies, which presents the uncertainty of the present and future situation of the local inhabitants in South Africa. All in all, through the exploration of the postmodernity of narration in July’s People, Nadine Gordimer’s outstanding narrative techniques in July’s People could be presented clearly. Perhaps for this, Gordimer achieves her unique and classic position in contemporary English literature.