A Study On The Postmodern Narrative Characteristics In Doris Lessing’s Space Fiction Shikasta

Doris Lessing(1919-2013) is honored as the oldest winner of Nobel Prize for Literature. During her long writing career, she never ceases to pursue something new. She has written novels ranging in style from realism to science fiction, constantly searching for the forms which will most satisfactorily convey her vision. She consistently foresees and confronts the worst. The science-fiction format provides the author with a platform for viewing human civilization. The outsider’s marginal perspective is the only basis for a rational critique of society’s most basic assumptions and prejudices. Her space fiction series created in 1970 s are important literature works in her life, which reflect her new try for the writing style, and Shikasta(the "broken or damaged place") is the first volume of the space fiction series. The terrible colonization between several planets in outer space caused the downfall of a paradise country, all of which aim to alarm people on the earth. In order to achieve this goal, Lessing applies various narrative techniques and strategies featured by postmodern characteristics. It is known that some previous studies about this fiction Shikasta are mainly focused on the colonialism theme, ecological theme, and writing techniques. Therefore, this paper is about to explore this fiction from a new perspective, that is to apply the postmodern narrative theory. This thesis, based on this theory, is about to analyze Shikasta from three aspects: fragmentation, indeterminacy and intertextulity. With a comprehensive in-depth interpretation of the novel, this thesis aims to discover the cultural connotation in the texts.In introduction, there is a brief presentation of Doris Lessing’s life and her literary achievements, the summary of novel Shikasta, reasons for Lessing’s creating space fiction, the difference between Lessing’s space fiction and science fiction, literature review at home and abroad, and the definition, development and characteristics about postmodern narrative theory.In the first chapter, the fragmentation in Shikasta is discussed. It is reflected in the fragmented narrative plot, leaping narrative time and fragmented narrative structure. In order to organize Shikasta’s structure and plot in a better way, Lessing breaks the natural order of narrative time, and applies the leaping and the fragmented narrative method. In the second chapter, it analyses the indeterminacy in Shikasta. It is embodied in the flexible narrative perspective, changeable narrators and unreliable narrator. In the third chapter, the intertextuality is discussed. It is reflected in the intertextual narrative language and narrative content. In Shikasta, Lessing applies biblical allusion, which means that the fiction’s characters, structure and plot have taken Bible as their intertexts. Apart from that, the content also takes social and historical contexts as intertexts, which delivers its deep meaning and adds the charming for this fiction.This thesis, based on the previous detailed analysis, comes to the conclusion: the postmodern narrative techniques applied in the fiction have helped to strengthen the novel’s narrative characteristics, have helped readers to appreciate the deep meaning of the fiction and have helped to enlighten readers to think about survival predicament and social condition of modern human being, all of which reflect the significance to analyze the postmodern narrative form in Lessing’s space fiction.