The Rewriting And Subversion Of History:A New Historical Interpretation Of The Red Queen

Margaret Drabble is one of the most representative female writers in contemporary British literature.Published in 2004,her novel The Red Queen has been considered as her transitional work.Based on the memoirs of the real historical figure Crown Princess Hyegyong,the novel describes the Korean palace life in the 18 th century and modern heroine Barbara's fantastic experience in Seoul through the narration of the ghost of Princess Hyegyong.From the perspective of New Historicism,this thesis mainly analyzes the rewriting and the subversion of history through "the textuality of history" and "the historicity of texts".In the novel,Drabble exposes the eccentric personality of King Yongjo,the tragic life of Prince Sado,and the true development of "Imo Incident",as well as the real living conditions of Korean court women.Meanwhile,in the modern part,Drabble deliberately sets the experience of Barbara,juxtaposes the present and the history,emphasizes the common cross-age issues,and remodels a modern female,all of which embody her attitudes of history.Through the rewriting of historical discourses,the juxtaposition of present and history,and the final challenge of history,Drabble ultimately subverts history.