A Postmodern Narratological Study Of Julian Barnes'S Flaubert's Parrot

Julian Barnes is a postmodern experimental writer,known as “the British literary chameleon”.In 1984,with his ground-breaking novel Flaubert's Parrot,Barnes became one of top writers in British literary circles.Based on Canadian academic—Linda Hutcheon's postmodern narratological theories,the present thesis purposes to analyze the postmodern narrative strategies in Flaubert's Parrot by focusing upon self-reflexive narrative,parody and word play.In doing so,the thesis argues that in deliberately employing postmodern narrative techniques,Barnes has highlighted the uncertainty of truth and the deferral of meaning in the novel.Introduction,which is the first part,provides information about Julian Barnes and his work Flaubert's Parrot,together with a comprehensive literature review,theoretical bases and the structural lay-out of this thesis.The body part of the thesis is divided into three chapters.Chapter One exploits the technique of self-reflexive narrative in the novel from self-exposure of fictionality,creation of narrative gap,and self-criticism,which engage readers in the storytelling process of the fiction with active imagination.Chapter Two depicts the novel's parody of literary genre,non-literary discourse,previous text and Flaubert's life experience,in which the ironic distance from what is parodied is underpinned.Chapter Three focuses upon the technique of word play in the novel from character's name,puns,slang,adages and euphemism,as well as game of the signifier,all of which are thematically or narratively functional.Conclusion—the last part makes a summary on the uncertainty of truth and the deferral of meaning that are highlighted in the foregoing discussion of postmodern narrative techniques.