Continuous Constructions Of Englishness In Julian Barnes's Metroland,England,England And Arthur & George

Julian Barnes(1946-)is a famous contemporary English writer.In 2011,he won Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending.His works cover diversified themes,including history,identity,memory and Englishness.There are many studies about Julian Barnes.However,most scholars focus on themes of a certain work or do comparative studies on a certain theme with other author's certain work.Based on research,this thesis finds that constant repetition,continuity and sublimation of a certain theme such as Englishness is a major feature in Barnes' s novels.Englishness,in the eyes of Barnes,is not in a fixed condition,but in dynamic change.This thesis attempts to argue for the continuous constructions of Englishness through three selected novels—Metroland,England,England and Arthur & George.The three novels have revealed Barnes' s construction of Englishness in different times from the early period of his career to the end of twentieth century,and to the early twenty-first century.Chapter One,based on Metroland,has studied the role of self-construction in constructing individual's personal and national identity.The bildungsroman depicts Chris' s varying views on personal identity from adolescence to maturation.According to the novel's structure,this chapter pays attention to Chris' s construction process of individual identity in Metroland,in Paris and in Metroland again,respectively.In virtue of the research on individual's identity construction,Chapter One has exposed the significance of the construction of individual's identity to that of Englishness.Chapter Two mainly concentrates the construction of Englishness in the collective level.In England,England,Barnes has simulated the construction process of a nation.The theme park England,England has posed challenges to the established personal and national identity.In addition,Martha Cochrane's experience being abandoned by her father at young age has made her suspicious of human history and memory.Barnes attempts to arouse readers' thinking on what Englishness really is by utilizing these two points mentioned above.Chapter Three emphatically analyzes the hybridity of Englishness in Barnes' s novel.Under the big trend of immigration and globalization,state-to-state and people-to-people communications are increasingly close,which have aroused discussion on personal and national identity of in-between groups.Traditional Englishness already cannot define personal and national identity in contemporary age.Therefore,based on historical references,Barnes has proceeded literary creation on George Edalji Case,to construct a more tolerant Englishness.In a word,Englishness is dynamic as individual and collective are constantly constructing it.Instead of deconstructing or abandoning established Englishness,Barnes keeps pace with the times to continuously construct Englishness through literary works,aiming to energize Englishness and strengthen English national identity.