The (De-)Construction of Englishness and the Invention of National History in Julian Barnes' England, England (1998)

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book The (De-)Construction of Englishness and the Invention of National History in Julian Barnes' England, England (1998) by Sirinya Pakditawan, Examicus Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sirinya Pakditawan ISBN: 9783869438559
Publisher: Examicus Verlag Publication: March 2, 2012
Imprint: Examicus Verlag Language: English
Author: Sirinya Pakditawan
ISBN: 9783869438559
Publisher: Examicus Verlag
Publication: March 2, 2012
Imprint: Examicus Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1, University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: Numerous contemporary British novels display an almost obsessive concern with the notion of Englishness. Hence, they focus on the myths, traditions and attitudes that are regarded as typically English. This is a subject which is also of central interest to recent literary criticism and cultural history at large. Among the many novels that deal with a literary exploration of England's past, its cultural memory, and its national identity are such well-known works as John Fowles' Daniel Martin (1977), Jonathan Raban's travelogue Coasting (1986), Andrew Sinclair's 'Albion triptych', including his novels Gog (1967), Magog (1972) and King Ludd (1988), Adam Thorpe's Ulverton (1992), Peter Ackroyd's English Music (1992) and Antonia S. Byatt's and Graham Swift's novels. These works can be regarded as a kind of echo-chamber of England's cultural history, for they display 'deliberate Englishness'.1 With its interest in Englishness, the nature of historical truth, and the blurring of boundaries between the authentic and the imitation, Julian Barnes' novel England, England (1998), which was short-listed for the Booker prize in 1998, shares important concerns with many contemporary British novels. Like a host of other novels published after the 1960s, England, England focuses on the question of how much we can ever know about the past. Hence, this novel shows all the features characteristic of postmodernist historiographic metafiction. That is to say, like other historiographic metafictions, England, England is 'both intensely selfreflexive and yet paradoxically also lay[s] claim to historical events and personages'.2 What is more, Barnes' novel also reflects the feature which has been the major focus of attention in most of the critical work on postmodernism, i.e. a self-conscious assessment of the status and function of narrative in literature, history, and theory: 'its theoretical self-awareness of history and fiction as human constructs (historiographic metafiction) is made the grounds for its rethinking and reworking of the forms and contents of the past'.3

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1, University of Hamburg, language: English, abstract: Numerous contemporary British novels display an almost obsessive concern with the notion of Englishness. Hence, they focus on the myths, traditions and attitudes that are regarded as typically English. This is a subject which is also of central interest to recent literary criticism and cultural history at large. Among the many novels that deal with a literary exploration of England's past, its cultural memory, and its national identity are such well-known works as John Fowles' Daniel Martin (1977), Jonathan Raban's travelogue Coasting (1986), Andrew Sinclair's 'Albion triptych', including his novels Gog (1967), Magog (1972) and King Ludd (1988), Adam Thorpe's Ulverton (1992), Peter Ackroyd's English Music (1992) and Antonia S. Byatt's and Graham Swift's novels. These works can be regarded as a kind of echo-chamber of England's cultural history, for they display 'deliberate Englishness'.1 With its interest in Englishness, the nature of historical truth, and the blurring of boundaries between the authentic and the imitation, Julian Barnes' novel England, England (1998), which was short-listed for the Booker prize in 1998, shares important concerns with many contemporary British novels. Like a host of other novels published after the 1960s, England, England focuses on the question of how much we can ever know about the past. Hence, this novel shows all the features characteristic of postmodernist historiographic metafiction. That is to say, like other historiographic metafictions, England, England is 'both intensely selfreflexive and yet paradoxically also lay[s] claim to historical events and personages'.2 What is more, Barnes' novel also reflects the feature which has been the major focus of attention in most of the critical work on postmodernism, i.e. a self-conscious assessment of the status and function of narrative in literature, history, and theory: 'its theoretical self-awareness of history and fiction as human constructs (historiographic metafiction) is made the grounds for its rethinking and reworking of the forms and contents of the past'.3

More books from Examicus Verlag

Cover of the book Konzept zur Einführung jährlicher Mitarbeitergespräche im Krankenhaus by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Basel II, Entwicklung, Inhalt und Anforderungen an das Controlling mittelständischer Unternehmen by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Möglichkeiten der Implementierung einer Arbeitslosenversicherung auf Ebene der EWU am Beispiel der US-Amerikanischen Arbeitslosenversicherung. by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Efficiencies as a Defense in merger control analysis: a comparison of European and American Merger Policy by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Anorexia athletica - Essstörungen im Sport by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Soziale Gerechtigkeit in der Thora - Eine Analyse im Spiegel moderner Gerechtigkeitstheorien by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Informelle Aspekte einer Geschäftsprozessanalyse mit dem Beispiel eines mittelständischen Unternehmens by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Richard Wagner. Seine Werke, Förderer und Kritiker by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Die Problematik der Vereinbarkeit von Arbeit und Familie angesichts der beruflichen Anforderungen der modernen Wirtschaft. by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book ADHS. Symptome, Ursachen und Einflussfaktoren by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Feasibility Study and Future Projections of Suborbital Space Tourism at the Example of Virgin Galactic by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Synthesis and Characterisation of New Polymerisable Mesogens Containing Fluorene Moieties by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book Content Management Systeme aus medienökonomischer Sicht by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book To what extent is there evidence to suggest that the adoption of a marketing-led approach to business actually does improve organizational performance? by Sirinya Pakditawan
Cover of the book E-Portfolio, Blog & Co. Web 2.0 Technologien in der Grundschule by Sirinya Pakditawan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy