Fiction, Truth, and Reality in Modernist Literature - Book Report/Review Example

The Relationship between Fiction, Truth, and Reality in Modernist and /or the Postmodernist Literature Introduction Many of the literary works published in the 20th century from the 1920s onwards was categorized as postmodern literature. These pieces of works share common features and themes that have been of interest to many literary analysts. One of these features is the use of metafiction. Many authors integrate a novel within a novel, and novels that focus on writers developing a story. In addition, authors merge characters from different fictional works, stories that involve the author and narrators as characters or novels about readers studying a certain fictional novel. These are the common approaches to using metafiction in postmodern literature. On the other hand, other authors make use of hyperreality that denotes the condition in a novel that makes it difficult to distinguish reality from fiction because of the close integration of the two. Some authors have exhibited their expertise in blending what is real with imaginations and simulation making it difficult for one to differentiate the two. This paper will focus on discussing the concepts of metafiction and hyperreality in the book titled Ulysses by James Joyce, The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. Metafiction in Ulysses The book titled Ulysses is a work authored by James Joyce and published in 1922. The author’s unique style is evident throughout the book, which has three parts and different episodes in each part. Each episode focuses on developing a unique plot, taking place at a given time. However, all the episodes serve to make the reader wonder away into numerous storylines becoming more familiar with the author’s intricate and unique plot. Worth noting is the fact that the author makes use of metafiction in developing his story (McBride 29). Notably, the story comprises of innovative styles and multiple perspectives throughout the different episodes. The innovative styles make the critical reader of Joyce’s work recognize that the events do not happen in a single day. Although Joyce wants the reader to think that all the events making up the novel describe the happenings of a single day in June. The story exhibits an ingenious diegesis. The first character introduced in the first episode Telemachus; Stephen Dedalus becomes of critical interest to the reader. Notably, Stephen is a writer focusing on describing temporal events. For this reason, a critical reader realizes that Stephen is responsible for developing the storyline. He is the depicted protagonist in the story (Bašić 42). At some point, Joyce highlights that Stephen makes the efforts of writing down what he observes and thinks and is willing to write the story Ulysses, in ten years’ time. It is worthwhile to note that the book Ulysses exhibits a self-reflexive system, which reveals how Stephen conceived and developed the plot. A closer analysis of the text reveals that all the events in the novel have a connection to Ulysses. The connection means that the author uses metafiction to illustrate the genesis of the story. Evidence supporting the claims that Stephen is the author of the story are evident (McBride 31). The fact that one of the characters named Buck Mulligan highlights that Stephen, who was only a young poet, would “write something in ten years”. The events described in the story happened in June 1904. Evidently, the author of the book Ulysses began developing it in 1914 as indicated in the end. For this reason, it fits into the fact that Stephen would write something in ten years. Many literary analysts have highlighted that the novel is entirely about the development of the story. Many analysts have alluded to Stephen-Joyce connection. They have the conviction that it is impossible to hold the two apart. The reason is that what James Joyce writes is what Stephen Dedalus conceives in the story. Worth noting is the fact that the merging of different narrative styles as exhibited by Joyce also qualifies as metafiction (Bašić 43). Metafiction in The Crying of Lot 49 The story titled The Crying of Lot 49 represents the work of Thomas Pynchon, which has remained to be a highly intriguing piece over the years. Oedipa Maas is the main character in the story, which begins with her surprise recognition that her former lover has mandated her to be a core-executor of his will. Although a married woman, Oedipa ventures into a journey of joining her former lover’s lawyer so that they could execute his will and take charge of his estates. Pynchon’s text qualifies as a postmodern literary work because of the choice of words, which sound like childish even when he is focusing on critical issues. For example, he gives the characters weird names such as Mike Fallopian and Doctor Hilarious Oedipa moves to California and joins Inverarity’s lawyer so that they can execute the will. As it appears, Inverarity had numerous estates and financial interests. The above makes the work of executing his will more involving. In addition to Inverarity’s lawyers, Oedipa also works closely with Metzger, and they later develop an affair. Pynchon’s work reveals an expertise in the use of metafiction. Evidently, the author designs the story with two levels of observation. Oedipa the main character views the events and other characters on one level while the reader understands the text at a different level. As she explores her duty is executing the will, she interacts with numerous characters with different addictions. In addition, there emerge numerous symbols and metaphors that she needs to interpret appropriately. The author’s expertise, in developing metafiction is evident in the way he gives the readers an opportunity to have more details surrounding the events than the characters in the story. There is an on-going mixture of facts with fiction compelling Oedipa to interpret them and determine the facts. Throughout the story, the author establishes numerous metaphors, which represent an evident relationship between the author and the readers. The reader keeps interpreting things but can only be certain if the author confirms the suspicions. The author also makes use of the historiographical metafiction by introducing the film titled The Couriers Tragedy and ensuring that the main character in the story views vies this fictional play. The fictional play recounts fictional events of the Russian and French revolution. The fact that historical context appears in this part of the story serves as evidence that the author uses the historiographical metafiction. Metafiction in The Passion The passion is a story written by Jeanette Winterson with a 19th century setting in Europe. The story reveals the points of view exhibited by different characters, namely Henri and Villanelle. Henri serves as a French soldier in the army while Villanelle is a unique character with webbed feet, an aspect common among boatsmen. Henri works under the command of Napoleon, the renowned French army leader. The young soldier Henri takes up the responsibility of serving Napoleon his meals. He has a great admiration for Napoleon because of his courage and accomplishments in the army. On the other hand, Villanelle is a female transvestite who alternates from being a boy to a girl and uses these traits to make a living. She is in love with a married woman, a factor that shows she is a lesbian. However, Villanelle also marries a man who eventually sold her off to French officers as a prostitute. The above explains where Henri and Villanelle met. The author also reveals that Villanelle’s mother is married to a baker while her real father died. Eventually, Henri falls in love with Villanelle but she has given her heart to a woman. Henri is determined to do the impossible in an effort to win Villanelle. His determination explains why Henri eventually killed Villanelle’s husband (Kirca 147). Evidently, the novel focuses on describing the passions that different characters exhibit in the story. The author makes use of the historiographical metafiction in an effort to connect historical context with the characters. Napoleon mentioned in the story was a French military genius who eventually served as an emperor. In the 1800s, Napoleon won himself fame and popularity through his military successes. In addition, he also received criticism for failing to conquer Europe. By 1907, he had conquered new territories expanding the French territory. Evidently, he had a passion for power and wanting to be always in control. His responsibilities in the army ensured that he had the power he wanted. The author of the story The Passion relates a fictional form of Napoleon’s era in France. The character Napoleon is obsessed with having access to power and being in control. The fact the French officers working under him recognized his superiority and prowess in the army reflected the real events as they were in the era of Napoleon. The Passion is an outstanding use of the historiographical metafiction (Kirca 148). Hyperreality in The Crying of Lot 49 As highlighted above, postmodern authors made use of hyperreality in developing their plots. In the story titled The Crying of Lot 49, hyperreality becomes evident. It is impossible to distinguish between reality and the simulations of reality that are evident in the story. For example, there are film cameras and video tapes as well as fictional plays that focus on events that touch on the characters in the story (ODonnell 89). Oedipus venture to execute the will of her former lover presented her with an opportunity to experience numerous things. Her experiences lead her to confusion because she is unable to determine what is real from the numerous metaphors that define the story. For example, the character named Metzger is described as an actor (Suárez 367). Later, it is revealed that he was indeed a child actor. In a different scene, Metzger revealed to Oedipa that he had talked about her with her former boyfriend. Since she did not want to hear what they had talked about, she focused on the television (ODonnell 90). On the television, she saw Metzger the child actor as well as commercials promoting the interests of Inverarity. The above is an evident case of a technological metaphor, which leave Oedipa wondering whether the commercials reflect the real products of simulations. The entire story and mysteries surrounding Inverarity and his financial interests reveal the use of hyperreality by the author (Suárez 365). Both the reader and Oedipa are unable to determine the difference between the simulations and the reality. Conclusion Evidently, postmodern literature has outstanding features that have attracted the interests of many analysts. The use of different types of metafiction is one of the outstanding identifiers of postmodern literature. It becomes difficult to differentiate fiction, truth, and reality. Other texts also include hyperreality and bring metaphors and simulations into the story. These features keep many readers interested in the stories as they try to understand the author’s meaning. The texts described above are some of the examples of postmodern literature, making use of metafiction and hyperreality. Work Cited Bašić, Sonja. "Parody And Metafiction: Ulysses And The Hamlet." Faulkner, His Contemporaries, and His Posterity. 41-55. Tübingen: Francke, 1993. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. Kirca, Mustafa. "Time In Wintersons Novels: Feminizing History In The Passion." University Of Bucharest Review: A Journal of Literary & Cultural Studies 11.2 (2009): 147. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. McBride, Margaret. Ulysses and the Metamorphosis of Stephen Dedalus. Lewisburg, Pa: Bucknell University Press, 2001. Print. ODonnell, Patrick. New Essays on the Crying of Lot 49. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Print. Suárez, Ana Rull. "The Journey As Pictorial Metaphor In Thomas Pynchons The Crying Of Lot 49." Relational Designs in Literature and the Arts: Page and Stage, Canvas and Screen. 361-370. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Rodopi, 2012. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. Read More