Postmodernism in Julian Barnes Flaubert's Parrot - Essay Example

?Postmodernism in Julian Barnes Flaubert’s Parrot Introduction Literary trends change over time as use different styles of writing. As writing styles change, the views of readers with regard to interpreting texts also change. Specifically, in literature, writing styles evolve as a form of creative insight, as well as a product of critical evaluation of previous trends and styles. Furthermore, the development of different schools of criticism opens new ways in creating literary works, as well as different lenses through which people interpret those literary works. The contemporary period is characterized with the rise of Postmodernism as a literary trend and a school of criticism. Concepts in Postmodern literature are different as those express innovations and modifications from Modernist literature. As this paper aims to delve on the concepts of postmodern literature, this research discusses Julian Barnes’ Flaubert’s Parrot in the light of Postmodernist criticism of literature. Initially, this research proposes that Flaubert’s Parrot is a Postmodernist literature as expressed by its content, language structure, and the nature of its major themes. A Brief Background of Julian Barnes and Flaubert’s Parrot Julian Barnes is one of the most critically-acclaimed English writers. He started his writing career in 1977 as a literary editor for the New Review and New Statesman. Throughout his writing career, he received awards, grants, and honors from prestigious award-giving bodies in literature. His awards include the E. M. Forester Award (1986), Gutenberg Prize (1987), Shakespeare Prize (1993), and David Cohen Prize for Literature (2011). Aside from being a writer, he is also employed in Saas-Fee, Switzerland as a professor in Literature, in European Graduate School where he shared his prolific writing styles and insights to aspiring writers. The bulk of his work, especially his novels, is characterized with “truthful lies,” which allow readers to see the exact truth in the seductive, dangerous, and shapely lies that form the narrative of the novel. Flaubert’s Parrot, the focus of this research, is one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed novels of Barnes. The novel, published in 1984, won for Barnes a nomination for the Man Booker Prize in Fiction in the same year. The novel tells that life of Braithwaite, the main character, as he follows Flaubert landmarks throughout Europe. As Flaubert’s inspiration is a parrot, Braithwaite is fascinated by the life of Flaubert. In the process of his investigation, he narrated his own life and personality, which can be divided into three different chronological classifications: optimistic, pessimistic, and memoir-like. In addition, Flaubert’s Parrot represents postmodern literature in the sense that the concepts used in creating the novel are descriptive elements of postmodern narrative style. Postmodernism in Fiction Postmodernism literature, as a literary trend, is characterized with the breaking down of literary structures, frameworks, and standards. While Modern literary forms come with the exact execution of writing standards, frameworks, and structures, postmodern literature is the exact opposite as it delves on the uncertainties in structures and language systems. In addition, postmodern literature is characterized with ambiguous language in individual narratives, mini-narratives that specifically describe individual experiences (Brizee & Tompkins, 2011). As the focus of the narrative is the individual self, questions with regard to meaning-making arise as subjective differences would come into play in the process of interpreting the text. Following this line of thinking, it can be said that postmodern literary criticism poses questions on the reliability of language as a medium of expressing truths about life. Relatively, questions on language reliability brought about issues on the essence of truth expressed in literature. As language fails to establish precise meanings, the truth in narratives may be put to risk as some people may interpret the writer’s truths as lies. Aside from issues concerning the content, there are also criticisms regarding the structure of postmodern literature. In Modernism, literary works are generally classified into literary genres (fiction, poetry, drama, and essay). These classifications are based on the content and structure of literature; and, as the Postmodernist concept of intertextuality emerges, questions with regard to these classifications arise. For the reason that postmodern writing styles combine literary genres into one literary work, it can be said that postmodern literatures can be difficult to classify according to the Modernist literary genres. Relatively, questions concerning the form of postmodern literatures come into view as the genres are combined. In this sense, it can be said that postmodern literature is also characterized with deviance to standards of form. Thus, aside from the reliability of language and truth, this paper also discusses intertextuality and anti-form as elements of postmodern literature in Flaubert’s Parrot. The Reliability of Language and Truth in Flaubert’s Parrot The breakdown of structures in Postmodernism brings out criticisms on the efficiency of language in expressing truths (Moseley, 1997, pp.85-86). In connection to this, question regarding the truthfulness of truth arises as literatures become immersed in individual narratives. Postmodernism is also characterized with the paradox of lies in which lies in the narratives, are, in certain ways, express hard and exact truths about existence. For the reason that Postmodernist literary concepts are characterized with deviance from structures, it can be said that language structures are insignificant and inefficient in portraying life effectively. Relatively, in this situation, literary works lost their reliability as sources of truth. As the narrative value and reliability of language cease to maintain a significant role in Postmodernist literature, so does the value of truth. Flaubert’s Parrot signifies the capabilities of language to deceive its partiality when it comes to expressing truth (Dalton, 2008, p.18). As Braithwaite gets confronted with 30 identical parrots, he was also confronted with the idea that the complexities of life muddle the value of truth. In addition, Braithwaite tells his story either hesitantly or unconsciously. In this case, it can also be said that he, Braithwaite, is deceived by the language. Indeed, Flaubert’s Parrot contains elements that are commonly seen in postmodern literature. Those elements help the reader determine the meaning as well as the literary techniques used while writing the novel. Genre and Intertextuality As literary elements present in postmodern literature are entirely different from the standard elements set by Modern (Structuralist) theories, reading postmodern literature requires readers to get acquainted with the basic elements that characterize Modern literature. Modern literature is characterized with strict adherence to literary structures including genre and language structure. On the other hand, postmodern literatures come with discontinuity in form and language. For instance, the concept of genre changes, as postmodern writers combine genres into one narrative. Additionally, the concept of intertextuality conflicts with the idea of originality, as authors begin to write stories as a response to other stories. In intertextuality, a literary work is not a product of a peerless and isolated author. As authors read other texts, their reaction to what they read influences their writings, as well. Flaubert’s Parrot contains the elements of genre combination and intertextuality making the novel a postmodern text. As mentioned by Moseley (2005, p.483), Flaubert’s Parrot is a mixture of all the elements of literary genres. The novel contains a combination of the fictional and factual as well as the biographical and critical. These elements are craftily put together to create an understandable narrative focusing on two lives, Braithwaite and Flaubert. As the narrative structure of the novel shifts from biographical (Braithwaite’s life) to critical (Flaubert’s life), the novel shows the combination of the factual and fictional. Relatively, Flaubert’s Parrot is a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. Thus, in the context of intertextuality, the novel contains little narratives within the narrative. Anti-form and Discontinuity As postmodern literature is characterized with deviance from structural standards, it can be said that postmodern literatures do not have distinct forms. The concepts of genre combination and intertextuality make postmodern narratives difficult to classify according to the Modernist standards of genre; those concepts give way to new writing techniques, standards, and structures. For the reason that it is characterized with genre combination, the narrative structure throughout the novel changes. The disjunctive and discontinued form of the novel brought out the sense in the individual lives of Braithwaite and Flaubert. In this situation, it can be said that the disjunctive form of Flaubert’s Parrot does not make it less of a novel as it still portrays certain truths derived from the life of both Braithwaite and Flaubert. The narrative of Flaubert’s Parrot, as a postmodern text, does not follow a specific structure, as the novel contains both letters telling the life of Flaubert and prose telling about the life of Braithwaite. Flaubert is inspired by a parrot in the same way that Braithwaite is inspired by Flaubert. With this, it can be said that Braithwaite’s effort in finding Flaubert’s parrot signifies his intention to regain his inspiration. Thus, as Braithwaite strives to understand the life of Flaubert, he is indirectly trying to understand his own life. However, as Braithwaite arrives at the museum where the said parrot is housed, he was astounded by the multitude of parrots stored there. Braithwaite becomes confused as he tries to find the original parrot. This situation signifies the complexity of the novel, which, in turn, mirrors the complexity of life. As the novel concludes, Braithwaite regains his self-consciousness amidst the complexities of his journey in the same way that the reader can make sense out of the discontinued and disjunctive life of Braithwaite and Flaubert. Conclusion Flaubert’s Parrot represents, in many ways, postmodern literature. The manner in which it is written gives the reader insights on the concepts and theories of literature in Postmodernism. For instance, the genre combination, intertextuality, anti-from, and language disintegration are common characteristics of postmodern literature. While in Modernism literary works are classified according to structure, postmodern literature focus on the significance and differences between what is reality and illusion. In the story, intertextuality, genre combination, and language disintegration are the most noticeable elements that characterize postmodern literature. These elements focus on the reader rather than the author, as the reader is the one who can actively participate in the meaning-making of the text. As the literary structures set by Modern literary theories collapse, so does the notion that there are universal truths. In Flaubert’s Parrot, while the main character realized that life is complex when he was confronted with 30 identical parrots, so does the readers’ perception that there are universal truths. Lastly, through the complexities of life, readers will be able to realize that there are no other truths in life, other than their own. References Brizee, A. & Tompkins, J.C., 2011. Structuralism and Semiotics (1920s-present). [Online] (Updated 19 Nov 2011) Available at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/07/ [Accessed 28 December 2011]. Dalton, A., 2008. Julian Barnes and the postmodern problem of truth. Honors English. Massachusetts: Wellesley College. Moseley, M., 1997. Understanding Julian Barnes. South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. Moseley, M., 2005. Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot. In B. W. Shaffer, ed. A companion to the British and Irish novel 1945-2000. Massachusetts: Blackwell. Ch. 36. Read More