The Greek prepositionµet?(“meta”), which in this context takes on the meaning of “about”, and the literary term “fiction”, which refers to literary work based on imagination, together constitute the term “metafiction”. From the start metafiction has been described as fiction “somehow about fiction itself”. First mentioned at the end of the 1950s, it was further defined throughout the following three decades. Although the term has only been coined in the second half of the 20th century, it is not new to literature. The fiction described can already be found in much older works, such as Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”, Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” and massively in Laurence Sterne’s “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman”. Today, metafiction is also common in other creative genres and is primarily associated with postmodernism, which came up during the 1960s. Selfreflexive narrators especially appear in works of postmodern writers such as Vladimir Nabokov, John Fowles, B.S. Johnson, Donald Barthelme, John Barth, Jorge Luis Borges, or Julian Barnes. The typically metafictional “Selbstbespiegeln der Literatur im Verein mit dem ständigen illusionsbrechenden Hervorkehren[der]Fiktionalität” represents an alternative to the continuation of realism, which, as postmodernist writers believe, has become impossible. Critics of metafiction deny it the ability to portray the real world because of its “decadent forms of self-absorption”. Behind the paramount purpose of metafiction, which is to lay bare its own status as fiction, a variety of metafictional devices emerged. Although most commonly found in novels, such devices are not unusual in short stories, as this seminar paper attempts to show.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of metafiction
3. Markers, devices and functions of metafiction
3.1. Themes
3.2. Frames and Structure
3.3. Narration and Style
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Thematic Scope
This paper examines the forms and functions of metafiction, specifically exploring how literary texts self-consciously draw attention to their own status as fictional artefacts. The primary research goal is to analyze how various metafictional devices, such as frame-breaking and metanarrative commentary, subvert the mimetic illusion and challenge the reader's perception of the relationship between reality and fiction.
- Theoretical definitions of metafiction and its historical context in postmodernism.
- Analysis of thematic concerns regarding the boundary between fiction and reality.
- Examination of structural devices, including frame-breaks and the concept of mise-en-abyme.
- Investigation of narrational and stylistic techniques that emphasize the artificiality of the text.
- Case studies of short stories by David Lodge and John Barth to illustrate metafictional techniques.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Themes
The thematic concern of a story alone can indicate metafiction. Themes bearing on the relation of fiction and reality stimulate the reader’s awareness of the artificiality of a story, as is the case in David Lodge’s “Hotel des Boobs”. It begins as a story about Harry and his wife Brenda, who are on holiday in France. Halfway through the text, the narrative is interrupted abruptly and another story takes over: A nameless author, sitting at a pool in France, writes the story of Harry and Brenda, which is clearly inspired by his own situation. In the following the reader gets to know how the story about Harry and Brenda will end by witnessing the nameless author’s discussion of the plot with his wife.
Lodge’s story is celebrating the freedom of imagination which enables the transcendence of reality. In this transcendence lies its metafictional character. A completely coherent world that absorbs the reader is set up only to later uncover its pattern in order to look into the relation of ‘fiction’, ‘reality’ and ‘pretence’. By pointing the reader towards the process of the creation of the story, he or she might end up developing insecurity about the relationship of fiction and reality, or even question his or her own reality.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the etymology of the term "metafiction" and situates it within the context of postmodern literature and critical theory.
2. Definition of metafiction: This section provides a working definition of metafiction as self-conscious fiction that questions the relationship between narrative structures and reality.
3. Markers, devices and functions of metafiction: This chapter analyzes the primary ways in which metafiction manifests, covering thematic concerns, structural frames, and specific narrative and stylistic techniques.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter broadens the discussion to include the impact of metafiction on other artistic media and summarizes its enduring relevance in contemporary culture.
Keywords
Metafiction, Postmodernism, Self-consciousness, Mimesis, Narrative structure, Illusion-breaking, Mise-en-abyme, Metanarrative, Fictionality, David Lodge, John Barth, Reflexivity, Literary conventions, Historiographic metafiction, Artistic representation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the forms and functions of metafiction, analyzing how specific literary devices enable a text to reflect upon its own status as an artificial construct.
What is the central definition of metafiction provided?
Metafiction is defined as self-conscious fiction that systematically draws attention to its own status as an artefact, thereby posing questions about the nature of fiction and its relationship to reality.
What research methodology is employed in the work?
The author employs a literary-analytical approach, utilizing structuralist concepts to examine specific short stories and applying theoretical frameworks from critics like Patricia Waugh and Werner Wolf.
Which short stories serve as the primary case studies?
The paper primarily examines David Lodge’s “Hotel des Boobs” and John Barth’s “Lost in the Funhouse” to illustrate different manifestations of metafictional markers.
How does the paper treat the concept of "frames"?
Frames are identified as the instruments through which the distinction between fiction and reality is constructed, with "frame-breaks" serving as key devices to expose the artificiality of the narrative.
What are the key thematic pillars of the analysis?
The work focuses on themes of reflexivity, the critique of realism, the role of the reader, and the intertextual relationship between literature and its own medium of expression.
What is the significance of "mise-en-abyme" as discussed in the text?
The author describes "mise-en-abyme" as a specific structural device where a story mirrors the narrative situation it is embedded in, effectively drawing attention to the process of literary production.
How does the concept of "metanarrative" relate to metafiction?
The paper distinguishes metanarrative signs as tools that interpret or explain the narrative code, which, when they dominate a text, render the narrative metafictional.
- Quote paper
- Theresia Knuth (Author), 2005, Forms and Functions of Metafiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/46531
