Brian McHale's Postmodernist Fiction: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Metafiction, Magic Realism, and Science Fiction
<h1>What is Postmodernist Fiction?</h1>
<p>Postmodernism is a term that has been widely used to describe various cultural phenomena that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century. It is often associated with skepticism, relativism, irony, parody, intertextuality, hybridity, fragmentation, and pluralism. Postmodernism challenges the modernist ideals of rationality, objectivity, universality, originality, and progress.</p>
postmodernist fiction mchale, brian||
<p>Postmodernist fiction is a type of literature that reflects and embodies the postmodern condition. It is not a unified or homogeneous category, but rather a diverse and complex phenomenon that encompasses different forms, genres, styles, languages, cultures, and contexts. Postmodernist fiction questions the conventional notions of reality, representation, and authorship that underlie traditional realism and modernism.</p>
<p>In this article, I will attempt to construct a version of postmodernist fiction that draws on the influential work of Brian McHale. McHale is a US academic and literary theorist who has written extensively on postmodernism and narrative theory. He is best known for his book Postmodernist Fiction (1987), which offers a comprehensive analysis of postmodernist fiction in terms of its ontological status.</p>
<p>My main aim is to explain what postmodernist fiction is according to McHale's perspective, how it differs from modernist fiction in terms of its dominant mode of narration, what are the main strategies of world-making and world-unmaking that it employs, and what are the implications of postmodernist fiction for the themes of love and death. I will also provide some examples of postmodernist fiction from various regions and traditions, such as North American metafiction, Latin American magic realism, the French New New Novel, concrete prose, and science fiction.</p>
<p>My thesis statement is that postmodernist fiction is a diverse and complex literary phenomenon that challenges the conventional notions of reality, representation, and authorship. It foregrounds its own ontological status and raises questions about the world (or worlds) in which we live. It exploits various theoretical approaches to literary ontology and employs different strategies of world-making and world-unmaking. It also deals with the perennial themes of love and death in novel and unconventional ways.</p>
<h2>The Change of Dominant from Modernist to Postmodernist Fiction</h2>
<p>One of the key concepts that McHale uses to explain the difference between modernist and postmodernist fiction is the change of dominant. The dominant is a term borrowed from the Russian formalist Roman Jakobson, who defined it as "the focusing component of a work of art: it rules, determines, and transforms the remaining components" (Jakobson 1978: 82). The dominant is not a fixed or static element, but rather a dynamic and historical one. It changes according to the cultural and historical context in which the work of art is produced and received.</p>
<p>McHale argues that modernist and postmodernist fiction have different dominants that shape their modes of narration, themes, and techniques. He identifies the dominant of modernist fiction as epistemological, and the dominant of postmodernist fiction as ontological. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and limits of human knowledge. Ontology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and categories of being.</p>
<p>According to McHale, modernist fiction is primarily concerned with the problem of knowledge: how can we know the world, ourselves, and others? How can we represent reality in language? How can we communicate meaningfully with others? Modernist fiction explores these questions through various techniques such as unreliable narration, stream of consciousness, interior monologue, symbolism, allegory, and myth. Some examples of modernist fiction are James Joyce's Ulysses, Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, Franz Kafka's The Trial, Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land.</p>
<p>Postmodernist fiction, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with the problem of being: what is the world, what are we, what are others? How can we define reality in terms of being? How can we create or destroy worlds with language? Postmodernist fiction explores these questions through various techniques such as metafiction, magic realism, parody, pastiche, intertextuality, hypertextuality, and cybertextuality. Some examples of postmodernist fiction are Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, Julio Cortázar's Hopscotch, Alain Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy, Georges Perec's Life A User's Manual, and Philip K. Dick's Ubik.</p>
<h3>The Ontological Status of Postmodernist Fiction</h3>
<p>Ontology is a term that has been used in different ways by different philosophers and theorists. In general terms, ontology refers to the study of being or existence. It asks questions such as: what exists? what are the categories or modes of being? what are the relations between beings? Ontology can also be applied to specific domains or fields of inquiry, such as logic, mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, sociology, linguistics, art, literature, etc.</p>
<p>In literary theory, ontology refers to the study of being or existence in relation to literature. It asks questions such as: what is literature? what are the categories or modes of being of literature? what are the relations between literature and other domains or fields of inquiry? Literary ontology can also be applied to specific genres or forms of literature, such as poetry, drama, narrative, etc.</p>
<p>McHale adopts a broad and flexible notion of ontology that encompasses both philosophical and literary aspects. He defines ontology as "the inventory of what there is" (McHale 1987: 9). He argues that postmodernist fiction foregrounds its own ontological status and raises questions about the world (or worlds) in which we live. He writes: "Postmodernist fiction deploys strategies which engage and foreground questions like ... Which world is this? What is to be done in it? Which of my selves is to do it?" (McHale 1987: 10).</p>
<p>McHale draws on various theoretical approaches to literary ontology that have been developed by philosophers and critics such as Roman Ingarden, <h3>The Ontological Status of Postmodernist Fiction</h3>
<p>Ontology is a term that has been used in different ways by different philosophers and theorists. In general terms, ontology refers to the study of being or existence. It asks questions such as: what exists? what are the categories or modes of being? what are the relations between beings? Ontology can also be applied to specific domains or fields of inquiry, such as logic, mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, sociology, linguistics, art, literature, etc.</p>
<p>In literary theory, ontology refers to the study of being or existence in relation to literature. It asks questions such as: what is literature? what are the categories or modes of being of literature? what are the relations between literature and other domains or fields of inquiry? Literary ontology can also be applied to specific genres or forms of literature, such as poetry, drama, narrative, etc.</p>
<p>McHale adopts a broad and flexible notion of ontology that encompasses both philosophical and literary aspects. He defines ontology as "the inventory of what there is" (McHale 1987: 9). He argues that postmodernist fiction foregrounds its own ontological status and raises questions about the world (or worlds) in which we live. He writes: "Postmodernist fiction deploys strategies which engage and foreground questions like ... Which world is this? What is to be done in it? Which of my selves is to do it?" (McHale 1987: 10).</p>
<p>McHale draws on various theoretical approaches to literary ontology that have been developed by philosophers and critics such as Roman Ingarden, Umberto Eco, Lubomir Dolezel, Thomas Pavel, and Benjamin Hrushovski. These approaches differ in their assumptions, methods, and terminology, but they share a common interest in exploring the nature and structure of fictional worlds and their relation to the actual world. McHale synthesizes and adapts these approaches to suit his own analysis of postmodernist fiction.</p>
<p>According to McHale, one of the main features of postmodernist fiction is its ontological diversity and complexity. Postmodernist fiction does not present a single or coherent fictional world that mimics or represents the actual world. Rather, it creates multiple, heterogeneous, contradictory, and overlapping fictional worlds that challenge the reader's perception and understanding of reality. Postmodernist fiction also blurs the boundaries between different levels or modes of being, such as reality and fiction, fact and fiction, history and fiction, self and other, etc.</p>
<h4>The Strategies of World-Making and World-Unmaking in Postmodernist Fiction</h4>
<p>One of the ways that postmodernist fiction foregrounds its ontological status is by employing various strategies of world-making and world-unmaking. World-making is a term coined by Nelson Goodman (1978) to describe the process of constructing versions of reality through symbolic systems such as language, art, science, etc. World-unmaking is a term coined by McHale (1987) to describe the process of deconstructing or destroying versions of reality through various techniques such as parody, irony, negation, erasure, etc.</p>
<h4>The Strategies of World-Making and World-Unmaking in Postmodernist Fiction</h4>
<p>One of the ways that postmodernist fiction foregrounds its ontological status is by employing various strategies of world-making and world-unmaking. World-making is a term coined by Nelson Goodman (1978) to describe the process of constructing versions of reality through symbolic systems such as language, art, science, etc. World-unmaking is a term coined by McHale (1987) to describe the process of deconstructing or destroying versions of reality through various techniques such as parody, irony, negation, erasure, etc.</p>
<p>Postmodernist fiction exploits both strategies of world-making and world-unmaking to create complex and dynamic fictional worlds that challenge the reader's expectations and assumptions. Postmodernist fiction does not simply make one fictional world out of the materials of the actual world. Rather, it makes multiple fictional worlds out of various sources and influences, such as other texts, genres, styles, cultures, media, etc. Postmodernist fiction also does not simply unmake one fictional world by exposing its artificiality or inconsistency. Rather, it unmakes multiple fictional worlds by juxtaposing them with other worlds, transgressing their boundaries, subverting their logic, or erasing their traces.</p>
<p>Some examples of postmodernist fiction that employ different strategies of world-making and world-unmaking are:</p>
<ul>
<li>North American metafiction: This is a type of fiction that draws attention to its own fictional status and devices. It often uses self-referentiality, intertextuality, parody, irony, and meta-narratives to challenge the illusion of realism and the authority of the author. Some examples are Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow (1973), John Barth's Lost in the Funhouse (1968), Donald Barthelme's Sixty Stories (1981), and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five (1969).</li>
<li>Latin American magic realism: This is a type of fiction that blends realistic and fantastic elements to create a sense of wonder and ambiguity. It often uses myths, legends, folklore, dreams, and supernatural phenomena to question the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Some examples are Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), Julio Cortázar's Hopscotch (1963), Jorge Luis Borges's Ficciones (1941), and Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits (1982).</li>
<li>The French New New Novel: This is a type of fiction that rejects the traditional elements of plot, character, setting, and theme. It often uses experimental techniques such as fragmentation, repetition, omission, permutation, and enumeration to create a sense of indeterminacy and incompleteness. Some examples are Alain Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy (1957), Georges Perec's Life A User's Manual (1978), Nathalie Sarraute's Tropisms (1939), and Michel Butor's Degrees (1960).</li>
<li>Concrete prose: This is a type of fiction that uses visual and typographical features to create meaning and effect. It often uses spatial arrangement, font variation, color, shape, symbol, and image to convey messages beyond words. Some examples are Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (2000), B.S. Johnson's The Unfortunates (1969), Raymond Queneau's Exercises in Style (1947), and William Burroughs's The Naked Lunch (1959).</li>
<li>Science fiction: This is a type of fiction that imagines alternative worlds based on scientific or technological premises. It often uses extrapolation, speculation, projection, simulation, and experimentation to explore the possibilities and consequences of different scenarios. Some examples are Philip K. Dick's Ubik (1969), Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), William Gibson's Neuromancer (1984), and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985).</li>
</ul>
<h5>The Implications of Postmodernist Fiction for Love and Death</h5>
<p>One of the themes that postmodernist fiction deals with in novel and unconventional ways is love and death. Love and death are perennial topics in literature that have been explored by many writers from different perspectives and traditions. However, postmodernist fiction offers a distinctive and provocative approach to these themes that reflects its ontological concerns and strategies.</p>
<p>According to McHale, postmodernist fiction does not treat love and death as universal or transcendent values that give meaning and coherence to human existence. Rather, it treats them as contingent and relative phenomena that depend on the fictional worlds in which they occur. Postmodernist fiction also does not present love and death as stable or fixed concepts that have a clear definition and implication. Rather, it presents them as ambiguous and paradoxical concepts that have multiple meanings and implications.</p>
<p>Some examples of postmodernist fiction that explore the implications of love and death for human existence and meaning-making are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow: This is a novel that depicts the horrors and absurdities of the Second World War and the Cold War through a complex and chaotic narrative that involves multiple characters, plots, settings, genres, and styles. It also explores the themes of love and death through various motifs such as rockets, bananas, paranoia, entropy, and the Tarot. The novel suggests that love and death are not opposed or complementary forces, but rather intertwined and interdependent phenomena that shape and are shaped by the historical and fictional worlds in which they take place.</li>
<li>Cortázar's Hopscotch: This is a novel that challenges the conventional structure and order of narrative by offering the reader different ways of reading it. It also explores the themes of love and death through the story of Horacio Oliveira, a bohemian intellectual who lives in Paris and Buenos Aires, and his relationship with La Maga, a mysterious woman who disappears. The novel suggests that love and death are not fixed or final states, but rather dynamic and open processes that depend on the choices and chances of the reader and the characters.</li>
<li>Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy: This is a novel that rejects the traditional elements of plot, character, setting, and theme. It also explores the themes of love and death through the obsessive gaze of an unnamed narrator who spies on his wife A... and her possible lover Franck. The novel suggests that love and death are not clear or certain events, but rather uncertain and indeterminate phenomena that are constructed by the perception and interpretation of the narrator.</li>
<li>Perec's Life A User's Manual: This is a novel that describes in meticulous detail the lives and stories of the inhabitants of a Parisian apartment building. It also explores the themes of love and death through various puzzles, games, lists, paintings, objects, and anecdotes. The novel suggests that love and death are not simple or singular experiences, but rather complex and multiple phenomena that are composed by the combination and permutation of various elements.</li>
<h5>The Implications of Postmodernist Fiction for Love and Death</h5>
<p>One of the themes that postmodernist fiction deals with in novel and unconventional ways is love and death. Love and death are perennial topics in literature that have been explored by many writers from different perspectives and traditions. However, postmodernist fiction offers a distinctive and provocative approach to these themes that reflects its ontological concerns and strategies.</p>
<p>According to McHale, postmodernist fiction does not treat love and death as universal or transcendent values that give meaning and coherence to human existence. Rather, it treats them as contingent and relative phenomena that depend on the fictional worlds in which they occur. Postmodernist fiction also does not present love and death as stable or fixed concepts that have a clear definition and implication. Rather, it presents them as ambiguous and paradoxical concepts that have multiple meanings and implications.</p>
<p>Some examples of postmodernist fiction that explore the implications of love and death for human existence and meaning-making are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow: This is a novel that depicts the horrors and absurdities of the Second World War and the Cold War through a complex and chaotic narrative that involves multiple characters, plots, settings, genres, and styles. It also explores the themes of love and death through various motifs such as rockets, bananas, paranoia, entropy, and the Tarot. The novel suggests that love and death are not opposed or complementary forces, but rather intertwined and interdependent phenomena that shape and are shaped by the historical and fictional worlds in which they take place.</li>
<li>Cortázar's Hopscotch: This is a novel that challenges the conventional structure and order of narrative by offering the reader different ways of reading it. It also explores the themes of love and death through the story of Horacio Oliveira, a bohemian intellectual who lives in Paris and Buenos Aires, and his relationship with La Maga, a mysterious woman who disappears. The novel suggests that love and death are not fixed or final states, but rather dynamic and open processes that depend on the choices and chances of the reader and the characters.</li>
<li>Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy: This is a novel that rejects the traditional elements of plot, character, setting, and theme. It also explores the themes of love and death through the obsessive gaze of an unnamed narrator who spies on his wife A... and her possible lover Franck. The novel suggests that love and death are not clear or certain events, but rather uncertain and indeterminate phenomena that are constructed by the perception and interpretation of the narrator.</li>
<li>Perec's Life A User's Manual: This is a novel that describes in meticulous detail the lives and stories of the inhabitants of a Parisian apartment building. It also explores the themes of love and death through various puzzles, games, lists, paintings, objects, and anecdotes. The novel suggests that love and death are not simple or singular experiences, but rather complex and multiple phenomena that are composed by the combination and permutation of various elements.</li>
<li>Dick's Ubik: This is a novel that imagines a futuristic world whe