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Self-reflexivity In Postmodernist Texts: A Comparative Study Of The Works Of John Fowles And Orhan Pamuk

This dissertation makes a comparative analysis of the self-reflexivity
in the novels of one British and one Turkish writer - John Fowles and Orhan
Pamuk. The study restricts itself to three novels by each writer. In making
this analysis under the light of Robert Scholes&amp / #8217 / s theory of reality, and
making use of Linda Hutcheon&amp / #8217 / s classification of self-reflexivity, and
Jacque Lacan&amp / #8217 / s The Mirror Stage, it is argued that both Fowles and Pamuk
create worlds within worlds which are similar to but different from each
other, namely the fictional world, the world of the implied author, and the
outer world, i.e. the world of the writer. Although these worlds reflect each
other, it is not a one-to-one reflection of outer reality, since art/fiction is
illusion. This dissertation argues that in accordance with their aims in both
life and literature, and their views on reality, Fowles and Pamuk make use
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of different self-reflexive devices. While Fowles prefers overt self-reflexive
devices, Pamuk chooses to employ both overt and covert ones / this may be
because Fowles aims to be didactic whereas Pamuk does not. While Fowles
believes in the existence of the external world, Pamuk rejects it. Whatever
techniques they use, it is shown that they both write self-reflexive texts
focusing on fictionality as their theme. The analysis of the six novels by
Fowles and Pamuk as the representatives of two different literatures
demonstrates that self-reflexivity is an indispensable characteristic of
postmodern fiction and that Pamuk is more postmodernist compared to
Fowles.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1104231/index.pdf
Date01 September 2003
CreatorsSaracoglu, Semra
ContributorsSonmez, Margaret
PublisherMETU
Source SetsMiddle East Technical Univ.
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypePh.D. Thesis
Formattext/pdf
RightsTo liberate the content for public access

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