A Study Of Pale Fire Under The Context Of Postmodernism

Vladimir Nabokov is an important writer in20th century Americanliterature, who plays a significant role in the transition from modernistliterature to postmodernist literature. His novel Pale Fire is highly praisedas a postmodernist work and is the trial fruit of imagination and formexploring. The novel consists of four parts: foreword, poem,commentary, and index, which are the stories of Shade and Kinbote. Thework also shows a unique style in fiction under the context ofpostmodernism, and leaves enough space for critical thinking and study.Pale Fire presents the postmodernist traits through innovative genre andthe assisting of narrative techniques, and as such calls for more criticalstudies.This thesis uses concepts and ideas formulated by Hassan andBarthes, among others, to study the postmodernist features in Pale Fire.The author of thesis believes that a study of Pale Fire from apostmodernist perspective may yield a better understanding of themeaning and significance of Pale Fire as a master piece ofpostmodernism.The postmodernist characteristics are examined and discussed in thethree chapters following the introduction. The introduction chapterincudes a few paragraphs about Vladimir Nabokov and his novel PaleFire, research significance, the intellectual context of postmodernism, anda literature review of existing studies of the novel. Then in the followingthree chapters, the constructing process of the novel’s structure andcontent will be examined separately. Chapter Two, based on RolandBarthes’ theory of metafiction, discusses the characteristics of metafictionin terms of the four-part structure, the non-linear narrating line whichstarts and ends with Shade’s death, and the first person narrative voice. Itfirst examines the novel’s narrative structure, and has found in the noveltraits of metafiction, which contributes to the novel’s exotic style. ChapterThree turns to the concept of "indeterminacy", discussing theindeterminacies ranging from the indeterminate narrators to the indeterminate identities of Kinbote and Shade, exhibiting the possiblenarrators and analyzing the shifting roles of the narrator. The fourthchapter focuses on writing techniques used in the novel such as parody,metaphor and wordplay, which are considered hallmarks ofpostmodernism.Finally the thesis concludes that Pale Fire is an excellentpostmodernist work born in transitional time, which is still meaningfuland shows life lessons and different motifs to readers from postmodernways. It provides a wider space for readers to think and imagine.