An Interpretation Of Wish You Were Here From The Perspective Of Postmodern Narrative

Characterized by such distinctive features as focalization, divergence andindeterminacy, postmodern narrative provides a new way of writing and a newapproach to the understanding of works. Graham Swift (1949-) is a famous writer ofBritish contemporary literature, who has been acclaimed substantive praises becauseof his consummate postmodern narrative style. The way he portrays plain stories,ordinary lives, and characteristics of average people is so well elaborated andexpressive that Sunday Express comments on Wish You Were Here as making wondersfrom common and its storyline is “astonishingly moving”; Herald holds that the novelis inexplicably absent from prize lists and it is “profound and touching”; Scotsmanremarks it as “capable of enlarging and deepening our understanding of thosemysterious feelings”.This thesis tries to analyze the postmodern narrative features of Wish You WereHere, such as indeterminacy of character’s identity, divergence of themes,manipulation of focalization and nonlinear narrative, to gain a better understanding ofhis works and his artistic accomplishments, by beginning with the introduction in thefirst chapter. The literature review is presented in the second chapter, including studieson Graham Swift, his works as well as postmodernism theory. The third chapter isaimed to introduce indeterminate identity of the main characters, a representativedistinction of postmodern narrative novels. The fourth chapter deals with thedivergent themes in the novel, focusing on analysis of the way that multiple themesare delivered in the novel. The fifth chapter focuses on the focalization in Wish YouWere Here, analyzing the artistic skill of Graham Swift’s writing. Nonlinear narrative,the most prominent feature of Wish You Were Here is discussed in the sixth chapter.And the last chapter gives a brief summary of postmodern narrative features alongwith the artistic effects of Wish You Were Here.By analyzing the application of postmodern narrative features in the novel, thisthesis explores Graham Swift’s innovative writing techniques and narrative style,especially his creative application of postmodern narrative techniques to therepresentation of occasionality and uncertainty of life to reveal his profoundunderstanding of art and human feelings.