The Interaction Between Literary Text And History: New Historicist Interpretation Of The French Lieutenant’s Woman

John Fowles is universally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding novelists in British contemporary literature.His representative work The French Lieutenant’s Woman,published in 1969,has obtained international critical acclaim.Guided by new historicism,mainly following Montrose’s idea of “historicity of text”and “textuality of history”,this thesis explores the relationship between Fowles’ s The French Lieutenant’s Woman and its related historical contexts as well as Fowles’ s extraordinary historical narrative techniques.Through an in-depth investigation,this thesis argues that the novel’s main thread on Charles and Sarah’s pursuit of freedom is not created in vacuum.Rather,it is due to the combined cultural product of Victorian age,the prevailing contemporary social circumstances and Fowles’ s own experiences.The thesis holds the idea that Fowles desires to mock and criticize Victorian hypocritical religious belief,stifling gentleman morality,money-worship pursuit of emerging bourgeoisie and privileged patriarchal society in the novel.Simultaneously,Fowles’ s innovative narrative techniques of anachronism,pastiche and uncertainty break the boundary between literature and history,fiction and reality,thus achieving cross-century dialogue.Therefore,from the angle of new historicism,the thesis believes that we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of Victorian histories and better appreciate Fowles’ s composing intention: he aspires to expose the corrupted and suppressing Victorian society and reexamine the pathology of contemporary society.