This thesis comprises an original work of fiction, entitled Liberty Horses,
and a commentary which explores and compares postmodern English and
American fiction, locating my own creative writing practice in that field
of contemporary writing.
My original work of fiction, Liberty Horses, is divided into two parts,
being `Part One: Liberty Horses' and `Part Two: Dreamland'.
The critical section of this thesis is divided into three chapters.
Chapter One, `American Postmodernism', shows how American writers,
such as Richard Brautigan, William Gaddis and Don DeLillo, continually
re-interpreted American fiction in regard to its Anglo-American tradition
and explored the nature of Consumerism and Corporatism within
American society and how such writers refuted the implications and
ideals of the American Dream.
Chapter Two, `English Postmodernism', examines the development of
postmodern theories within English fiction. In particular it discusses the
ideas of History and Myth, as employed by such writers as Ian McEwan,
Graham Swift, Peter Ackroyd, Angela Carter and Christine Brooke-Rose.
The chapter also discusses the part played by the Booker Prize in the rise
in commercial popularity of these writers as well as the acceptance of
postmodern writing within a wider readership.
Chapter Three, `The Making of Liberty Horses', explores the ideas which
went into the creation of my novel, namely the image of the circus,
paranoia and social, political and sexual impotence, as well as the
writers, including Patricia Duncker, Richard Brautigan and Don DeLillo
and other artists, namely Andy Warhol, David Lynch and Wim Wenders,
who directly influenced the work
| Date of Award | 2006 |
|---|
| Original language | English |
|---|
| Awarding Institution | |
|---|
LIBERTY HORSES (A NOVEL): NARRATIVE AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS IN POSTMODERN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN TEXTS
HUMPHREY, D. J. (Author). 2006
Student thesis: PhD