The canon and its changes

The literary works that fall into a specific canon have in common a set of common characteristics. When it comes to modernism and postmodernism, the narratorial voice is a key element. Brian McHale states in Constructing Postmodernism (199 ! that the "narratorial# voice "compels the reader $y its very presence in the te%t#. The novel written $y &onathan 'wift in 1( ) depicts the condition of the 1*th cent+ry individ+al, who is constantly failing in his try to integrate into societies to which he does not $elong. The women depicted in the first fragment are analy,ed $y the narrator $ased on their actions. He makes a first person remark, showing disapproval $eca+se the women "lament their -onfinement to the .sland#, when the protagonist himself thinks it/s "the most delicio+s spot of gro+nd in the world#. . $elieve that the +se of the first person narrative in this first fragment compels the reader and implies an act of comm+nication. The narrator addresses the reader, and states his opinion while the reader decides whether he approves or disapproves the de$ated facts. 'ince the narrator is within the story we, as readers, relate to the events thro+gh his perspective. The first person narrative conveys the internal tho+ghts of the narrator. .n the second paragraph we are confronted with Thackeray/s digressions into morals and h+man psychology and gets an in0depth look into the tho+ghts and feelings of the Manager of the 1erformance. .n my opinion the reader is placed in front of a c+rtain, 2+st like the Manager of the 1erformances, and from there he watches the fair, and decides whether the society sho+ld $e 2+dged $ased on its performance. Thackeray/s narrator is disting+ished $y a personal, conversational tone. However, this allows him to mock the society that hides +nder a mask of politeness, morality and $enevolence, while the +nderneath reveals the complete opposite3 a society which is immoral, r+de and selfish. The third paragraph displays a series of modern characteristics. 4irstly, we have the first person narrative3 the reader is involved in the narration. The narrator asks

vario+s 5+estions, and refers to one of the characters as "one of +s#. Therefore, the reader is a+tomatically propelled into the action. 6lso, he can relate to this character, $eca+se he reveals himself as a h+man one, who has 5+estions to which not even he co+ld answer sometimes. The idea that there are no +niversal tr+ths and only the individ+al tr+th is the one that matters is also relevant, $eca+se the narrator asks himself if he was wrong from the $eginning. The third person narrator +sed in the literat+re that preceded the modernist and postmodernist literat+re was the one that answered to all the 5+estions the reader had, +nlike the modern narrator who is himself p+,,led and conf+sed. The fo+rth paragraph deals with the same pro$lems of the modern man, "a creat+re on a tight 7 rope, walking delicately e5+ili$rated, with mind and conscio+sness (8! at one end of his $alancing pole and $ody and instinct (8! at the other.# The tr+th is distorted and the common $eliefs 5+estiona$le. . think that the modern man/s tragedy lies in the fact that for the first time in literat+re he cannot $e certain of anything, and is left to fig+re o+t the way of the world $y himself. The te%t displays a conversation $etween two characters3 'pandrell and 9ampion. While the first one concl+des in the favor of $ecoming a fool or a villain rather than making an animal of himself, the second one reveals himself as a fierce critic of modern society. .n his opinion, the modern man can only get so far as to know the a$sol+te of perfect $alance, $+t even then he will find himself in a parado%ical sit+ation. He is freed from the social constrictions of the ch+rch, and can decide for himself whether he wants to $e an angel or a devil, a fool or a villain. .n a world sit+ated +nder the sign of crisis and in which everything has $ecome pro$lematic, the h+man individ+al has to choose what he likes3 "logic or life#, while others 2+st "prefer $eing dead#. The gap $etween modernism and postmodernism is not a $ig one, $+t there are some significant differences3 the a+thor is more inclined towards themes s+ch as insanity and the h+man mind, trying to +nderstand its own reality. The fifth fragment opens with a set of contradictions. The narrator talks a$o+t illnesses that might or might not e%ist and a$o+t genocide which occ+rs or "no, it doesn/t#. 'e%+ality and the +se of interte%t+ality are present, as important traits of

modernism and postmodernism. '+$2ectivity and self0awareness are other important aspects of the writing. The narrator of this te%t gives voice to his tho+ghts, and shares them with the reader so that the reader himself will $e a$le to analy,e them and find his own answers and tr+ths. The reader is a$le to decide what he thinks in any matter $eca+se the omniscient and impersonal narrator is no longer there to give all the right answers. The s+$2ective narrator replaces him. .n the si%th and last paragraph the reader is a witness of the writing process. He is also witnessing the inc+rsion in the past, since Briony has to keep the chronological track of the events. The first person narration allows the reader to look into the depths of the character/s so+l, and relate or not to him. The narrator finds herself in the position of $oth :od and h+man. The 5+ality of $eing a writer gives her omniscience and power, $+t at the same time, she/s 2+st a h+man who reaches for atonement and doesn/t get it. Both the narrator and the a+thor will or will not find their own answers, independently. -oncl+ding, the modernist and postmodernist literat+re has a dialog+e $etween the narrator and the reader3 the first implies the e%istence of the second. The facts are presented thro+gh the lens of s+$2ectivity 7 the reader can only find o+t as m+ch as the narrator wants him to find o+t and only thro+gh his perspective and reality. Therefore, the events are often distorted and the reader m+st find $y himself the answers to the possi$le 5+estions he might have. By +sing the first0person viewpoint, the modern and postmodern a+thor is no longer an omnipresent and omniscient presence.

9+s 6le%andra Maria 4in0;n <rd year