The undead phoenix. An insight into John Fowles’ literary postmodernism and its legacy.

Abstract

The present paper will offer an insight into the meaning and legacy of the postmodernist phenomenon, with a strong stress and emphasis on its literary and cultural relevance. The first part will provide an analysis of the historical background preceding and shaping postmodernism, which will be counterbalanced by a two-chapter discussion about the philosophical stands in favour or against it. The core section will use Linda Hutcheon’s concept of narcissistic metafiction and John Fowles’ bestseller The French Lieutenant’s Woman as the basis for valuing the main characteristics and traits of postmodernist literature in the English-speaking environment. The final chapter of the paper will attempt an understanding of the modern-day relevance of postmodernism, especially in the light of the counter-theories developed to contrast it. The overall conclusion will state the ongoing importance of postmodernism in the literary field, in spite of its dismissal as an ideology.