JULIAN BARNES - FLAUBERTS PARROT VS. VIRGINIA WOOLF - MRS.

DALLOWAY ( MODERNITY / POSTMODERNITY )

Though this essay, I would like to give attention to two important literary genres: modernism and postmodernism. Before doing that, we must clarify the relation between modernity and modernist literature on one side, and Postmodernity and postmodernist literature, on the other side. When talking about these concepts, our mind is not clarified, and we are surrounded by questions like: How can we define Postmodernism/ Modernism?; How can we separate them? First of all, we must talk about this about these literary genres: postmodernism is a very popular term, used in many different areas, such as science, religion or literature, and even art. Some people would define it as the successor of Modernity. Postmodernist literature is a literary genre which is characterized by the traditional elements against Modernist principles, relativism or subjectivism. I would like to give some examples of postmodernist novels: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis or The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. These novels have in common the humour and the irony of the authors, as well as the distinguished way in which they are written. Modernism is a cultural movement, which can not be described by using a single word or proposition. Modernism is present in music, literature, architecture or even art. Modernist literature is a literary movement which began in the 20th century and is defined by musicality, the use of new concepts and the dominance of technology. Modernist works are: James Joyce -Ulysses, T.S.Eliot - The Waste Land or Virginia Woolf with her novel, Mrs. Dalloway. By comparing the two fragments, we can observe common concepts, but, at the same time, contrasting elements. The most clearly differences are observable when we are talking about style. In Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolfs style allows readers to enter the minds and hearts of the characters. The normal day is seen in a different way in Mrs. Dalloway in comparison with other novels: beautiful or hurtful memories come to hunt the main character and its deepest thoughts arise ( It was due to Richard; she had never been so happy. Nothing could be slow enough; nothing last too long. No pleasure could equal, she thought, straightening the chairs, pushing in one book on the shelf, this having done with the triumphs of youth, lost herself in the process of living [] ) an entire internal process which opens up in order to desolate and torment the character. When we read this Modern novel for the first time, we may think that the omnipotent narrator is constantly trying to enter the mind and the soul of one character or another. This is due the fact that we, as the spectators, do not see very clearly the inner state of the character. We see only fragments of their thoughts, pieces of their soul the narration itself is often fragmented. Another reason would be that Virginia Woolf uses free indirect discouse. She is determined to find out the inner state of the person, its reaction to the external stimulus the outside world. In the novel are presented the concept of space and time, very common in Modernist writings. (The clock began striking. The young man had killed himself; but she did not pity him; with the clock striking the hour, one, two, three, she did not pity him, with all this going on.).

Mrs. Dalloway deals with current events and daily living. We must mention even the fact that in the fragment (and also in the novel), Virginia Woolf is making all sort of allusions: (Somehow it was her disaster her disgrace. It was her punishment to see sink and disappear here a man, there a woman, in this profound darkness, and she forced to stand here in the evening dress.). Even if the reader doesnt notice them all the time, at a second or third reading, things become more relevant. I think that this characteristic has the purpose of giving a sort of allure mystery to the novel. From the discussion above, it can be concluded that Virginia Woolf succeeds in creating a Modern novel, having most of the characteristics of Modernism. When talking about Modernism versus Postmodernism, we must take a closer look at the second section. An example of Postmodern literature is Julian Barnes novel Flauberts Parrot (1984). In Flauberts Parrot, the main character- Geoffrey Braithwaite is presented in different points of his life: happy, painful or sad moments. Braithwaite is not just the character of the novel, but also the narrator. From this point, we can see different aspects of his inner beliefs, or his thoughts or reflections. By reading this novel, we are witnesses at different moments in Braithwaites life. The first part of the novel is represented by his happy moments, his successes, all the things that made him a good and better man. The second part it is an analysis of his life( this part is full with sad thoughts, the sensation of grief, loss and regret), while the third part is a journey through Flauberts thoughts, feelings and actions, all gathered in his personal journal. In the beginning of the fragment, the narrator asks some important questions How do we seize the past? How do we seize the foreign past? We read, we learn, we ask, we remember, we are humble; and then a casual detail shifts everything. - this is a search and an analyze of the past, of the entire life, I would say. I believe that this is not just a part of the inner self-conscience of the character, but a question meant for the readers. In my opinion, the novel was written in this original way to attract critics, but also for the public. I believe that Barnes wanted for the readers to think they are a part of his writing. The third part of the novel, the journal, make us witnesses at Flauberts thoughts, beliefs, actions and gives us a closer look at his life. By comparing it with Mrs. Dalloway, we can see clearly some resemblance. In Virginia Woolfs novel, we can see just a little part of the character - his thoughts and feelings, but here, in Flauberts Parrot, things are more clearly. This characteristic of involving the reader in the novel is present in Barnes work it also takes the form of asking the reader questions ( How do we seize the past? How do we seize the foreign past? ; were the dwarfs therefore shorter too? ; How can we know such trivial, crucial details?), or allowing the reader to make decisions regarding the course of the narration. A major characteristic of this Postmodern novel is the use of irony and the playfulness of the narration. He towered over everybody like a strapping Gallic chieftain. And yet he was only six feet tall: we have this on his own authority. Tall, but not gigantic; shorter than I am, in fact, and when I am in France I never find myself towering over people like a Gallic chieftain; The fat men: were they less fat because they were smaller, and so you needed less stomach to appear fat; or were they more fat, because they developed the same stomachs, but had even less frame to support them? ). By looking more closely to the situation, the reader can see the quest for meaning in a chaotic world ( We can study files for decades, but every so often we are tempted to throw up our hands and declare that history is merely another literary genre: the past is autobiographical fiction pretending to be a parliamentary report.). Julian Barnes, avoids often playfully the possibility

of meaning ( How do we seize the foreign past? We read, we learn, we ask, we remember, we are humble; and then a casual detail shifts everything.) - this is a Postmodern characteristic. In the beginning of the novel, things are more darker. During the entire novel, Braithwaites shares with the reader his thoughts - about art, Gustave Flauberts writings, life and many other things. Even if in the first part of Flauberts Parrot, things are presented in a different light, during the novel, all changes. He is skeptical, ironic, negative the sentiment of failure and personal stress is eloquent in the novel. Geoffrey Braithwaite is a fan of Gustave Flauberts writings. By searching obsessive if the stuffed parrot was really in Flauberts possession, we ask ourselves if that parrot really exist, or if everything exist only in Braithwaites mind. Or maybe Geoffrey Braithwaite is having an existential crisis and is searching for something better This Postmodern text asks questions about the ability of revealing the truth. The main character asks himself what really defines art. All these elements make the novel quite harder and the reader must be very careful to understand the meaning behind words. In the novel is also present the search for meaning. This crisis of meaning is a common Postmodern characteristic. Another characteristic of Postmodernist literature is the fact that Flauberts Parrot has ambiguous notes and certain ideas and philosophical notions. Postmodern literature is also characterized by the absolute search of meaning, quite opposite with the chaotic times which would define the Postmodern age. The search for meaning is very much present in Julian Bernes novel and denotes a set of investigations: ( How do we seize the past? How do we seize the foreign past? [] We can study files for decades, but every so often we are tempted to throw up our hands and declare that history is merely another literary genre: the past is autobiographical fiction pretending to be a parliamentary report.). This fragment describes also the search of authenticity of the main character. I think that the whole novel is a search for the main aim of the human existence. By contemplating at his loss, at his successes, at the people he lost in his life, Geoffrey Braithwaite analyses the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly part of his life. He constantly asks question, and explores reality and life. I think that the character is having a middle-life crisis and search for a purpose which could make his life sweeter and ease the pain of the loss. Additionally, I believe that he struggles with the feeling of guilt. The quest of the character, involving the parrot does not gives us a straight, clear answer Braithwaite doesnt succeed in his attempt to find the real parrot. At the beginning of the novel, we discuss about two parrots, but at the end, we have a large possibility of parrots- the quest is not over, does not give us a straight answer. I think this is close related to the fact that the truth is a relative concept in this novel. Comparing the two literary genres, we should analyze the similarities between them, not only the differences. A major resemblance between them is that they both contain aspects that emphasize self consciousness and reflexivity. Both fragments the events are turning from external reality to examine the inner states of consciousness of the characters. Talking about the development of the characters, the two literary genre Modern and Postmodern literature explore subjectivism.

PETRUS LIGIA-ALINA AN 3, RO-EN