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It considers her background, literary influences, and thoughts on postmodernism. The
complexities
of meaning in the title Possession capture the essence of the key
relationships in the novel, particularly the love relationships and the link between the
past and the present. Chapter three looks at the satirical treatment of the postmodern
present through its comparison to the past. Following this is an examination of the
portrayal and treatment of history in
Possession – it is a novel
that discloses secrets
that escape being recorded in traditional histories. The report goes on to consider the
complex nature of Christabel and Randolph’s relationship and the imagery associated
with it that is indicative of a negotiation that happens between them. The tension in
their relationship is comparable to the tension that exists for Byatt in her choice of
literary mode. Noting the negotiations that take place in
Possession between popular
literary forms and writing that speaks to the academic audience, this report considers
how successful Byatt was in meeting her intentions to create a novel that will be
enjoyed.
At the close of the paper I have formed a clearer understanding of Byatt’s
complex
relationship to postmodernism, having considered her ideas as they are portrayed in
Possession and
The Biographer’s Tale. I conclude that
Possession is an exercise in
balance, where Byatt negotiates her complex set of ideals to create an excellent novel
from this position of ambivalence. The study contributes to an understanding of
Possession and of Byatt as a writer. It begins to form ideas about emerging fiction in a
‘post-post’ age that steps beyond postmodernism, as Byatt’s ideas suggest.
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2.
A BACKGROUND TO BYATT’S WRITING
The novelist’s obligation is
“to invent the possibility of a book in a world he sees as
not yet fully named. He does this both within a convention, the convention of the
novel, and against it; he repeats but also remakes the form; he exercises options in a
particular historical and cultural situation, but keeps attempting, afresh, to distil this as
a signed and personal authenticity”
(Bradbury 12).
This chapter considers how Byatt has created
Possession from within the conventions
of postmodernism, but also pushes against those conventions to produce a novel that
is expressive of her individuality. Her critical essays, selected from the book
Passions
of the Mind, provide a viewpoint on her thoughts on the craft of writing, with
reference to literary movements such as postmodernism, realism and fairy stories.
These essays provide a background to her intentions with regard to
Possession, and
also show what went into the making of this novel. The
chapter introduces some of
the literary techniques and themes of
Possession, outlining Byatt’s commitment to
traditional forms of literature. It explores the idea of
Possession as
a mediation
between differences: past and present, romance and realism, postmodernism and
tradition.
The Biographer’s Tale is also discussed to expand on Byatt’s
ideas about
postmodernism.
2.1.
The making of a novel and a writer: a brilliant literary mind
Possession is an attempt to capture a “narrative shape that would explore the
continuities and discontinuities between the forms of nineteenth and twentieth century
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art and thought” (Byatt,
Passions xvii). The novel creates a parallel between these two
centuries, not only through its characters but also by experimenting with literary
movements that are used to narrate the past and the present.
Possession shows off
Byatt’s encyclopaedic knowledge of literary history and her
skill as a writer as she
explores the possibilities that each technique offers. Writing her novel,
she thought,
“why not pull out all the stops” (Byatt qtd. in Jeffers 136); evidently relishing the
chance to create a work that includes some of her favourite literary styles: fairy tales
and myth, romance and realism.
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