Postmodern

Metafiction
Presented by: Alaa Hamid Issa
What is Metafiction
Metafiction: is a self-conscious literary style in which the
narrator or characters are aware that they are part of a work
of fiction. Often most closely associated with postmodern
prose. Metafiction involves a departure from standard
narrative conventions.
Introduction
The word 'metafiction' has not been used before 1970. It was first
coined by William H. Gass while studying the American fiction of
the 1960s.
He rejected previous literary terms as 'antinovel" or 'antifiction', for
metafiction is fiction which self-consciously reflects upon its own
nature, its mode of production, and its intended effect on the reader.
Other critics competed for the acceptance of a term that could
encompass the previous definition; for instance Robert Scholes' self-
reflexive fiction', Raymond Federman's 'surfiction', James Rother's
'parafiction, and many other words in an attempt to describe this
kind of narrative genre.
Introduction
For Patricia Waugh, metafiction is a fiction that 'self-consciously
and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in
order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and
reality’.
‘In providing a critique of their own methods of construction, such
writings not only examine the fundamental structures of narrative
fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world
outside the literary fictional text’.
 Characteristics of
Metafiction
1 2 3 4
Breaking the fourth wall: Self-Reflexive: Experimental: Creating Characters:
Breaking boundary Authors use self- Metafiction is often Who are aware that
Between writer and Reflexivity, or self- experimental in nature, they are in a story,
reader blurs the lines consciousness, to fusing a number of comment on their
between real life and reflect on their own different techniques character types on the
fiction artistic processes together to create an tropes of the genre
unconventional
narrative
What is the purpose of Metafiction?

❖ Highlight the dichotomy between the real world and the fictional
world of a novel.
❖ Metafiction can be used to parody literary genre conventions.
❖ Thwart reader expectation.
❖ Reveal truths, or offer a view of the human condition.
Types of Metafiction
Explicit
Explicit metafiction is
identifiable through its use of
clear metafictional elements on
the surface of a text
In/Direct
Direct metafiction establishes a
reference within the text one is
just reading. Indirect metafiction
consists in meta-references
external to this text, such as
reflections on other specific
literary works as in parodies.
.
Non/Critical
Critical metafiction aims to find
the artificiality or fictionality of a
text in some critical way. Non-
critical metafiction does not
criticize or undermine the
artificiality or fictionality of a
text
 Examples
Here are some examples of Postmodern novels using Metafiction.

The novel is structured in a way that draws attention to the fact that it is a work of
Foe fiction, with the author himself appearing as a character in the novel. This self-
referentiality is a hallmark of metafiction, as it draws attention to the fact that the novel
is a work of fiction.
Vonnegut discusses his own struggles to write the book and his own experiences during
the bombing of Dresden. This self-referentiality is a hallmark of metafiction, as it draws
Slaughterhouse- attention to the fact that the novel is a work of fiction. By including himself as a
five character in the novel, Vonnegut is able to comment on the nature of war and the human
experience in a unique and thought-provoking way.
Laurence Sterne’s novel, Tristram Shandy, is a classic example of metafiction. The novel
Tristram is structured in a way that draws attention to the fact that it is a work of fiction, with the
Shandy narrator frequently interrupting the story to comment on the act of writing itself. The
novel also includes a number of self-referential elements, such as the title character’s
attempts to write his own life story.
References:
• Duvall, J. N, (2012), The Cambridge Companion to American Fiction after 1945.
Cambridge University Press.
• Fan Fang, (2006), William Gass’s Metafictional Theory and Practice. Hangzhou:
Zhejiang University Press.
• M. H. Abrams, (2004 ), A Glossary of Literary Terms. Beijing: Foreign Language
Teaching and Research Press,.
• Metafiction in Literature:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/metafiction-definition-examples.html
• Metafiction Guide: Understanding Metafiction in Literature. Master Class
Articles: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/metafiction-guide
• William H. Gass, (1970), Fiction and the Figures of Life. Boston: Nonpareil
Books.
Thank You