Abstract
In this paper, I examine the novel’s pursuit of history in its treatment of a past event: the public execution of presumed communists in the McCarthy’s era. I attempt to show how, in the way the novelist addresses history, conventional historiography is challenged by a constant crossing of aesthetic boundaries. My examination is informed by the larger historical framework at the heart of Coover’s culture’s understanding of history: that of the Enlightenment and its effects on modern-day America. The novelist is interested in history and its implications for fiction writing–particularly for the novel form. In his depiction of a catalytic event and related historical details, Coover engages in discussions of, and reflections on, the presence of the past in the narration. Yet, history appears to be a predicament for Coover, who engages in hectic experimentation with form and content to avoid narrative closure.
Presenters
Zaid MahirAssistant Professor, English, University of Central Missouri, Missouri, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Experimental Novel, Postmodern Impulse, History As Fiction, Contemporary American Fiction
