The title of this study is “Postmodernist Intertextuality in David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas” and is based on the following hypotheses:
1. There is a particular kind of intertextuality specific to postmodernist literature that differs from previous uses of intertextual references.
2. Postmodernist intertextuality is deconstructive, self-reflexive and critical of Western hegemonic discourses and metanarratives.
3. This specific kind of intertextuality is a key element of postmodernist art.
The first part of this work is going to outline some of the social and historical developments that have been associated with the postmodern condition and the rise of new art forms which respond to these changes. Lyotard’s description of postmodernity as an age that is marked by its profound “incredulity toward metanarratives” (The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge xxiv) is of particular significance to this study, especially his critique of the so-called “Enlightenment narrative” (xxiii) with its humanist values. This definition helps understand the interaction between postmodern theory and postmodernist art which are both directed against the same universalist assumptions.
In the second part of this study, the concept of postmodernist intertextuality is applied to David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas.
Table of Contents
I Introduction
II Historical and Theoretical Backgrounds of Postmodernity/ Postmodernism
1. The Postmodern Condition
2. Challenging the Given: Deconstruction and Discourse
3. Concepts of Postmodernism
4. Intertextuality as Metafiction and Dialogue
5. Postmodernist Intertextuality and the Politics of Representation
III Postmodernist Intertextuality in Cloud Atlas
1. Intertextual Structures and Recurring Motifs
1.1 Framing Narratives: The Matrioshka as Structuring Principle and Metaphor
1.2 Intertextuality as Déjà-Lu
1.3 Fragmentation and Indeterminacy
1.4 Making Connections: Perhaps and Accident, Perhaps an Intention
1.5 Eternal Recurrence and the Will to Power
2. Ideological Fictions: Deconstructing Generic and Narrative Conventions
2.1 Realism, Progress and the Conception of Empire in The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing
2.2 Modernist Aestheticism in Letters from Zedelghem
2.3 Paranoia and Suspense and Catharsis: Half-lives – The First Luisa Rey Mystery as Corporate Thriller
2.4 The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish as Neo-Picaresque
2.5 Metaphorising the Menace: An Orison of Sonmi~451 as Corpocratic Dystopia
2.6 After The Fall – Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia in Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After
IV Conclusion: Intertextual HiStories
V Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study explores how David Mitchell’s novel "Cloud Atlas" utilizes a specific form of intertextuality as a central strategy of postmodernist art. The primary objective is to analyze how this intertextual layering functions as a deconstructive tool to challenge hegemonic Western discourses, question the artificiality of metanarratives, and examine the political potential of literature in constructing or subverting social reality.
- The role of intertextuality as a political and deconstructive strategy in postmodern literature.
- Application of Bakhtin’s "dialogism" and Hutcheon’s "historiographic metafiction" to Mitchell’s narrative structures.
- Analysis of genre manipulation and the deconstruction of traditional generic conventions (realism, thriller, dystopia).
- The relationship between history, memory, and narrative construction as presented in "Cloud Atlas".
- The investigation of recurring motifs and the "matrioshka" narrative structure as a metaphor for history and meaning-making.
Excerpt from the Book
Framing Narratives: The Matrioshka as Structuring Principle and Metaphor
Cloud Atlas is composed of six separate stories that, except for the sixth, break off abruptly halfway through, followed by the first half of the next story. The interrupted narratives then continue in reversed order, following the pattern 1,2,3,4,5,6,5,4,3,2,1. The first half of the stories is arranged in a chronological order, the first narrative, The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing, being set in the mid-19th century, the last in a distant post-apocalyptic future. They also take us to different places around the world, from the South Pacific to Belgium, the United States, to London, South East Asia and Hawaii. More often than not, the episodes are interrupted on cliffhangers, which reminds A.S. Byatt, in her review of the novel, of 1001 Nights and serialized Victorian novels (see “Overlapping Lives”). The stories are interlocked, each story being located on a different diegetic level within the novel. The second story, Letters from Zedelghem, for example presents the frame for the first, as amanuensis Robert Frobisher finds and reads Ewing’s travelogue. All of the narratives are connected by such intertextual threads. In the third, Half-lives – The First Luisa Rey Mystery, Frobisher’s story is read by Luisa in the form of letters. Luisa’s story is read as a manuscript for a novel by Timothy Cavendish in The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish which Sonmi~451 watches as a film. In Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After, Zachry discovers the orison in which Sonmi’s account is preserved. This arrangement presents a reversion of the classical structure of nested stories where each story provides the frame for the following.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Defines the scope of the study, introducing the hypothesis that postmodern intertextuality is a politically conscious, deconstructive practice.
Historical and Theoretical Backgrounds of Postmodernity/ Postmodernism: Examines key theoretical concepts including Lyotard’s "incredulity toward metanarratives," Foucault’s discourse analysis, and the political implications of deconstruction.
Concepts of Postmodernism: Discusses Brian McHale’s ontological dominant and Alan Wilde’s "suspensive irony" to define the shift from modernist epistemological concerns to postmodernist ontological explorations.
Intertextuality as Metafiction and Dialogue: Explores the intersection of Kristeva’s intertextuality, Bakhtin’s dialogism, and Hutcheon’s historiographic metafiction as foundational frameworks.
Postmodernist Intertextuality and the Politics of Representation: Argues that intertextuality in postmodern fiction acts as a micro-politics that challenges the authority of standard history and representations.
Intertextual Structures and Recurring Motifs: Analyzes the structural complexity of "Cloud Atlas," specifically the matrioshka doll narrative, recurring images, and the reader's role in constructing meaning.
Ideological Fictions: Deconstructing Generic and Narrative Conventions: Investigates how Mitchell uses specific genres—realism, modernism, thriller, picaresque, and dystopia—to reveal their ideological biases.
Conclusion: Intertextual HiStories: Summarizes how Mitchell’s novel acts as a political work by encouraging readers to engage actively in deconstructing dominant narratives of progress and power.
Keywords
Postmodernism, Intertextuality, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, Deconstruction, Metafiction, Historiographic Metafiction, Dialogism, Dystopia, Narrative Structure, Politics of Representation, Identity, Power Structures, Enlightenment Narrative, Meaning-making.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic work?
The work examines "Postmodernist Intertextuality in David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas," analyzing how the novel employs various intertextual strategies to deconstruct dominant social, historical, and political metanarratives.
Which theoretical concepts underpin the analysis?
The analysis relies heavily on Linda Hutcheon’s concept of "historiographic metafiction," Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of "dialogism," and post-structuralist strategies like deconstruction and discourse analysis.
What is the primary research question?
The research explores how Mitchell uses specific intertextual references and structural devices to challenge the legitimacy of Western historical and ideological frameworks.
How does the author characterize "postmodernist intertextuality"?
It is defined as a politically conscious and deliberate reference to other texts, used not merely for stylistic allusion but to undermine discourses that support prevailing power structures.
What role do genres play in the novel?
The novel adopts various generic conventions—such as the travelogue, corporate thriller, and dystopian fiction—only to subvert them, thereby exposing their inherent ideological biases.
What are the main keywords associated with this thesis?
Key terms include Postmodernism, Intertextuality, Cloud Atlas, Deconstruction, Metafiction, Dialogism, Dystopia, and Power Structures.
How is the "matrioshka" metaphor applied to the novel’s structure?
It represents the nested, recursive structure of the six narratives, reflecting the complexity of time and historical perception within the text.
What significance does the "will to power" have in Mitchell’s dystopias?
The "will to power" is identified as a destructive force driving exploitation in corporate and tribal settings, which the protagonists must resist through compassion and critical awareness.
How does the work interpret the ending of "Cloud Atlas"?
The conclusion is viewed as a positive, "conscience-driven" call to action, suggesting that while history is constructed, humans have the potential to influence the future through their choices.
- Quote paper
- Martina Hrubes (Author), 2008, Postmodernist Intertextuality in David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/94473
