- 期刊
The Quest for History and Truth in England, England
摘要
Contemporary British novelist Julian Barnes pays great attention to the historical and truth issues in most of his novels. This paper introduces his England, England as well as analyzes his concern of construction of national history, tradition and self-identity in personal history. Barnes's historical view is similar to that of Walter Benjamin. The paper focus on the intertextual relation between Barnes's England, England and Benjamin's philosophy of history from the perspective of ＂victors' history＂, tortuous national and personal history as well as historical quotation. Barnes demonstrates unreliable personal memory and modified national history in order to express his doubts about traditional history and his criticism of historical progress. One way to resist historical progress is quotation, by which Barnes proffers a farcical demonstration of historical quotation. At the same time, the writer claims the redemption potential of such quotation: future development of Britain: to be ＂England, England＂ or ＂Anglia＂ or other modes. It is found that Barnes criticizes traditional historical view and tries to find authentic history, memory and truth in the world of uncertainty.