Postmodernist Narrative: In Search of an Altemative

Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses 12 (1999): 19-36 Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al ema i e. B ian C ews Uni e sidad de Se illa ABSTRACT The de elopmen o he no el o m is an explo a ion o he possibili ies o ealis ic ep esen a ion which is inc easingly in o med by an unde s anding ha dis o ion and ab ica ion a e ine i able consequences o he media ing p ocess o na a i e. The sea ch o al e na i es o con en ional modes o ep esen a ion as a way o de amilia izing his s a e o a ai s d aws a en ion o he ac ha he o de ed human cons uc s ha compose knowledge a e ic i ious sys ems ha ine i ably in ade eali y. A numbe o con empo a y au ho s, h ough a a ie y o s a egies emphasize he ine i able dis o ion in ol ed in ep esen a ion. The wo ld is always ansposed, eali y is always amed in e ms o he con en ions we know and becomes an un amilia absence con inually de e ed by he ic i ious cons uc we cali knowledge. Ma in Amis, Angela Cá e and Ian McEwan a e jus a ew o he au ho s who ques ion exis ing ealisms and posi al e na i es bu in he knowledge ha eali y is always o he han wha we make i . Pos mode nism is eally all abou o ms o ep esen a ion and he ways in which we depic and come o e ms wi h wha we cali eali y (no ma e he médium in ol ed); o e en i we can alk abou eali y o u h a all. J.F. Lyo a d sugges s ha all o ms o ep esen a ion ely upon na a i e in o de o alida e hemsel es, and i could be said ha all knowledge is p ima ily na a i e as, no ma e hei médium, all a is ic and cul u al ep esen a ions equi e some me ana a i e o explain, alida e o jus i y hem (1984: 7). This in i sel sugges s a clea dis inc ion be ween eali y and ou knowledge o i and we can ace a cons an ly changing awa eness ega ding he ela ionship be ween o ms o ep esen a ion and he de eloping eali y hey a e supposed o depic . F ede ic Jameson explains his in e ms o he his o y o he sign be ween he eigh een h cen u y and he p esen day: om he ealis ic ei ica ion o he sign we ha e mo ed h ough he mode nis 20 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses up u e o he ela ionship be ween he sign and i s e e en (al hough he belie in some ela ion s ill emained), o he p esen day "p i e and andom play o signi ie s which we cali pos mode nism" (1987:222). I is cu ious o no e ha he pe iod desc ibed by Jameson coincides wi h he beginnings and he de elopmen o he English no el, and we migh say ha he no el no only mi o s his changing ela ionship be ween signi ie and signi ied, bu has con inually been p eoccupied wi h he p oblem o ep esen a ion and has shown a cons an desi e o be ealis ic in his ega d h oughou i s his o y. In ac , he no el has de eloped p ecisely because o i s e o s o become mo e ealis ic. Discussions abou pos mode nism o en cen e on na a i e, and a poin ha ough o be made is ha we can posi an analogous ela ionship be ween no el and pos mode nism. I is much mo e han ha many ins ances o pos mode nism occu in he no el o m. I is mo e han a coincidence, and he basis o his ela ionship es s on he ac ha bo h he no el and pos mode nism can be conside ed as opposi ional discou se, as bo h in ol e a ela ionship, o a a ie y o ela ionships o an agonism o opposi ion owa ds al eady exis ing o ms o ep esen a ion which a e conside ed and conside hemsel es o be alid, au hen ic, au ho i a i e, o e en ealis ic. When we conside he pos mode nis no el in his ligh , we can sugges ha i exis s as he esul o de elopmen s in he no el i sel , o is made possible by i s na u e, al hough his has been in o med by ideological change oo. Mo eo e , as opposi ional discou se, many ea u es ha a e conside ed o be pos mode nis in na a i e a e al eady o be ound in he no el o m. We could say ha he pos mode nis no el akes ad an age o possibili ies in he no el o m i sel o push i in new and di e en di ec ions, al hough i s ill emains a no el and bea s some ela ion wi h i s pas . In his sense i is he con inua ion o a de eloping mode, and he e a e a numbe o ea u es ha allow us o sugges his. F om i s beginnings, he no el appea s o eac o o he , pa icula ly li e a y o ms o na a i e, and, since hen, has always been open o he assimila ion o a g ea a ie y o modes o discou se. The no el is, he e o e, a hyb id, open gen e which can ake ad an age o al eady exis ing o ms o ep esen a ion, and, a imes, does so c i ically and ques ioningly. E en du ing i s ealis ic phase, i can be conside ed as explo ing i s own possibili ies o ep esen a ion in o de o pe suade i sel , as well as he eade , o i s e isimili ude. We ha e been old igh ly no o conside he ealis ic no el as a pa adigm, bu as a s age o de elopmen in a sel - e lexi e adi ion which has always in o med he no el (Hu cheon 1984: 38). In his sense, i has always been inno a i e, and a b oad a ie y o dis inc cul u al codes and o ms o exp ession, bo h li e a y and non-li e a y, con inually come in o con ac wi h each o he (Holquis & Reed 416). No only ha , bu i , as Malcolm B adbu y has s a ed, each no el is a unique se o a iables (1973: 289), his can be conside ed as he pa icula use o al eady exis ing possibili ies, linguis ic and na a i e, whe e he choices made wi hin di e en ca ego ies o discou se can p oduce a a ie y o e ec s and a e, in ac , de e mined by and sugges i e o dis inc a i udes owa ds exis ing ealisms. I is possible o isola e mo e o less con en ional endencies in he no el, bu i s de elopmen can almos always be seen in e ms o i s pa icula use o a ailable ma e ials, al hough i should also be s a ed ha he no el s eals, bo ows and cobbles bi s on om o he media ha a e no necessa ily li e a y in i s a emp s o con ain eali y (Johnson 1973: 16-17). The pos mode nis no el is inno a i e in he same way. Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al e na i e 21 Speaking o o he media, i is wo h conside ing he emphasis on he isual aspec in he no el e en un il modemism and beyond: . . . by an ini ial i e he w i e mus i s ans o m he eal in o a pain ed objec (a amed one); a e which he can unhook his objec , pulí i ou o his pain ing, in a wo d de-pic i All o his opens up a double p oblem. Fi s o all, whence and when began his p eeminence o he pic o ial code in li e a y mimesis? Why has i disappea ed? Why did w i e s' d eam o pain ing die? (Ba hes S/Z in Thihe 1) This d eam o isual ep esen a ion may ha e come o an end because o he appea ance o isual media (cinema and ele isión) which could do he job much be e , which le he no el o ge on wi h wha i could do bes (see Johnson 1973). A any a e, wha is clea is ha mimesis o ealism in na a i e has o en been associa ed wi h his kind o isual elemen (landscape, se ing, phy sical appea ance and so on), which has been in luen ial in he way in which cinema, ele isión and e en ideo ha e g adually become an in luence on ce ain na a i e ex s. As we sugges ed, his is so because he no el has always been a kind o in es iga ion o he possibili ies o ep esen a ion, as Robe Al e poin s ou : The ealis ic en e p ise has been eno mously complica ed and quali ied by he w i e 's awa eness ha ic ions a e ne e eal hings, ha li e a y ealism is a an alising con adic ion in e ms. I mode n philosophy can be said o begin wi h Deca es's me hodological skep icism, his making on ology essen ially p oblema ic, a whole adi ion o he no el as he pa adigma ically mode n na a i e gen e, is in o med by ha same c i ical philosophical awa eness, beginning abou hal a cen u y be o e Deca es wi h Ce an es. On ological c i ique, mo eo e , is ca ied on ypically no as discu si e exposi ion bu as a c i ical explo a ion h ough he manipula ion o he e y o m ha pu po s o ep esen eali y. (1975: x) The idea o on ological c i ique is usually associa ed wi h he pos mode n and me a ic ion, bu i is no exclusi e o i . The no el has always explo ed i s possibili ies al hough a g owing awa eness o he na u e o he médium, he ac o media ion and he ine i abili y o manipula ion a e undamen al in wha we see as i s de elopmen . In ac , we could say ha he his o y o he no el is a his o y o i s a emp s o a oid, dissimula e, and la e emphasize media ion and manipula ion. Bu his is only one aspec o he ques ion: Con inually demanding a enewal o i s ealism, he no el accen ua es he ambigui ies o li e a y ep esen a ion. On he one hand, he objec s ep esen ed ( oads, coins, u ni u e, bodies, pe sons) a e gi en an au onomy om he dominan seman ic ield o he na a i e; hey signi y, bu on a di e en le el o plañe. On he o he hand, he médium o ep esen a ion (poin o iew, na a i e oice, p ose s yle, he p in ed page) calis a en ion o i s in e media y ole; i d ama izes i sel as he bea e o signi icance. The s a egies o such an accennia ion a e di e se, bu he no el is a special use o wha semio ics calis a s agge ed sys em. I is in his sense, in i s adical displacemen s o 22 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses signi ie and signi ied, ha T is am Shandy is he mos ypical no el o wo ld li e a u e, as Shklo sky claimed. In i s cul i a ion o imbalance, i is he s agge ed sys em pa excellence. (Holquis and Reed 418) Once he no elis 's d eam o pain ing dies, i is he sel -conscious awa eness o he in e media y ole ha becomes uppe mos in much na a i e, which begins o in es íga e he p ocess o media ion and e en ques ions he possibili y o ep esen a ion: wha can we signi y o e e o; and he no el has de eloped in his sense also, once emphasising he wo ld beyond he ex , o , mo e ecen ly, sugges ing ha we can only e e o o he signs and o he ex s. The ealis ic no el as i is conside ed adi ionally a emp ed o pe suade he eade o i s u h ulness, o en in ol ing " he ep esen a ion o expe ience in a manne which app oxima es clea ly o he desc ip ion o simila expe ience in non-li e a y ex s o he same cul u e" (Lodge 1977: 25). This e e ence o wha is he possibili y o adap ing exis ing modes o ep esen a ion o ic ional na a i e d aws a en ion ye again o he ques ion o media ion, and i should be ob ious ha his p eoccupa ion s ems om he ac ha he e is no possibili y o unmedia ed eali y in na a i e, o e en elsewhe e o ha ma e . Some hing mus always ge in he way o i and his is wha has led some c i ics o con as na a i e wi h d ama and o conside na a i e as somehow less ealis ic. Ob iously, he e can be no such hing as a uly d ama ic na a i e ex , al hough we may be ela i ely unawa e o he p esence o he na a o , he exis ence o a ame, o e en o he ac o na a ion i sel . Al hough we may be pe suaded o o ge abou he na a o , he unc ion o na a ion always akes place. No elis s ha e always known his al hough some c i ics ha e been slowe o app ecia e i , bu i migh also be a gued ha he no el is mo e ealis ic o ha e y eason. Ka e F iedemann a gües: " he na a o " is he one who e alua es, who is sensi i ely awa e, who obse es. He symbolizes he epis emological iew, amilia o us since Kan ha we do no app ehend he wo ld in i sel , bu a he as i has passed h ough he médium o an obse ing mind. In pe cep ion, he mind sepa a es he ac ual wo ld in o subjec and objec . (In S anzel 4) I is because o his ha he no el is so p eoccupied wi h wha ha e become pos mode nis conce ns, bu hese ha e always been he conce ns o he no el. The ac ha he obse e always changes wha he obse es and ha he e is no objec i e eali y is wha he his o y o he no el is abou . Gene e makes i clea ha na a i e is no a "weakened, a enua ed mode o li e a y ep esen a ion" (1982:130), bu is mo e mime ic han d ama i sel p ecisely because he na a o does embody he epis emological iew. The de eloping awa eness o his s a e o a ai s has been e lec ed in he de elopmen o he no el owa ds pos mode nism. In he ligh o wha has been said, he pos mode nis endency owa ds me a ic ion in some cases can be conside ed as "an exagge a ion o he ensions and opposi ions inhe en in all no éis: o ame and ame b eak, o echnique and coun e - echnique, o cons uc ion and decons uc ion o illusion" (Waugh 14). Le us say ha he no el Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al e na i e 23 con inúes o do wha i has always done al hough we also ind "shi s o emphasis, es uc u ings and e asions ... o accommoda e and make ole able con empo a y eali y and he mode n expe ience in gene al" (S e enson 1992: 15). Wha S e enson says he e abou mode nism is ue o he no el a many s ages o i s de elopmen as i compensa es o , e lec s o a oids he changes ha ake place a ound us. The endency o ques ion exis ing a i udes owa ds ealism has always in o med he de elopmen ha has aken place in he no el, and he same applies o ecen de elopmen s in pos mode nis na a i e. As opposi ional discou se, he no el exis s in a eia ion o opposi ion o o he modes, adi ions and con en ions, as well as o al e na i e conside a ions o ealism, e en o e ing hese al e na i es i sel . While he no el is s ill some imes guil y o compounding he ealis ic allacy, i has also de eloped in eac ion o i , which is he same as saying ha he pos mode nis no el eac s in he ligh o he allacies o accep ed ealism, as i is pe u bed by he eady accep ance o con en ion and he con en ional. Fo hese easons, he no el is an i- adi íonal, al hough his o y has con inually na u alized i s changes and inno a ions ega ding o ms o ep esen a ion. Bu he changes con inué, pa icula ly wi h ega d o a i udes owa ds eali y and ealism, which con inually leads he no el in sea ch o al e na i e modes o p esen a ion in i s a emp s o be mo e ealis ic. The way in which o he modes ha e been assimila ed in o he no el sugges s ha i s a emp s a ealism oppose li e a u e a e a ashion ha pos mode nism con inúes. Michael Holquis and Wal e Reed see he no el as being "essen ially ied o ealism whene e ealism is concei ed as mo e eal han li e a u e since he no el always ope a es in eac ion o li e a u e" (1988: 417). This is ue o many no éis which appea a e mode nism, which also opé a e in eac ion o o he o ms o ep esen a ion wi hin ou cul u e, in such a way ha he no el, as li e a u e, can now be concei ed as a emp ing o be mo e ealis ic o o e ing an al e na i e no only o li e a y modes o ep esen a ion, bu e en o hose non-li e a y o ms ha pu po o ep esen eali y in con empo a y cul u e. Holquis and Reed go on: The so-called ealism o he no el is an open-ended se ies o ealisms . . . in which na a i e codes ha a e adi ional o con en ional in he con empo a y ins i u ion o li e a u e con on na a i e codes ha a e pe cei ed as ex a-li e a y No single code is gi en i s ull au ho i y and he claim o each is con es ed in he pa icula esolu ion o he ex . (418) By all accoun s, hey could be alking abou he pos mode nis no el he e, whe e he idea o ins alling and con es ing con en ions as well as o e ing al e na i es o he au ho i a i e ex can be conside ed ai ly accep ed ea u es o his kind (Hu cheon 1989: 1-2). I would seem ha he no el has always done his in an a emp o enew i s ealism as i mo es om adi ional ealis ic na a i e, h ough mode nism o pos mode nism, al hough, as we sugges ed, he e has always been a adi ion, pe haps beginning wi h S e ne, i no Ce an es, whe e he no el has d awn a en ion o he ambigui ies and médium o ep esen a ion. Some hing ha migh lead us o a be e unde s anding o he analogous eia ion be ween pos mode nism and no el is wha Shklo sky says abou he his o y o na a i e. 24 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses He sees i as a con inual making s ange o de amilia iza ion, which has b ough abou he cons a ó enewal o he o m (Lemon & Reis 1965:57). Bakh in sha es a simila iew, bu sees na a i e as de amilia izing di e en ways o alking abou he wo ld (1981: 5-38). In some ecen ic ion, bo h he wo ld and ways o alking abou i a e de amilia ized, and he endency is no simply o expe imen wi h ways o ep esen ing eali y, bu ha eali y i sel is shown o be un amilia . Bakh in d aws a en ion o he ac ha he no el has been in o med by a di e en concep o ime, whe e he openended p esen becomes he ocus. This is opposed o he sense o wholeness o comple eness a o ded by epic o o he li e a y kinds. We could say ha he no el deals wi h con empo a y his o y, al hough we ough o conside ha concep as e e ing o some hing ongoing, a eali y which con inually ecedes in he p esen . Bakh in ells us ha he no el de eloped as a gen e ha had a new way o concep ualizing ime. The absolu e pas adi ion, hie a chical dis ance played no ole in he o ma ion o he no el as a gen e. ... The no el ook shape p ecisely a he poin when epic dis ance was disin eg a ing . . . when he objec o a is ic ep esen a ion was being deg aded o he le el o a con empo a y eali y ha was inconclusi e and luid. (1981: 38) This di ec con ac wi h p esen -day eali y and he lack o any no ion o an absolu e pas make he no el he no el, as, wi h pos mode nism, i e u ns once mo e o a sense o inconclusi eness and incomple eness in an e e - eceding and e e -changing p esen which is much mo e adically pa o ou con empo a y awa eness. This con ac wi h he p esen , i s con empo a y na u e, is wha allows he no el o de elop wi h g ea e eedom, bu cu iously becomes o inc easing hema ic signi icance as he no el de elops owa ds pos mode nism, whe e in a pos -Eins einian wo ld we canno help bu be in luenced by a new way o concep ualizing ime. In he isual a s we ha e seen how mode nis endencies ha e led o an ob ious de amilia iza ion o he objec (making i some imes un ecognizable), o o su ealism which sugges s a d eam o in isible eali y which elies o en on he mode nis de ices o my h o symbol in o de o be unde s ood. This was so because he con en ional ep esen a ions o ealism ailed o conside eali y a all, igno ing he ac ha he con en ional o ms hey used ep esen ed a con en ional o amed wo ld, subjec o he dis o ion ine i ably b ough abou by he p ocess o media ion. This would la e be called he ealis ic allacy. The in oduc ion o al e na i e modes o composi ion which we e accompanied by e en g ea e dis o ion e ec i ely d ew a en ion o he con en ions hemsel es which had been igno ed. Howe e , his has always been a p eoccupa ion in he no el as "[no éis] a e always awa e o he opaci y o cul u al ca ego ies which o ealis s look like Windows ( ealis s o ge hey a e looking h ough some hing)" (Holquis & Reed 417). Bu he no el seems o ha e become p eoccupied wi h he di icul y o con inuing o de amilia ize eali y, and his, no only in he no el, bu in ilm, pho og aphy, and o he á eas, o pos mode nism is a majo p eoccupa ion. Once e e y hing becomes all oo amilia one possible eac ion is his: Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al e na i e 25 In eply o an enqui y, i was explained ha a sa is ac o y no el should be a sel -e iden sham o which he eade could egúla e a will his deg ee o c eduli y... . Cha ac e s should be in e changable as be ween one book and ano he . The en i e co pus o exis ing li e a u e should be ega ded as a limbo om which disce ning au ho s could d aw hei cha ac e s as equi ed, c ea ing only when hey ailed o ind a sui able exis ing puppe . The mode n no el should be la gely a wo k o e e ence. Mos au ho s spend hei ime saying wha has been said be o e — usually said much be e . (O'B ien 1967: 25) In his o m o esponse, he no el becomes a commen a y on i s p edecesso s, on he ic i ious cons uc s and p ocesses o ep esen a ion ha a e a ailable o he w i e , and by using o playing wi h wha is al eady amilia o some o us, Flann O'B ien de amilia izes a numbe o adi ional modes o ep esen a ion. Wha s ikes us a i s as a b eak wi h adi ion (and i is in a sense), u ns ou o be a mo e ex eme mani es a iqn o he no el as opposi ional discou se, whe e he ela ion be ween he con empo a y na a i e and i s li e a y pas , because o he pa odie na u e o he wo k, can clea ly be conside ed as such. Ano he pos mode nis au ho , his ime om he 60s, ollows O'B ien's Une, bu in a less play ul manne : The no elis canno legi ima ely o success ully embody p esen day eali y in exhaus ed o ms. . . . P esen day eali y is changing apidly, i always has done, bu o each gene a ion i appea s o be speeding up. No elis s ha e o e ol e (by in en ing, bo owing, s ealing o cobbling om o he media) o ms which will mo e o less con ain an e e changing eali y. (Johnson 1973: 17) The cu ious hing abou Johnson's wo k, howe e , is he way in which he delibe a ely cou s ailu e. He builds his house o ic ion in o de o knock i down; goes o g ea leng hs o c éa e a sense o e isimili ude and hen, in an a bi a y ashion, e u es i , always d awing a en ion o he ine i able dis o ion and manipula ion in ol ed in any na a i e. In his no éis he ins alls and con es s a wide ange o exis ing modes o ep esen a ion, bu his play ul in en i eness in ol es a a he melancholy i ony: each s a egy which a emp s o b ing us close o eali y d aws a en ion o i sel as jus ha , and he p ocess o media ion becomes e en mo e appa en . In he quo a ion, by alluding o "bo owing, s ealing and cobbling," Johnson sugges s ha o he mos pa he con empo a y au ho canno a oid alluding o exis ing o ms, unde lining he ac ha ou unde s anding o eali y is ied o con en ional models o ep esen a ion. In en ion, o ecall O'B ien's commen , is an al e na i e o be made use o only when no app op ia e sou ce is ound. So, in o de o de elop wi h his imes and o keep up wi h he e e - changing na u e o con empo a y eali y, he au ho 's al e na i es, o wo o hem, a e o anno a e exis ing sou ces o o in en , bo ow and s eal; bu he no el, up o a poin , has always done his anyway, and i is signi ican o no e ha Johnson e e s he e o e olu ion and no a b eak wi h he pas . The pos mode nis no el emains opposi ional discou se, bu hese a i udes sugges a changing a i ude owa ds he no el o m, o a g ea e awa eness o he na u e o na a i e ep esen a ion in gene al. How na a i es a e composed and cons uc ed and hei ela ion wi h eali y becomes a ea u e o he con empo a y no el 26 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses leading o a numbe o mo e pa icula conce ns ha achie e g ea e emphasis in mo e ecen imes. Among pos mode nis s, he endency is o see all o ms o ep esen a ion as limi ing and dis o ing ou isions o eali y, so ha pos mode nism is essen ially sub e si e in i s desi e o make his ine i able dis o ion o eali y and expe ience clea . Ra he han conside ing eali y as some hing ep esen able, i is now seen as a ic ional cons uc dependen on he ideologies implici in exis en modes o ep esen a ion. So, he ques ion becomes whe he we a e able o concei e o eali y a all, o i all we know and ecognize a e he o ms, adi ions and con en ions o a numbe o al eady exis ing ealisms. We can say ha pos mode nism ep esen s an ex eme s age o hough in he de elopmen o a i udes owa ds he ela ion be ween eali y and ep esen a ion. Nowadays, he e a e s ill adi ionaV ealis ic mani es a ions o ep esen a ions o li e and expe ience on he ma ke , bu hese ha e begun o be conside ed as ob ious ic ions, p oducís o a socie y ha ades in images o simulac a, whe e u h is jus one mo e ma ke able commodi y. Fic ions pu po ing o be he u h compe e wi h one ano he , and eali y ecedes. In a con empo a y si ua ion whe e i seems ha we ha e los sigh o he u h and e en o eali y i sel , wha we ind in some pos mode nis na a i es is a endency o p oduce agmen a y, ob iously ic i ious cons uc s lacking in dep h o signi icance. The e usal o signi y o he ailu e o signi y, admissions o limi a ions and o igno ance ha e subs i u ed he signi ican e e en ial ex . In he same way, pos mode nism ends o be sub e si e in he way i ejec s he con en ions ha gi e au ho i y o he ex , o en p esen ing i sel in hyb id o ms (like he no el i sel ) ha sel -c i ically d aw a en ion o hei own limi a ions o inabili y o ep esen any hing. As Ma ei Calinescu sugges s, i is now admi ed ha we canno cons uc eali y, only possible wo lds (1987: 203), possible in acco dance wi h he modes o con en ions ha a e used. We cons uc con en ional wo lds, no eal wo lds, because con en ion and consensus a e also necessa y in o de o come o e ms wi h e en possibili y. Some hing o conside in his espec is ha consensus sugges s, o migh sugges , a leas nowadays and a he pa adoxically, a kind o eluc an al hough olun a y accep ance. In his s o y "Tlon, Uqba , O bis Te ius," Bo ges ells an anecdo e abou Hume ema king ha Be keley's a gumen s we e i ep oachable bu ha hey did no inspi e he leas con ic ion (21): we assen o he o ganized sys em bu i does no ha e o be ue. When al e na i es a e ound o exis ing con en ion hen we ha e an al e na i e sys em, an al e na i e possibili y, an al e na i e eali y, an al e na i e wo ld, bu i does no necessa ily ha e o be ue. I is his awa eness o wha has always been he case ha in o ms much con empo a y na a i e and Bo ges an icipa es he eac ion o some no elis s in some o his s o ies which become commen a ies and anno a ions o wo ks which, hen, did no exis . As he says in he p ologue o his Ficciones, "a be e p ocedu e is o p e end ha hese books al eady exis and o e a summa y, a commen a y" o ex s ha o e al e na i e sys ems o hose ha go e n he ic ional wo lds we inhabi (1985:12; he e and elsewhe e Bo ges is eely ansla ed). Bo ges shows us ha we can and do build wo lds, some hing which is possible due o he on ology o language and discou se. I has been said ha " he c ea ion o sys ems ha o de a wo ld [ ha in u n c éa e a wo ld] is a g a ui ous (bu necessa y) o m o play" Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al e na i e 27 (Thihe 160) and his is wha Bo ges d aws a en ion o in a na a i e like "Tlón, Uqba , O bis Te ius." Language, whose ules a e a bi a y, i he sys em is consis en , cons i u es wha is eal a any gi en ime and " he axonomic au onomy o language au oma ically compels assen o i s o de s when hese o de s a e pe cei ed as igo ously consis en " (Thihe 161). Cu iously, his olun a y accep ance would seem o s em om a basic human desi e o ha o de . Bo ges' kind o na a i e shows ha he eali y we know is a human cons uc , ha nowadays can be eplaced by ano he sui able model. The mass media nowadays akes ad an age o his ac o pe suade and seduce us wi h mo e ma ke able models con inually. O , pu ing i ano he way, eali y can only be a cons uc dependen on a closed sys em. In "Tlon, Uqba , O bis Te ius," Bo ges sugges s ha pe haps eali y is o de ed, bu acco ding o di ine laws ha we do no pe cei e, which a e, he e o e, no he laws o men. (35). Howe e , Tlon is a lc i ious wo ld designed by man, and, like ou own wo ld, o he wo ld as we unde s and i , is ep esen ed acco ding o an o ganized sys em, which he e o e makes i a possible wo ld. The sugges ion is ha ou wo ld, o ou concep ion o i , is equally lc i ious, a man-made laby in h, jus like Tlon (35), and leads o he conclusión ha all o de ed human sys ems, all o ms o ep esen a ion a e closed sys ems which ha e no ela ion o eali y o u h. Tha ou knowledge o he wo ld is o de ed implies, in i sel , ha wha we know is a lc i ious cons uc . In his summa ies and commen a ies o wo ks ha had no ye come in o exis ence, like ha o he s o y, Bo ges i ually p esc ibes wha many pos mode nis na a i es ha e been doing o e a numbe o yea s, as well as d awing a en ion o unde lying ideological conce ns which go e n he endency owa ds al e na i e modes o composi ion. Wha Bo ges ells us abou Tlon is a way o de amilia izing wha we ough o unde s and abou he na u e o ou own wo ld and ou knowledge o i . In Tlon, he wo ld is a he e ogeneous se o independen ac s, successi e, empo al, bu no spacial, and, as me e is only "becoming," nouns do no exis (21). Mo eo e , he ea lie amisión o Hume can, and does, ake us beyond his idea o sugges ha pe haps only quali ies can be expe ienced, which is u he ein o ced by he ac ha in he language o one hemisphe e o he plane only adjec i es a e used. In he o he , he wo ld is a succession o men al p ocesses ha ake place successi ely in ime; o explain o judge some hing is an ac which uni es ha ac o ano he which, in Tlon, is a pos e io s a e o he subjec which canno a ec o illumina e he p e ious s a e. The e o e, e e y men al s a e is i educible and canno be educed o in e p e ed, which means ha he ac o naming o classi ica ion means alsi ica ion (23). The philosophe s o Tlon know ha any sys em simply means he subo dina ion o e e y hing o one single ace o he uni e se, and i is possible, he says, o e en deny he exis ence o ime. The p esen is inde ini e, he pas is eal only as p esen memo y and he u u e only exis s as a p esen hope (24). All h ee exis he e o e in an inde ini e eceding p esen (in Ficciones 1985: 13-36; he ex has been eely pa aph ased once mo e). The example o Tlon d aws a en ion o he ac ha man is he c ea o o possible wo lds which in ade eali y: e en his o y and philosophy a e man-made sys ems which in ade eali y in he same way. This e lec s he way in which a i udes owa ds he ela ion be ween sys ems o modes o ep esen a ion and eali y has changed. I would appea ha he na u e o eali y is he na u e o eali y as we know i . I becomes pa o 34 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses a sea, and e e y hing ha eally happens happens o me" (1985:102; again he ansla ion is my own). Again he emphasis is on he ac ha only he p esen momen exis s, ha he pas only exis s as pa o he p esen and all expe ience culmina es in he subjec i e he e and now. Howe e , when Yu Tsun disco e s ha he laby in h he seeks, he ga den o o king pa hs, in ol es a bi u ca ion in ime and no in space, his a i ude de elops e en u he . In all ic ion, each ime a man con on e a a ie y o al e na i es, he chooses one and elimina es he o he s; in ha o he almos inex icable Ts'ui P8n, he op s, simul aneously, o all o hem. He c ea es in his way se e al u u es, se e al imes which also p oli e a e and bi ú ca e. (111-2, my ansla ion) This clea ly con es s he idea o he single s uc u e and he eeling o ine i abili y ha he adi ional no el depends upon o i s sense o e isimili ude and i is p ecisely his kind o plu ali y ha we ind in Amis' O he People. This no el ends as i begins. epea ing he e y same opening in o de o sugge s how he same plo migh be, o e en mus be, ewo ked in any numbe o ways. Remembe , he au ho can only cons uc possibili ies and hese a e múl iple. In a simila ein, Bo ges' s o y o Tlon begins by elling us ha mi o s a e mons ous because hey mul iply he numbe o men. Angela Ca e 's no el o D . Ho man p o ides us wi h " e lec ions in b oken mi o s" and i is mons ous because i mul iplies he numbe o e sions o eali y and he im nanences which lead o in ini e dis o ions. The p esen momen , like ime and eali y i sel , is múl iple. I migh be conside ed ha he no el is simply playing wi h possibili y in his ega d bu hese na a i es e lec a eal awa eness ha he con en ional concep ion o ime is inadequa e. The poin is ha man-made o de ed sys ems a e ei he ic i ious o gi e only a pa ial isión o he u h. They ail o conside ha ime is a iable, and no only because o he way i changes subjec i ely. In The Child in Time, Ian McEwan o e s a a ie y o subjec i e app ecia ions o he passage o ime anging om he slowed down ime expe ienced du ing a ca c ash o a mys ical expe ience ha pu s oge he simul aneously e en s ha ook place many yea s apa . As well as ep esen ing hem as pa o he na a i e, he e is a didac ic passage which in ol es a discussion be ween he p o agonis and a iend o his, who is a physicis . A ew ex ac s om wha Thelma ells S ephen Lewis a e enligh ening: Wha e e ime is, he commonsense, e e yday e sión o i as linea , egula , absolu e, om le o igh , om pas igh h ough he p esen o he u u e, is ei he nonsense o a iny ac ion o he u h. . . . Time is a iable. We know i om Eins ein . . . . In ela i i y heo y ime is dependen on he speed o he obse e . Wha a e simul aneous e en s o one pe son can appea in sequence o ano he . The e's no absolu e, gene ally ecognised "now." (117-18) I is p obable ha he e is a highe o de o eali y which we do no ye unde s and, an o de ha "could begin o ake subjec i e expe ience in o accoun " (120) and explain Pos mode nis Na a i e: In Sea ch o an Al e na i e 35 he mys ic's expe ience o imelessness, he chao ic un olding o ime in d eams, he Ch is ian momen o ul ilmen and edemp ion, he annihila ed ime o deep sleep, he elabó a e ime schemes o no elis s, poe s, dayd eame s, he in ini e unchanging ime o childhood .. . ... he slow ime o panic. (120) The limi a ions o con en ional modes o ep esen a ion and hei na u e as ic i ious sys ems o o de is clea ly sugges ed he e, bu a he same ime na a i e i sel is able o o e al e na i e s a egies which d aw a en ion o o allude o a eali y which con en ional sys ems a e unable o ep esen . Pe haps one o he mos s iking hings is he sense o s angeness o e en o eignness ha pe ades some o he wo ks we ha e men ioned. We a e li e ally aken in o ano he wo ld whe e we disco e o he people, al hough, i onically, i u ns ou ha hese o he people a e ou sel es, and ha ou wo ld is o he han wha we belie e i o be. Amis and Cá e a e like many au ho s who il eali y in o de o u he he necessa y p ocess o de amilia iza ion. In spi e o he na u aliza ion o many o i s s a egies he pos mode nis no el con inúes o con es no only con en ional, bu e en uncon en ional ways o seeing in such a way ha we econside he e icacy o exis ing modes o ep esen a ion. To ansg ess he ules, o go beyond he limi s o he single s uc u e, o modi y he uses o ca ego ies o discou se, pa icula ly wi h ega d o ime, oice and pe spec i e, is whe e he pos mode nis no el is able o seek al e na i es and con inué i s de elopmen ega ding he possibili ies o he de amilia iza ion o ways o ep esen ing eali y. Howe e , while i se s i sel up in opposi ion o exis ing modes o p esen a ion in i s sea ch o al e na i es, he inhe en scep icism o he pos mode nis no el o bids i om gi ing au ho i y o any, esigning i sel o he conside a ion o eali y as an ine i able, and pe haps i e ie able, absence. Rew i ing his o y (pe haps in 10 1/2 chap e s), disloca ing ime and oices, de o ming he eal, highligh ing he absu di y o logic and sys em, de amilia izing he in e media y ole o na a i e and exagge a ing he immanence ha p ojec s and imposes human desi es and s uc u es on eali y, hese a e only some o he al e na i es o his opposi ional discou se o unbelie which d aws a en ion o he ic i ious na u e o he eal. Wo ks Ci ed Al e , Robe . Pa dal Magic: The No el as a Sel -Conscious Gen e. Be keley: U. o Cali o nia P ess, 1975. A idge, De ek, Nigel Fabb, Alan Du an and Colin MacCabe, eds. The Linguis ics o W i ing: A gumen s Be ween Language andLi e a u e. Manches e : Manches e U.P., 1987. Amis, Ma in. O he People. Ha mondswo h: Penguin, 1982. . Success. Ha mondswo h: Penguin, 1985. . Time's A ow. Ha mondswo h: Penguin, 1992. Bakh in, M. "Epic and No el." 1981 5-38. . The Dialogic Imagina ion: Fou Essays. Ed. Michael Holquis . T ans. Ca yl Eme son & Michael Holquis . Aus in and London: U. o Texas P ess, 1981. 36 Re is a Alican ina de Es udios Ingleses Ba hes, Roland. Images-Music-Tex . T ans. S ephen Hea h. New Yo k: Hill & Wang, 1977. . "F om Wo d o Tex ." Ha a i 73-81. Becke , Samuel. Th ee No éis. New Yo k: G o e P ess, 1965 Be ge , John. G. London: Cha o & Windus, 1985. Bo ges, Jo ge Luis. Ficciones. Ba celona: Plane a-Agos ini, 1985. . "El ja dín de sende os que se bi u can." 1985 101-16. . "Tlón, Uqba , O bis Te ius." 1985 13-36. B adbu y, Malcolm. Possibili ies. Essays on he S a e o he No el. London: Ox o d U. P., 1977. Calde wood, James L. and Ha old E. Toli e , eds. Pe spec i es on Fic ion. New Yo k: Ox o d U.P., 1968. Calinescu, Ma ei. Fi e Faces o Modemi y. Du ham: Duke U.P., 1987. Calinescu, Ma ei and Douwe Fokkema, eds. Explo ing Pos mode nism. Ams e dam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1987. Cá e , Angela. The In e nal Desi e Machines o Doc o Ho man. Ha mondswo h: Penguin, 1982. Gene e, Ge a d. "The F on ie s o Na a i e." Figu es o Li e a y Discou se. T ans. Alan She idan. In od. M.R. Logan. London: Blackwell, 1982,127-44. Golding, William. The Inhe i o s. London: Fabe and Fabe , 1961. Ha a i, Josué, ed. Tex ual S a egies. Pe spec i es in Pos s uc u alis C i icism. London: Me huen, 1980. Hassan, Ihab. "Plu alism in Pos mode nis Fe specíi e." Calinescu and Fokkema 18-23. Holquis , Michael and Wal e R. Reed. "Six These on he No el and some Me apho s." New Li e a y His o y. 11 (1988): 413-23. Hu cheon, Linda. Na cassis ic Na a i e. The Me a ic íonal Pa adox. London: Me huen, 1984. . The Poli ics o Pos mode nism. London: Rou ledge, 1989. Jameson, F ede ic. "Reading wi hou In e p e a ion: Pos mode nism and he Video Tex ." A idge e al. 198-223. Johnson, B.S. A en You Ra he Young o be W i ing You Memoi s. London: Hu chinson, 1973. . Albe Angelo. New Yo k: New Di ec ions, 1987. Lemon, Lee T. and Ma ión J. Reís, eds. Russian Fo malis C i icism: Fou Essays. Lincoln: Uni e si y o Neb aska P ess, 1965. Lodge, Da id. The Modes o Mode n W i ing: Me apho and Me onymy and he Typology o Mode n Li e a u e. London: Edwa d A nold, 1977. Lyo a d, Jean F ancois. The Pos modem Condi ion. A Repo on Knowledge. T ans. Geo . Benning on and B ian Massumi. Manches e : Manches e U.P., 1984. McEwan, Ian. The Chüd in Time. London: Picado , 1988. McHale, B ian. Pos mode nis Fic ion. New Yo k and London: Me huen, 1987. O'B ien, Flann. A Swim-Two-Bi ds. Ha mondswo h: Penguin, 1967. Robbe-G üle , Alain. "Oíd 'Valúes' and he New No el." Calde wood and Toli e 183-189. Shklo sky, Vik o . "A as Technique." Lemon and Reis 1965 5-24. S anzel, F.K. A Theo y o Na a i e. T ans. Cha lo e Geodiche. Camb idge: C.U.P., 1984. S e enson, Randall. Mode nis Fic ion. An In oduc ion. Hemel Hemps ead: Ha es e Whea shea , 1992. Thihe , Alien. Wo ds in Re lec ion: Mode n Language Theo y and Pos mode nis Fic ion. Chicago & London: U.Chicago P ess, 1985. Waugh, Pa icia. Me a ic ion. The Theo y and P ac ice o Sel -Conscious Fic ion. London and New Yo k: Me huen, 1984.