The Intertextuality between Julian Barnes's "Flaubert's Parrot" and Gustave Flaubert's Works and Written Remains

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The Theory of Intertextuality
  • History and Development
  • Definition and Terminology
• Ulrich Broich's and Manfred Pfister's Application of Intertextuality
  • Manfred Pfister's Qualitative Criteria
  • Ulrich Broich's Quantitative Criteria
• Julian Barnes's Intertextuality in Flaubert's Parrot
• Intertextuality between Flaubert's Parrot and Flaubert's written remains
  • Flaubert's Parrot as Historiographic Metabiography, Biographical Metafiction, or Fictional Metabiography?
  • Flaubert's Parrot as Fictional Metabiography
  • Intertextuality in terms of Fictional Metabiography
• Intertextuality towards Flaubert's works
  • Intertextuality between Flaubert's Parrot and Madame Bovary
  • References in the Text
    • Emma Bovary's Eyes
    • Geoffrey Braithwaite's Search for Ellen
    • Geoffrey Braithwaite's Escape from Loneliness
    • Geoffrey Braithwaite's Identification with Charles Bovary
    • Dissatisfying Ending

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The thesis aims to show how intertextuality has an essential impact on the novel's interpretation and meaning. It will proceed progressively from a general level to a specific analysis of the novel, Flaubert's Parrot. The term 'intertextuality', its history and development, and the theory it designates will be defined, as will the specific terminology and its usage for literary studies.

• The History and Development of Intertextuality Theory
• The Definition and Terminology of Intertextuality
• The Application of Broich's and Pfister's Intertextuality Theory to Flaubert's Parrot
• Intertextuality between Flaubert's Parrot and Flaubert's Written Remains
• Intertextuality Between Flaubert's Parrot and Flaubert's Works

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The Introduction sets the stage for the thesis, presenting the context of Julian Barnes's work and specifically focusing on his novel Flaubert's Parrot. The chapter discusses the novel's experimental style, its controversial classification, and the motivation for this analysis. It highlights the importance of intertextual devices in interpreting the novel's meaning.

Chapter 2 explores the theory of intertextuality, its historical development, and its definition. The chapter clarifies the concept of intertextuality, drawing from the work of Julia Kristeva, Ferdinand de Saussure, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Gérard Genette.

Chapter 3 presents the application of intertextuality theory in literary studies, focusing on the work of Ulrich Broich and Manfred Pfister. It examines the qualitative and quantitative criteria they developed to analyze intertextual relations in literature.

Chapter 4 examines the intertextuality present in Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes. It explores the novel's experimental style, its connection to other works, and how it embodies the intertextual criteria established in previous chapters.

Chapter 5 dives deep into the intertextuality between Flaubert's Parrot and Flaubert's written remains. This includes exploring the novel's genre as fictional metabiography and how it serves as a basis for understanding the intertextual connections. It also discusses the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction in the novel and how they contribute to the intertextual meaning.

Chapter 6 analyzes the intertextuality between Flaubert's Parrot and Gustave Flaubert's works, specifically focusing on Madame Bovary. This includes examining the numerous references to the novel and their impact on the reader's understanding of the characters and themes.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores intertextuality, fictional metabiography, postmodernism, and the impact of Gustave Flaubert's works, particularly Madame Bovary, on Julian Barnes's novel Flaubert's Parrot. It examines how these elements intertwine to create a complex and multifaceted narrative that challenges the boundaries between fact and fiction.