Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
132
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
06
Pages:
132-134
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
The article investigates the latest critical views in England by analyzing a postmodern novel “England, England” by
contemporary British author Julian Barnes, applying the postmodernist theory of deconstruction fostered by French
philosopher Jacques Derrida. The theory’s main components such as the tension between memory and fidelity,
heterogeneity, a break and absolute newness are regarded as the focus in examining and understanding highly
developed current societies that are rejecting the mere objectivity of earlier movements and praising the diversity of
truth.
KEYWORDS
Julian Barnes, “England, England”, Jacques Derrida, postmodernist, deconstruction, objectivity, diversity.
INTRODUCTION
“England, England” is one of the recent novels by a
prominent contemporary English author, Julian Barnes
who, in 1983, was selected as one of the “Best Twenty
Young British Novelists” [3, ix] and has successfully
been able to confirm his talent through his works that
are now regarded as classics. “England, England”,
consisting of 3 parts and three chapters in the second
part, is a novel that’s inclined to expose England that is
proven to be “re-imagined, fictionalized, and
commodified through the policies and practices of the
Research Article
CONTEMPORARY CRITICAL THOUGHTS IN “ENGLAND, ENGLAND”
Submission Date:
June 10, 2022,
Accepted Date:
June 20, 2022,
Published Date:
June 30, 2022
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume02Issue06-19
Mukhlisa V. Tursunova
Lecturer, Uzbek State World Languages University, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
133
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
06
Pages:
132-134
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
English Heritage industry” [5, 18] like the main leading
character, Martha Cochrane’s the very first memory
verified by the narrator as a lie – “artfully, and
innocently arranged lie”. [1, 11] From the point of view
of the author, considering his interview to The
Observer, “England, England” is about “the idea of
England, authenticity, the search for truth, the
invention of tradition and the way in which we forget
our own history”. [6, 15] Moreover, he preferred the
novel to be merely classified as “a political novel rather
than a satire” where he employs a storyline to depict
English and world’s “English” conceptual policies,
political events, systems and models. Works of political
fiction, we are informed, such as political novels, often
directly criticize an existing society or present an
alternative whereas in satires human or individual
vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to
condemn by means of mockery, derision, burlesque,
irony, parody, caricature, or other indirect methods,
sometimes with an intention to inspire some social
reforms. Yet, in our research, we are more concerned
about its postmodernist features that can foster our
understanding of contemporary unconventional
perceptions by taking into an account the progressive
literary approaches such as deconstruction in the
postmodern literary representatives’ works.
THE MAIN RESULTS AND FINGINGS
Having read the book, but honestly rereading it twice,
at least, one understands that it’s not in vain the author
was eager to describe his character, though immature
and innocent being as the one who thinks England
jigsaw puzzles are one of the intrinsic constructive
tools to get to know the territory of England. Yet,
simultaneously it takes one into a deep contemplation
that the author is perhaps inclined to deconstruct
England by a jigsaw puzzle called “deconstruction”.
Deconstruction – the latest philosophical, literary
theory and a well-known postmodernist concern
developed by Jacques Derrida who regarded its main
components as “not the mixture” but as “the tension
between memory and fidelity” [2, 16] where it might
foster its truthful portrayal in “England, England”.
Since Julian Barnes points at the fact, that England is
now, left between the memory and fidelity. Memory is
being declared as “an impure and corrupted system”
[1, 13] yet, like Martha, a very young child, everyone
naively believes its “innocence and authenticity” by
considering Francis Drake as “an English hero and a Sir
and an Admiral and therefore a Gentleman” while, he
is remembered as a pirate in Spain, who used to attack
Spanish ships carrying treasures from their colonies in
South America, and also raided Spanish and
Portuguese ports in the Atlantic Ocean. This already
confirms that our biased, one-sided, unfair memories
are not able to sustain the fidelity and commitment in
postmodern societies to establish a society where
noone would have to go through trials in order to build
up a character. This assumption as well needs some
deconstructive plan to “invent a new rule, a new norm,
a new criterion, a new law” [2, 17] that would upside
down the situation when Martha’s mother would stop
shedding tears just because her father left them. They
both needed to start a new life through
“deconstruction” where they would be without tears
and pains. A break – as an essential element of
deconstruction according to Jacques Derrida, should
be accomplished by breaking with the past, yet
preserving the memory of the past, while inaugurating
something undeniably new. Although Martha
succeeded in preserving the bests related to her
father, but her mother “broke” by burning her father’s
photos, whom we think deserved.
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
134
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
06
Pages:
132-134
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
CONCLUSION
What we infer from the storyline of the book is that in
postmodern era everyone needs some form of
deconstruction with its breaks and preservation of
something either leaves you behind with your
memories or else traditionally brings you some
suppositions that you are automatically filled with your
own biases. In our modest investigation of the novel
we are left in the hesitation by how much delight or
bliss can it bring us when we deconstruct the past
although fidelity towards ourselves surely gives us a
hand to control our lives with assured compromise
though mistaken as far as “the moon goes in again; the
air grow cold… ”. [1, 230]
REFERENCES
1.
Barnes J. England, England. – NY.: 1999. – P. 11.
2.
Derrida J. Deconstruction in a Nutshell. A
Conversation with Jacques Derrida. – NY.: 1997.
– P. 16.
3.
Guignery V., Roberts Ryan. Conversations with
Julian Barnes. – US.: 2009. – P. ix.
4.
Habib M.A.R. Literary Criticism from Plato to
the Present. – UK.: 2011.
5.
Kim D. The Script That Has Been Eradicated
from the Street: Iain Sinclair’s “Lights Out for
the Territory”, Julian Barnes’s “England,
England”, and “The Spaces of English
Heritage”. Contemporary British Literature and
Urban Space. – London.: 2014. – P. 18.
6.
The Observer, 30 Aug 1998. – P.15
