Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika –
Зарубежная лингвистика и
лингводидактика – Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
"Metroland" as a postmodern bildungsroman: a comparative
analysis with classic realistic bildungsromans
Mukhlisa TURSUNOVA
1
Uzbekistan State World Languages University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received March 2025
Received in revised form
10
April 2025
Accepted 2 April 2025
Available online
25 May 2025
The research paper discusses specific genre elements of the
novel Metroland by contemporary English novelist Julian
Barnes. In postmodern literature, which developed as a reaction
against modernism in the second half of the 20th century,
classic genres and their elements have been significantly
transformed due to the skeptical approaches of the authors.
Metroland, although classified as a Bildungsroman, due to the
deconstructive style of the author and the non-typical issues of
postmodern life, successfully broke the traditional conventions
of the same genre. The research suggests a comparative
approach of classic, realistic, and postmodern Bildungsromans
in understanding the genre transformation of the literary type.
2181-3701/© 2025 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol3-iss5
This is an open-access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru
Keywords:
Metroland,
skeptical approaches,
Bildungsroman,
deconstructive style,
traditional conventions,
genre transformation.
“Metrolend” postmodern tarbiya romani sifatida: klassik
tarbiya romanlarining janriy unsurlari orqali solishtirish
natijalari
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar:
Metrolend,
skeptik yondashuvlar,
tarbiya romani,
dekonstruktiv uslub,
an’anaviy adabiy mezonlar,
janrlar transformatsiyasi.
Ushbu ilmiy maqolada zamonaviy ingliz yozuvchisi Julian
Barnes qalamiga mansub “Metrolend” romanining muayyan
janriy unsurlari tahlil qilinadi. XX asrning ikkinchi yarmida
modernizmga qarshi reaksiyaviy oqim sifatida shakllangan
postmodern adabiyotda klassik janrlar va ularning individual
unsurlari mualliflarning skeptik va tanqidiy yondashuvlari
tufayli sezilarli darajada o‘zgarishga uchradi. Garchi
“Metrolend” asari tarbiya roman janriga mansub deb qaralsa-
da, muallifning dekonstruktiv uslubi va postmodern hayotga
xos bo‘lgan noodatiy masalalar tufayli ushbu janrning an’anaviy
1
Assistant Teacher, Uzbekistan State World Languages University. E-mail: mukhlisa_vakhobovna@mail.ru
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
227
adabiy mezonlarini muvaffaqiyatli ravishda transformatsiya
qilishga erishadi. Tadqiqotda ushbu adabiy turdagi janr
o‘zgarishini anglashda klassik realistik va postmodern tarbiya
romanlar o‘rtasidagi qiyosiy yondashuv tahlili taklif etiladi.
«Метроленд»
как
постмодернистский
роман
воспитания: сравнительный анализ с классическими
реалистическими романами воспитания
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
Метроленд,
скептические подходы,
роман воспитания,
деконструктивистский
стиль,
традиционные элементы
жанра,
трансформация жанра.
Данная
исследовательская
работа
рассматривает
специфические жанровые элементы романа «Метроленд»
современного английского писателя Джулиана Барнса.
В постмодернистской литературе, развившейся как реакция
на модернизм во второй половине XX века, классические
жанры и их отдельные элементы претерпели значительные
изменения
из-за
скептических
подходов
авторов.
«Метроленд», хотя и классифицируется как роман
воспитания (bildungsroman), благодаря деконструктивному
стилю автора и нетипичным проблемам постмодернистской
жизни, успешно нарушает традиционные конвенции этого
жанра. Исследование предлагает сравнительный подход к
классическим
реалистическим
и
постмодернистским
романам воспитания для понимания трансформации жанра
этого литературного типа.
INTRODUCTION
“Metroland”, the first novel and a buildingsroman [1,19], by Julian Barnes narrates
Christopher Lloyd’s story from his adolescence years to his maturity. Julian Barnes as one
of the brightest representatives of English postmodernism has transformed most of the
conventional novel writing through his innovations of self-reflexive, self-confessional,
unreliable narrative strategies and fabulations. Postmodernism – as one of the most
controversial literary artistic movements, has received considerable amount of both
positive and negative criticism due to its confusing nature. Postmodernist authors with
their sceptical and highly critical approach have been trying to reestablish the
unconventional literary norms of novel writing to restore the neglected truths.
METHODS
By analyzing “Metroland”, we have identified that the classic Bildungsroman genre
has undergone a significant transformation, developed unique genre dynamics and
incorporated unconventional narrative strategies in its artistic form. Due to such highly
sceptical and deconstructive approaches postmodern literary representatives have
considerably changed the literary elements of conventional genres. In his first
postmodern work, “Metroland”, Julian Barnes portrays the physical and psychological
maturation of the two adolescent protagonists, Christopher Lloyd and Tony Barbarowski,
using a deconstructive approach [2, 7] that corresponds with the requirements of the
postmodern era. According to N. Makhmudova the classic Bildungsroman encompasses
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
228
both the characters’ traditional education and the concept of their enhancement.
Moreover, it depicts the history of the characters’ physical growth and psychological
maturation, covering the period from their early childhood to adulthood, or up until the
time the characters find their place in the society [5, 14]. N. Makhmudova gives the
characteristic features of realistic buildingsromans through the literary analysis of
Dicknes’s novels of this genre. She asserts that primarily the events, conflicts, conditions,
and the environment in the novel have a significant impact on the protagonist’s both
personal and spiritual progress. In addition, secondary characters influence the
protagonist’s growth in either a constructive or a destructive manner. Most notably, the
English Bildungsromans are based on didactic moral teachings, aiming to cultivate moral
values in the reader. And finally, the chronotope in the novel is expressed in proportion
to the life cycles. These artistic features are identified as the main genre characteristics of
classic bildungsromans.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The English classic Bildungsroman is characterized by aspects such as
“autobiographical narration (the authors describing events from their own childhood in
their works), genealogy (the protagonist’s family history), apprenticeship, self-awareness
(the protagonist leaving their birthplace), a chronological plot structure, strong internal
and external conflicts, life challenges, the protagonist being under constant influence, the
concept of a morally healthy family, and efforts to find one’s love”. Postmodernists, on the
other hand, prefer to depict themes of personal transformation of the main characters in
literature without relying on realistic elements. By analyzing Julian Barnes’s “Metroland”,
we claim that postmodern authors insist that the formal elements characteristic of the
realistic Bildungsroman are incapable of portraying the psychological and emotional
state of postmodern society, and therefore they mostly tend to create their works by
narrating the stories from different point of views at a time, narrators insisting on their
unreliability due to the inconsistency of memory, subjectivity of history and relativity of
philosophy and by fragmenting different sources.
Ihab Hassan describes the psychological condition of nations suffering from the
aftermath of World War II, which is related to depression, nihilism, and hopelessness,
using the concepts of “indeterminacy” and “immanence” [3, 269], which are not in
dialectical relation to one another. According to him, postmodernism developed within
the framework of these two terms. The scholar asserts that indeterminacy does not
consider it correct to rely on a specific source and its absoluteness in one’s actions.
People often regard a religious book, a philosophical worldview, or a political-social
tendency as “infallible” and fundamentally establish their lifestyles, moral norms, and
spiritual outlooks according to them. They also try to impose the rules and norms they
believe to be correct on others. For postmodernists, since all truths are relative, they
critically examine such religious sources, philosophical, social, and political viewpoints,
revealing their subjectivity. Barnes has created his novel Metrolend in a way that
deviates from the classic buildingsroman, typical of realism. This can be seen through the
classification presented below (see Table 1).
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
229
Table 1.
Comparative analysis of postmodern buildingsroman – "Metroland"
Classic
buildingsroman
and its literary
elements
In the example of
typical classic
buildingsroman
Postmodern
buildingsroman and
their literary
elements
Examples from “Metroland”
autobiographical
narration
The authors describe
events from their
childhood;
The author narrates
his own experiences
in a non-linear
retrospection
In the work, Barnes' life experiences are
depicted in certain places (the author’s time
spent living in Metroland, his awareness of
the environment and social life there, his
extended visits to France, his enthusiasm for
speaking French, and so on)
genealogy
The protagonist’s
family history
to view the family
tree as an expression
of bourgeois society."
The characters’ indifference to a specific
family tree and their pride in being distant
from such social divisions.
apprenticeship
mastering the skills of
craftsmanship
Reluctance to possess
a particular
profession
a sense of distrust towards several
professions and a strong inclination solely
towards art
self-awareness
the protagonist
abandoning their
birthplace
Self-realization is not
bound to any
particular place.
Although the protagonist leaves his
homeland, the goals he seeks may be varied
(Christopher travels to Paris, not only to find
the necessary sources for his thesis but also
to experience the culture, understand street
life, and of course, for women as well).
a chronological
plot structure
to depict the events of
the plot in a coherent
and systematic
chronological order
A complicated and
blended narration
the work is generally narrated in a
retrospective
manner,
sometimes
disregarding chronological norms, and
sometimes
it
is
conveyed
through
fragmentary memories
strong internal
and external
conflicts
Strong life challenges
mostly internal
conflict
The characters are filled with a strong
sense of distrust and disillusionment
towards the general political and social state
of society (view the society as the bourgeois
layer leftovers), and the desire to escape
from it.
the protagonist
being under
constant
influence
The restrictions in
hero’s sense of
freedom due to
specific social norms
and the political
system.
remaining under the
influence of specific
personnels or circles
due to negligence and
lackage of initiation
towards pursuing any
life goal.
Christopher
was
unconsciously
manipulated by Toni but after some time,
understanding Toni’s real intentions, he
decisively shifts the courses of his
relationship with him.
the concept of
a morally
healthy family
and efforts to
find one’s
love.
Love and family
relationships are
depicted based on
some certain
standards and
within the
framework of
moral principles.
openly lustful
attitudes and chaos
in romantic affairs
Although in his adolescence Christopher
displayed signs of immorality, a strong
inclination toward street life, indifference to
serious life values, and chaotic romantic
relationships, in the third part of the work,
he comes to understand that life cannot go
on in such a disorder. As a result, motivated
by love, he decides to build a family and
form regular bonds.
Relying on those literary-aesthetic depictions, we can classify “Metroland” as
postmodern or anti-buildingsroman [4,16] like the novels – “Tristam Shandy” by
L.Stern and “Sartor Rezartus” by T. Carlayle. That is, if the characters of classical
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
230
educational novels overcome the difficulties of life without losing their personal
qualities and showing patience, then the heroes of postmodern educational novels
achieve personal maturity by experiencing a natural existence in understanding life
and undergoing a “street” education.
Another distinctive feature of the novel “Metrolend” in comparison to some other
classic buildingsromans is that of literary technique – silence, which plays a significant
role in the characters’ understanding of life and their sense of self-identity. In the 19th
century, silence served as part of the culture of the era and the prevailing realistic views,
whereas by the 20th century, it became the main element of artistic representation. It, in
its turn, by bearing symbolic meaning, began to reflect the psychological tension of
individuals of the postmodern period. The concept of literary silence began to be used
not as the end of spirituality or the death of the soul, but as an ideological concept of
societies seeking a sense of safety within the accelerated processes of modernity and
postmodernity.
CONCLUSION
Autobiographical approaches, the depiction of life facts in general, a strongly
critical attitude toward traditional views of family lineage and the pursuit of social status
through some type of professional occupations, skepticism toward the idea that
experiences in various locations can improve one’s life, and the perception of space as
tied to differing motives – along with a contentious view of society (seen as a
bureaucratic residue of the bourgeois class) and its overall socio-political condition – all
contribute to a complex portrayal of postmodern characters and their dissatisfied
personality. The protagonist’s immoral fantasies throughout adolescence, strong
attraction to street life, indifference to serious life norms, and the realization, after
chaotic youthful romantic relationships, forces him to understand that such a life of
unrest cannot continue, culminates in the decision to form family ties due to love and
asserts that Metroland can surely be classified as a subversive postmodern coming-of-age
novel (an anti-Bildungsroman).
REFERENCES:
1.
Childs P. Julian Barnes. Contemporary British novelists. – UK. Manchester
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2.
Ekanem F. Derrida’s Ideas on Postmodernism and Its Implications for
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Hassan I. The Dismemberment of Orpheus Toward a Postmodern Literature. –
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https://arthistoryunstuffed.com/defining-postmodernism/ (murojaat sanasi 05.06.24)
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Махмудова Н. Чарлз Диккенс ижодида тарбия романи жанр типологияси.
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