Volume 03 Issue 04-2023
82
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
03
ISSUE
04
Pages:
82-87
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
997
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
Postmodernism is a cultural movement that began to take shape in the second half of the 20th century and is
characterized by the rejection of generally accepted ideas and standards. The work of David Mitchell, a British writer
and screenwriter, has pronounced postmodern features. In this paper, we will consider what traditions of
postmodernism are manifested in his works.
KEYWORDS
Postmodernism, movement, narration, structure, metafiction, intertextuality, chronological order of events.
INTRODUCTION
David Mitchell is one of the most interesting and
famous contemporary British writers. His works,
including "Cloud Atlas", "Cartography of Lost Places",
"Thousand-Year Mountain", "Difficult Practice",
caused a wide response in literary criticism and
received many awards.
Literary critics note the unusualness and originality of
Mitchell's creative approach. He is known for his
experimentation with style, perspective, time and
place, and the fusion of genres. Some critics compare
him to Borges and Kafka, as his works contain
philosophical and metaphysical questions, as well as
constantly exploring the nature of reality.
David Mitchell is known for his use of elements of
magical realism, which is another hallmark of
postmodernism. Magic realism is a technique that
combines realistic elements with fantastical or mystical
elements, and this was especially pronounced in his
Research Article
THE MANIFESTATION OF POSTMODERN TRADITIONS IN THE WORK OF
DAVID MITCHELL
Submission Date:
April 20, 2023,
Accepted Date:
March 25, 2023,
Published Date:
April 30, 2023
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ijll/Volume03Issue04-15
Ruzieva Saodat Hasanovna
Bsmi, Teacher Of English Language Department, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ijll
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 03 Issue 04-2023
83
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
03
ISSUE
04
Pages:
82-87
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
997
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
novel Jacob de Zoet's Thousand Autumns. In addition,
in this novel, Mitchell used a structure that resembles
a nesting doll, where each story is nested in another,
which is also a typical sign of postmodernism.
In Mitchell's work there is also a play with genres and
subgenres, which is also a characteristic feature of
postmodernism. For example, in the novel
"Cartography of Celestial Bodies" he combines
elements of science fiction, time travel and historical
fiction. In Cloud Atlas, he uses six different storytellers,
each writing in different genres, from a diary to a
scholarly article, allowing him to play with the reader's
genre expectations.
In addition, there is a constant theme in Mitchell's
work of thinking about time and its non-linear nature,
which is another hallmark of postmodernism. He often
uses the motif of time loops, when events in different
eras intertwine and interact with each other.
Thus, it can be argued that in the work of David
Mitchell
there
are
vivid
manifestations
of
postmodernism - playing with genres and styles,
multiple intersecting stories, elements of magical
realism, reflections on time and its non-linear nature.
However, his works also contain deep human ideas and
issues such as love, life and death, which make his work
unique.
Another example of postmodern technique in
Mitchell's work is his use of various genres and styles.
In his novels one can find elements of science fiction,
historical fiction, mystical and horror literature, as well
as elements of parody and satire. For example, in
Cloud Atlas, Mitchell uses different genres to tell six
different stories that take place in different time
periods and cultures.
In addition, Mitchell also frequently plays with the
chronological order of events, creating confusion in
the plot and forcing the reader to work to uncover the
story. This can be seen in the novel Cloud Atlas, where
the stories intertwine with each other and create a
complex network of connections.
Finally, Mitchell often used multiple voices and
perspectives to tell his stories. In Cloud Atlas, he uses
six different voices to tell different stories, and each
voice has its own unique style and vocabulary.
In general, it can be said that David Mitchell is a prime
example of a postmodern writer who uses various
techniques to play with genre and cultural
expectations, as well as to reveal his ideas and themes.
His work is an interesting example of how postmodern
techniques can be used in fiction to create rich,
multifaceted and meaningful prose.
Let us consider in more detail several examples of
the manifestation of postmodernism in the work of
David Mitchell.
The first example is the Cloud Atlas novel. In this
novel, Mitchell plays with the structure of the
narrative, using a technique called "calendar fugato".
Each of the six parts of the novel is a separate story
that takes place in different times and places, but they
are all connected to each other. These stories are
closely intertwined with each other, creating a
complex mosaic plot. In addition, each of the stories is
written in a different style and language, reflecting the
linguistic and cultural differences of the characters,
highlighting the diversity and complexity of the human
experience.
The second example is Aberdeen's Dream Number
Nine, which also exhibits postmodern features. In this
Volume 03 Issue 04-2023
84
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
03
ISSUE
04
Pages:
82-87
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
997
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
novel, Mitchell uses multilingualism and genre mixing
to explore ideas about personality transformation and
relationships between different cultures. It also plays
with the idea of a "book within a book", which tells the
story of a protagonist who writes a novel about
another character, who in turn writes a book about yet
another character. This technique allows Mitchell to
explore the idea of how stories and personalities
intertwine and interact with each other.
Thus, David Mitchell's work is illustrated with
postmodern features, including playing with narrative
structure, polysemy and multidimensionality, the use
of multilingualism and mixing of genres, as well as the
exploration of the idea of multiple personalities and
the interrelationships between different cultures.
Another interesting example of postmodern traditions
in Mitchell's work is his use of various literary genres
and styles within one work. For example, in his novel
To Be or Not to Be, each main character is presented in
a different genre - one character in the book writes an
autobiography in the style of the 19th century, another
tells his story in the style of a detective, and the third in
the style of science fiction. Thus, Mitchell plays with
genres and styles, showing their conventionality and
the possibility of combining them in one work.
Mitchell also uses the technique of metafiction, which
is a key element of postmodernism. He often includes
elements in his writings that remind readers that they
are reading a novel and plays with genre conventions.
For example, in his novel The Cartography of Lack, he
uses the metaphors of cartography and geography to
explore the theme of human memory and identity. In
this novel, Mitchell also experiments with structure,
using multiple narrators and perspectives, which
creates a complex and layered narrative approach.
One example of the postmodern tradition in David
Mitchell's work is his use of metatextuality.
Metatextuality is when a text refers to itself or to other
texts, and also refers to the reader as being included in
the text. In Mitchell's novels, this manifests itself, for
example, in the fact that the main characters of one
novel can be mentioned in another novel by the
author. Mitchell also uses intratextual references,
word games, semantic games and other literary
devices to create a complex and multifaceted structure
of his works.
For example, in the novel Celestial Cartography
(2004), Mitchell uses metatextuality through appeal to
the reader and the use of hypertext links. The novel
consists of several stories that intertwine with each
other, and each story has its own unique structure and
language style. At the end of each story, Mitchell
leaves a hint to the next story and points to a hypertext
link that takes the reader to the next page. This
technique creates the feeling that the reader himself
participates in the reading process and chooses which
story he wants to read next.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we can say that David Mitchell is a
prominent representative of postmodern literature.
He uses a variety of postmodern techniques such as
multiple voices and perspectives, metatextuality, and
playing with time and space to create complex,
multifaceted and intertextual works. In general, the
work of David Mitchell is distinguished by pronounced
postmodern features, such as playing with the genre,
metafiction and experiments with structure. He uses
these elements to explore complex themes such as
human memory and identity, and creates novels that
Volume 03 Issue 04-2023
85
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
(ISSN
–
2771-2834)
VOLUME
03
ISSUE
04
Pages:
82-87
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
997
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
are multi-dimensional and multi-layered to spark
interest and debate among readers and critics.
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Servi
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