The Eyre Affair as a Postmodern Parody of Jane Eyre

Özet

Although being a term that has been used since the ancient times, parody has always been a controversial subject, and it has been defined by a good number of critics in different ways throughout the periods. While some critics see it as a low form of literature, some others have tried to raise it to a higher status, this time stripping it off from its humour which they considered to be dragging parody down. This paper will examine the main controversies over the term, referring to leading critics’ views on the subject and then will analyse The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde in this sense. It aims to show how Fforde’s book can be read as a postmodern parody and how it carries the main characteristics of postmodernism and parody alike.

Abstract

Although being a term that has been used since the ancient times, parody has always been a controversial subject, and it has been defined by a good number of critics in different ways throughout the periods. While some critics see it as a low form of literature, some others have tried to raise it to a higher status,time stripping it off from its humour which they considered to be dragging parody down. This paper will examine the main controversies over the term, referring to leading critics’ views on the subject and then will analyse The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde in this sense. It aims to show how Fforde’s book can be read as a postmodern parody and how it carries the main characteristics of postmodernism and parody alike.