TheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanPostmodernisminthisnovel:Meta-fictionParodyPasticheIntertextualityOpenendingMeta-fictionNovelistsexploreatheoryoffictionthroughthepracticeofwritingfiction,itiscalled“fictionaboutfiction",andbecausemeta-fictionrepresentstheauthors’concernwiththeirowncreation,reflectstheirself-consciousnessduringthefictionmaking,itisalsocalled“self-consciousfiction”.JohnFowlesemployssuchanarrativedevice,using“I”tobreakintothenarrationandtellsreadershiswritingprocess,alwaysstopsthestory-tellingabruptly,appearingasthenarratororasthecharactersinit,totellthereadershiscreationmotives.Eg:chapter12ParodyGenerallyspeaking,awritercreatesaparodytoridiculetheworkofanotherbyexaggeratingthatauthor'sstyleorideas.Parodyinliteratureislikeacartooninart.ExpertparodiststhoroughlyknowalotaboutthesubjecttheyareparodyingJohnFowles'sTheFrenchLieutenantsWoman,LikemanyVictoriannovels,isconstructedbyanomniscientnarratorwhocommunicatestheentirenarrative,andwhoalwaysintrudesinordertomakevariouscommentsonthecharacters.Herethenarratorunderminesthetraditionalmimeticnarrationbyrevealinghimselfasamodemnarratorwhoisanti-mimeticoranti-referential,andwhoemphasizesinsteadthenovel'sself-reflexiveness.IndeedheisnotcopyingtheVictoriansbutactuallycriticizingtheirownnarrativestyle,itisameansofattackingtheomniscientandgodlikenarrator.eg:chapter13IntertextualityAsignificantfeatureofTheFrenchLieutenant’sWomanisthatthereisoneortwoquotationsinthebeginningofeachchapter,andthesequotationsformtheintertextualitywiththetextsinthenovel.Thequotationsplayaroleofguidanceandsuggestioninthenovel.Theyimplythecontentofeachchapter,andplayanimportantroleinpromotingthedevelopmentoftheplot.Forexample,chapter10takesTennyson’sMaudasaquotation:TheintertextualrelationshipbetweenJohnFowlesandVictoriannovelistsinwritingstylesandthemes(JaneEyreTessofthed’Urbervilles)OpenendingTheFrenchLieutenant5Womanembodiestheindeterminacyandopennessofpostmodernismbyprovidingmultipleendings.metafictionalwritersrejectcomplete,singleanddeterminedstructure,andinsteadtheyadvocateopennessandpluralism.

Threeendings:Chapter44Chapter60Chapter61PostmodernityUncertainty(theopenending;noauthority,nodefinitemeaning)PluralismTruthispluralistic,dependentupontheframeofreferenceofthereader.Feminism;criticizeoftraditionalVictorianvalues;freedom;love;scienceandreligion;WhydoesauthorarrangeSarahtoliveintheRossettifamily?AmericaVSSarahWoodruffChapter58-59TheUnitedState:frank,direct,delightful,openhospitality,acharmingcuriosity,everythingisnewSarah:P189NewWoman,hasimplicitairofdefiance,fightsforherfreedom,independent,verydetermined,openexpressionofsensuality,Sherefusestoletothersdictateherfuture.NewWomanDuringthisperiod,feministthinkerscontributedtotheshatteringoftraditionalsocialmoresastheybegantoengageinarigorousinvestigationoffemaleidentityasitrelatedtoallaspectsofawoman'slife.Anywomanwhoquestionedtraditionalfemaleroleswastaggeda"NewWoman,"atermattributedtonovelistSarahGrand,whose1894articleintheNorthAmericanReviewidentifiedanemergentgroupofwomen.Theyrejectedthenotionthatmotherhoodshouldbetheultimategoalofallwomen.Thisgroupfeltthatawomangrantedequalityinmarriagewouldserveasane