Post-modern parody in john fowles’ the French lieutenant’s woman

Abstract EN

The French Lieutenant’s Woman continues to be one of the "Notable Books of 1969” and the most popular novel written by the British novelist John Fowles.It signifies one of the best metafictioal examples that embracesmultiple voices of narrators, metafictional paratextuality, irony through juxtaposition, use of anachronism and critical parody.Since its publication itbrought to public attention of a differentinterpretations of Victorian, sexual and literary conventions.

The novel discusses the troubled relationship of gentleman, Charles Smithson, and the mysterious independent woman, Sarah Woodruff, with whom he falls in love.

The novel parodies the Victorian social, cultural and literary work of art.The novel also receives much attention as an important feministdocumentbecause of the contrast between the independent Sarah Woodruff and the more stereotypical male characters, Charles Smithson.

I would argue in this paper that The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a juxtaposition of the convintions of two eras, Victorian and modern novel to become a double-voiced discourse, in which postmodern parody plays its significant role.I would also discuss Hutcheon’s meaning of postmodern parody that differs from the old meaning of parody as the former marks with productivity rather than ridiculing and opens the text up to different interpretations.

Moreover,the paper will shed light on Victorian hypocritical treatment of woman character by comparing the double-image of the heroin Sarah Woodruff.