A Writer, Editor and Designer.
The fragmented writing style has become a powerful and captivating literary narrative technique. Through this writing style, this paper embarks on a journey to explore the intricate relationship between identity and expression in literature. It is a profound exploration of the fractured nature of self and society. The paper aims to delve into the reasons behind the adoption of this style by authors seeking to convey the intricacies of identity and expression from the lens of writers and readers. The method adopted to explore this theme is the analysis of two literary pieces, ‘The Vegetarian’ by Han Kang and ‘The Collector’ by John Fowles. The paper will discuss and discover themes of identity and expression through a fragmented structure in these narratives.
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Keywords
unconventional literature; literary fragmentation; interpretation of identity; narrative structures; the vegetarian; the collector
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Introduction
Beginning with the primary term fragment, one might ask what it means. To fragment something means to break it up into smaller units or categories that might or might not be related. Fragmenting something is easier to understand and gives a natural flow, especially for written literary pieces. Hence, literary fragmentation is a term that refers to the use of non-linear, discontinuous, or unconventional narrative techniques in literature. Fragmentation can affect literary texts' structure, form, and interpretation, creating a sense of complexity, ambiguity, and multiplicity. Fragmentation can also challenge the reader’s expectations, assumptions, and understanding of the text, inviting them to participate actively in constructing meaning.
Fragmentation is not a new phenomenon in literature. The literary movement of modernism, which emerged in the early 20th century, is often associated with fragmentation to reflect the complexity and chaos of the modern world (Varley-Winter 2018). The French feminist critique Hélène Cixous introduced the concept of écriture féminine, which involves the use of fragmentation to express feminine subjectivity and difference, in her essay “The Laugh of the Medusa” in 1975 (Franks 2014, 1). It can also be traced back to ancient and medieval texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh (Sophus 2019), the Mahabharata (Jena 2022, 36), the Canterbury Tales (Ed, Harvard University 2023), the Arabian Nights and contemporary retellings of the Little Red Riding Hood (Beaumont 2007).
These texts often employ frame narratives, digressions, intertextuality, and oral transmission to create a fragmented and heterogeneous structure. However, fragmentation became more prominent and prevalent in modern and postmodern literature, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. Fragmentation is a puzzle that can be fascinating and frustrating for readers and writers alike. It can offer new possibilities and challenges for literary expression and exploration.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang and The Collector by John Fowles are classic examples of narrative fragmentation involving multiple narrators, broken narration, and alternating themes across various points of view. These narratives raise questions about the nature and function of literature itself. How does fragmentation affect our understanding and appreciation of literature? How does literature cope with or respond to the fragmentation of reality and perception? How does fragmentation shape our identities and experiences as readers and writers, and what part does literary fragmentation play in interactive literature? I also aim to understand if fragmentation enhances or hinders the reader's ability to empathise with characters and connect with their struggles.