Deconstructing the Text and (Re)Constructing the Past: History and Identity in Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book
This paper examines Geraldine Brooks’ latest novel People of the Book (2008) in light of postmodern critiques of history and the desire to explore and signify the past through processes of deconstructing male-centered dominance and (re)constructing histories. The paper highlights ethno-spatial repr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
2008-06-01
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| Series: | ELOPE |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uni-lj.si/elope/article/view/3310 |
| Summary: | This paper examines Geraldine Brooks’ latest novel People of the Book (2008) in light of postmodern critiques of history and the desire to explore and signify the past through processes of deconstructing male-centered dominance and (re)constructing histories. The paper highlights ethno-spatial representation that involves intercultural dynamics behind the fate and importance of the manuscript. Drawing on discussions of postmodern views of history and identity construction, I engage the novel against the background of these and other postmodern and postcolonial concerns, also considering intertextual effects stemming from the mixing of genres and sub-genres. Lastly, I offer a reflection about the potential of this fictional account, based on the real-life fate of a prayer book that has testified to the spirit of interfaith tolerance and mutual enrichment of diverse cultures, to provide a context for understanding contemporary preoccupations with heritage, history, memory and identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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| ISSN: | 1581-8918 2386-0316 |