Biographical Genre in Flaubert’s Parrot By Julian Barnes

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore the major biographical elements in Julian Barnes ’s novel Flaubert parrot. The main difference between traditional biography and fictional biography will also be examined in this research. Traditional biography is based on factual evidence or situations that are objectively true, following the chronological order. Fictional biography, in contrast, combines the elements of facts and fiction. For instance, Barnes writes not just one chronology, but three in this novel: the first one is about his achievements and success, the second one is about deaths and the third one is composed of quotes that Flaubert wrote himself. Throughout employing the historiographic metafiction, Barnes questions the fictitiousness of historical narratives, keep reminding us that what we read is a construct, a work of fiction. In this paper we will examine the elements of historiographic metafiction.