Postmodern Plurality in Terrell's The Personal Librarian

Abstract

The current research is motivated by the need to examine and bring to light the postmodern phenomena of Subversion of Metanarratives in Terrell’s The Personal Librarian. This research study seeks to achieve insight into the overarching narratives in the story, and the process of disrupting those ideas to assert mininarratives. To achieve this objective, the Theory of Mininarratives introduced by Jean Francois Lyotard in his book The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (1979) is employed. Through an in-depth theoretical analysis, it is found that Terrell’s text exhibits varying grand narratives such as Subjugation of women, Art for Art’s sake as well as the metanarratives of Family and Relationship, which are overthrown by postmodern characters. This research study does not concern itself with other aspects such as Hyperreality, Identity Crisis, Historiographic metafiction and Diaspora. Future researchers can study these features in Terrell’s novel. The research has significance as it expands on prior research that was carried out using postmodern views. Furthermore, it enhances the understanding of postmodern theory, and of the novel's status as a postmodern work of literature.