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Nov 3, 2023 · For example, a bar establishment called “The Bar” or a shoe shop called “The Shoe Shop.”. “Meta” is also used to describe something that gives information on similar topics to itself. An example would be books about other books or news about news. The definition of “fiction” is a piece of literature the writer has imagined that ...
- Definition and Explanation of Metafiction
- Why Do Writers Write Metafiction?
- Examples of Metafiction in Literature
- Examples of Metafiction in Television and Film
- Types of Metafiction
- History of Metafiction
- Related Literary Terms
Metafiction is a genrethat came about in the 20th century when writers started questioning the importance of what they were doing and the nature of reality. These works are self-reflexive, meaning that they analyze themselves and often encourage the reader to do the same. The fiction might sometimes appear conscious, or at least certain aspects of ...
Writers choose to write metafiction for numerous reasons. Sometimes it provides humorouselements to what might otherwise be a drab, mundane story. Imagine a story about a man’s life, waking up, going to work, going home, etc, but instead of the narrator telling the story, they ask the reader what they think about everything that’s happening and wha...
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This science fiction novel is a classic example of metafiction. The characters in the novel consult a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy throughout the story. The author is introducing the story, reminding the reader that they’re engaged in a work of fiction. In this case, the book is an artifact. The novel is also an example of a mise en abyme or a book within a book.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale is Atwood’s most famous novel. It tells the story of Offred, one woman among many who have been kidnapped and held in captivity by a totalitarian theocracy that’s taken over the United States. Her story is told from a first-person perceptive throughout the novel. The epiloguetransforms a reader’s understanding of the novel by creating a scene in which characters discuss “The Handmaid’s Tale” an account of America’s past and the time of Gilead.
Misery by Stephen King
In this famous, terrifying novel, one of the main characters, Paul Sheldon, a famous author of a popular romance and adventure series,is “rescued” and held captive by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes. Wilkes, upon learning that the main character of the Sheldon novelswas killed off at the end of the final novel demands that Sheldon rewrites the novel to her liking.
Fight Club
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is a popular film that includes several metafictional moments. For example, the main character addresses his fictional personalityin the film and then fights it at the end.
The Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods is often considered to be a broad realization of the theory of metafiction through the actions of the characters in the film. Engineers control the cabin, manipulating the characters into different actions like sex and violence.
The Neverending Story
A popular children’s film in which a young boy explores a fantasyworld through a book. The film addresses the viewer at the end when the princess calls out to Bastian, the young boy, and asks him for help.
Metafiction encompasses a wide range of stories and characters. Metafictional stories can include those about a reader reading a book (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce), a story that references itself (The Dark Tower by C.S. Lewis), or a story that includes another work of fiction within it (A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burge...
The best examples of metafiction are from the 20th and 21st centuries. But, this type of writing can be dated back much earlier in the history of writing. Some much older examples include: 1. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1387) 2. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1605) 3. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1847) It was at th...
Allusion: an indirect reference to, including but not limited to, an idea, event, or person. It is used within both prose and versewriting.Conflict: a plotdevice used by writers when two opposing sides come up against each other.Jun 7, 2021 · Metafiction Guide: Understanding Metafiction in Literature. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read. Using metafiction allows authors to create an added layer to a fictional work, forming an unconventional literary experience for readers. Explore.
Jun 14, 2021 · Metafiction is the fiction that deals, often playfully and self-referentially, with the writing of fiction or its conventions. Metafiction is also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature which uses techniques to draw attention to itself as a work of art, while exposing the “truth” of a story. Few scholars ...
Metafiction is a form of fiction that emphasizes its own narrative structure in a way that inherently reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story-telling, and works of metafiction directly or indirectly draw attention to their status as artifacts. [1]
10 Metafiction Examples in Literature. Throughout the centuries, writers have written metafictional works, such as the following: 1. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Published in 1387, this classic is an anthology of interrelated stories that make a parody of the conventional facets of fiction.
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Oct 8, 2023 · Definition of Metafiction as a Theoretical Term. Metafiction, as a theoretical term in literature, refers to a narrative strategy characterized by self-reflexivity, where a work of fiction intentionally draws attention to its own artificiality and the process of storytelling. This self-awareness often manifests through devices such as authorial ...
