Peter Ackroyd’s Chatterton as a Historiographic Metafiction
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13369790Keywords:
Historiography, Metafiction, Historiographic Metafiction, Intertextuality, Paratextuality, Aporycyphal HistoryAbstract
This study examines Peter Ackroyd's novel Chatterton through the lens of historiographic metafiction, a genre that intertwines historical discourse with self-reflexive fictional elements. Ackroyd's work challenges traditional notions of history and fiction by blurring their boundaries and emphasizing the constructed nature of historical narratives. Through an analysis informed by Linda Hutcheon's framework, which highlights the fusion of historical events with fictional techniques such as parody and intertextuality, Chatterton emerges as a provocative exploration of representation and reality. The novel problematizes the authenticity of historical accounts surrounding the poet Thomas Chatterton, offering multiple, conflicting narratives of his life and death. These alternative histories not only question the reliability of official records but also underscore the subjective nature of historical knowledge. Moreover, Ackroyd employs paratextual elements such as illustrations, epigraphs, and self-referential poems to subvert conventional historiographical practices. By doing so, Chatterton invites readers to reconsider how history is constructed and interpreted, ultimately illustrating the complex interplay between fact and fiction in the portrayal of historical reality.
Key words: historiography, metafiction, historiographic metafiction, intertextuality, paratextuality, aporycyphal history
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