FAMILY HISTORY REWRITTEN: HOW TO NARRATE THE LIFE HAPPENING TOMORROW

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to exploring the narrative points and strategies in the novel Tomorrow, written by Graham Swift, a prominent English postmodern writer, with the main objective to draw attention to the nature of narration and narrators. The aim of the research is to give answers to the questions of choices made by the novelist when it comes to narrators, narration, narrative methods and techniques, and whether the narrators are (un)reliable, etc. The author of this paper tries to determine to which extent the 2nd person narration has become influential in postmodern literature – by being mysterious, ambiguous and unknown. We often do not know to whom a narrator is speaking, nor whose voice is being heard by readers. Contemporary narratological theories deny the existence of this clear, precise and uniformed narratological voice, whether it is an author, a narrator or a reader. These days, numerous avant-garde narratological strategies are being emphasized, most notably the “wandering“ second person, used by the main character of the novel Tomorrow as well. The inseparable part of the research is also questioning the postmodern premises such as the final doubt considering the (re)presentation of a story, the truth and the past (both individual and collective) which influence the choices made while forming the narration in the novel. The narratological analysis has shown the nature of psychological, moral, as well as ethical competence of the narrator, Paula Hook – a successful woman of the 21st century – a professor, a mother, a wife, living an ideal life threatened by a profound family secret. She acts as a representative of the questions, rethinks – because the history, past and truth are being constantly questioned in contemporary societies and literature as well.21st century wandering narrator – she doubts,