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ept solipsistically, in terms of perception and mistakenassumptions) inevitably casts doubt on the reader’s similar attempt to decode the text.Therefore, the metaphysical detective story evokes the reader’s impulse to “detect”,frustrating the reader with a nonsolution.

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CHAPTER TWOAMETAPHYSICALDETECTION OFTHE “DEFEATEDSLEUTH” IN THE SENSE OFAN ENDING

2.1 Making Sense of the Origin: The Early Stage of the Detective

2.1.1 “To Know the History of the Historian”

To know the history of the protagonist narrator lays the cornerstone of theunderstanding of the whole story. To know the early experience of the detective whoturns out to be the “murderer” can offer helpful clues to the result.

If a narrator is personally involved in the narrative, and has a personal purpose forthe narration, then it may be necessary to look into his own history so that the readercan have a sound judgement of his narration. First of all, obviously, to understand thenarrator’s growing process gains the priority, because only the trajectory of thenarrator’sthoughtsisindefinitelyapproachedcanonediscoverthe cluesaboutnarrativefabrication. Looking ahead into the end does not imply closing the lid on the past. Basicnotions of causality are constantly at work: the past determines the present, and is thusprojected onto the future, never ceasing to exert its influence. History being subjectedto a wide array of interpretations, Barnes defines it in his half chapter as ‘soothingfabulation’, a human creation in which, as in religion, one might find relief. (Barnes, AHistory of the World in 10 and 1/2 Chapters 292) This kind of religion presents in avarying and obscure form in this fiction.

This idea of history is illustrated in the novel when Tony Webster and his friendswere schoolboys. Adrian lives in a single-parent family. His mother leaves them.Instead of complaining about his mother, Adrian adjusts his attitude and becomes astraight person. However, Tony is puzzled by Adrian’s uncomplaining mentality andfinally drew a conclusion, “...the key to a happy family life was for there not to be afamily – or at least, not one living together.” (TSE 9-10) Even if Adrian has beenseparated from the pain of the broken family, Tony still repeatedly pokes his nose intowhether Adrian’s mother had an affair, whether her father has a mistress, and urgesAdrian to investigate these nonsensical questions. This cruel disobedience not onlyshows Tony’s lack of family affiliation perception, but also reveals that he has lostempathy, realistic thinking, human kindness and basic moral sense.

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2.2 Manipulating the Middle: Making Time Personal by the Detective

If the key to the mysterious case lies in Tony’s memory, how does it commit the“crime”? Or, how is his memory cheated and manipulated to lead him into illusions?Actually, at least three deceiving methods can be found: the loss of the middle fortyyears, which could blur his memory; choices of memory, which had the form-givingpower to control readers’judgement; imagination, the subjective intervention to falsifythe reality.

2.2.1 The Loss of the Middle: Intentionally or Not?

Most of Barnes’s narratives are characterized by having a missing middle (López-Deflory 164), which is to say the本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。