The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending

Abstract

This paper examines the theme of identity fragmentation and the deflation of self in Julian Barnes' postmodern fiction, specifically analyzing Metroland (1980) and The Sense of an Ending (2011). Drawing on the theoretical framework of postmodernism and existential philosophy, the study explores how Barnes depicts characters struggling with loss of identity in contemporary British society. The analysis reveals that Barnes' protagonists—Christopher and Tony in Metroland, and Tony Webster in The Sense of an Ending—embody the postmodern condition of fractured selfhood, characterized by rootlessness, alienation, and the failure to maintain authentic relationships. Through close textual analysis, the paper demonstrates how Barnes employs narrative techniques such as non-linear structure, memory fragmentation, and intertextuality to reflect the psychological disintegration of his characters. The study argues that Barnes' fiction serves as a mirror to postmodern British society, where traditional values have collapsed, leaving individuals adrift in a world devoid of absolute truth and meaning. The characters' journeys from youthful rebellion to adult disillusionment illustrate the broader cultural shift from modernist certainties to postmodern uncertainties. This research contributes to the understanding of contemporary British literature's engagement with questions of identity, memory, and the human condition in the postmodern era.