Dealings in duplicity : the double in the fiction of John Banville

Abstract

This dissertation will be dealing with the notion of the ‘double’ in the works of the Irish writer John Banville. After defining the traditional notion of the double, the argument will then move onto a more contemporary definition surrounding doubling. It is this contemporary definition which will be adopted throughout the dissertation when analysing principally four of Banville’s texts: The Book of Evidence, Ghosts, Shroud, and Ancient Light. The introduction will fully delineate the purpose of this dissertation and it will also situate Banville within the tradition of the double itself. Chapter 1 will then briefly contextualise the history of the double, as well as attempt to establish the postmodern meaning attributed to it. This is done principally using the works of theorists such as Linda Hutcheon and Patricia Waugh, as well as contributions from Michel Foucault. Chapter 2 will initially discuss the notion of the parodic double underlying The Book of Evidence and Ghosts. It will then go on to establish the concept of the subject-object doubling which underlies both texts as well, but which more prominently features in Ghosts. Chapter 3 will discuss the metafictional double in Shroud and Ancient Light. This involves a discussion regarding the relationship between reality, history, and fiction, as introduced in the novels through the protagonists’ doubling with Paul de Man. In conclusion, this dissertation will attempt to make a case for the relevance of the double in postmodern literature through its ability to showcase the instability of language that underlines the postmodern era.