Postmodernism and Social-political Conversions in Tew’s Clark Gable and his Plastic Duck

Abstract

This research explores the interaction between postmodernism and socio-political transformations in Philip Tew’s novel "Clark Gable and His Plastic Duck." Through an in-depth examination of the narrative strategies and thematic investigations utilized by Tew, the study clarifies how the narrative mirrors and analyzes the socio-political environment of late 20th-century Britain, especially regarding the Falklands War and the Thatcher administration. By incorporating ideas such as intertextuality, metafiction, and historiographic metafiction, the novel functions as a narrative arena where personal and political identities clash and merge, uncovering the intricacies and uncertainties present in postmodern literature. This research seeks to emphasize how Tew’s writing encapsulates essential postmodern traits while concurrently engaging with the historical and cultural contexts of its era.