Postmodernism on the French lieutenant‟s womanPostmodernism is a term describing large-scale changes in intellectual thought, cultural production, and global societies beginning in the mid 20th century. Postmodernist thought has had large implications in philosophy, art, critical theory, literature, architecture, history, and culture. The term has been stretched over many different debates, and many would argue that any single cohesive definition is impossible. However, most definitions of the term are undoubtedly related and a basic summary is possible.Postmodernist scholars tend to emphasize the cultural contingency or relativity of different forms of intellectual production, claiming that there is no way for human beings to communicate in a language completely emptied of myth, m Postmodernist writers often point to early novels and story collections as inspiration for their experiments with narrative and structure etaphor, or cultural bias.Postmodernist fiction rejects the notion of universal truths and plays with the possibilities of interpretations, multiple perspectives, uncertainties, and contradictions. The novel, therefore, does not profess to be a coherent whole, and subverts both the expectations of narrative closure and of the disclosures previously provided by the omniscient narrator. Christopher Norris suggests that:The main point of post-modernist narratives is to challenge, subvert, or paradoxically exploit the conventions in play when we make sense of texts. This involves a high-degree of self-conscious contrivance and, by implication, a manipulative stance outside and above the story-line flow of events. In this sense […] post-modernism carries along with it a strong …meta-narrative‟ tendency which precisely undermines the naïve habit of trust in first-order natural narration.In other words, postmodernist fiction is characterised by a strong met fictional impetusPostmodernism encompasses a reinterpretation of classical ideas, forms and practices and reflects and rejects the ideologies of previous movements in the arts. The postmodern movement has made way for new ways of thinking and a new theoretical base when criticizing art, literature, sexuality and history. Postmodernism encompasses a reinterpretation of classical ideas, forms and practices and reflects and rejects the ideologies of previous movements in the arts. The postmodern movement has made way for new ways of thinking and a new theoretical base when criticizing art, literature, sexuality and history.John Fowles' 1969 novel "The French Lieutenant's Woman" has become a modern classic but it is a complex novel and can be daunting to study. This accessible guide offers detailed readings of the text as well as accounts of Fowles'influences and the context of the novel's composition. It also discusses Fowles' manipulation of the story's Victorian setting and source material, and his treatment of key themes such as gender, sexuality and social class. It addresses the reviews and critical reception of the novel, and offers study suggestions and a guide to further reading. A separate section engages with the 1981 film adaptation scripted by Harold Pinter. This introduction to the text is the ideal companion to study, offering guidance on: Literary and historical context; Language, style and form; "Reading The French Lieutenant's Woman"; Critical reception and publishing history; Adaptation and interpretation; and Further reading. "Continuum Reader's Guides" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to key texts in literature and philosophy. Each book explores the themes, context, criticism and influence of key works, providing a practical introduction to close reading, guiding students towards a thorough understanding of the text. They provide an essential, up-to-date resource, ideal for undergraduate students.English novelist and essayist, master of layered story-telling, illusionism, and purposefully ambiguous endings. Fowles's best-known novels include The French Lieutenant's (1969), adapted into screen in 1981, and The Magus (1965), which has gained a cult status. His protagonists must often confront their past, self-delusions and illusions, in order to gain their personal freedom or peace of mind. The French Lieutenant's Woman grew out of a dream the author had of a woman standing at the edge of a quay, looking out to sea. The film version of the story from 1981 was made by Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Strep. Resize followed Fowles's storyline, but the modern subplot, a film within a film, was created by Resize and Harold Pinter, who wrote the screenplay. Fowles also manages to convey the reader to his actual conviction of how a novel should be written from the modern author‟s stance, while criticizing both the “form-obsessed noveau roman school” and the shortcomings of Victorian writing-techniques. This research paper will examine some of the book's aspects, mainly the central theme of Darwinism, and the accurate depiction of the Victorian age while maintaining a certain critical distance. Also, the narrative perspective and the alternative endings while be discussed, and finally the development and meaning of the central relationship between the protagonists Sarah Woodruff and Charles Smithson ANALYSISthere are Major Characters in the novel: first, Sarah Woodruff - From the very beginning, she has been introduced as the F rench Lieutenant‟s Woman. Being the scarlet woman of Lyme, she has been ostracized by the entire community. Charles learns of her through thermos that abound about her. To him, she presents a picture of dark intrigue and mystery. In fact, her portrayal is supposed to match the mold of the dark, mysterious woman of the typical Victorian romantic novel. Such a character type either played the heroine or the villain but always stood as a symbol of all that was forbidden. Charles paints hisown idealistic picture of her and his attraction for Sarah stems mainly from the aura of strangeness that the local rumors have built around her as well as his own imaginings.Sarah‟s “strangeness” should be considered in the light of the Victorian era. She is very different from herVictorian counterparts in dress, behavior and attitude. Her unconventional attitude makes her stand out fromthe conventional community of Lyme. She deliberately chooses to defy convention as……..Charles Smithson - He is the male protagonist of the novel and his character is supposed to represent that of aVictorian gentleman typically found in a Victorian romantic novel. Charles is an educated, wealthy gentleman and heir to his uncle‟s title. He is interested in Darwin and the scientific theories of his age. He desires to be different from other Victorian men by keeping himself occupied in scientific pursuits, but it soon becomes evident that Charles is more interested in keeping himself from getting bored than any real scientific interest. His interest in Darwin is rather superficial.The French Lieutenant‟s Woman, utilizes the ideas of postmodern theorists such as Foucault, Barthes and Sartre amongst others to form a postmodern double-coded discourse which examines values inherent in the Victorian era from a twentieth century context. The novel‟s use of intersexuality, met fiction and its irreverent attitude can be seen as a postmodern parody of Victorian fiction and the historical novel. For the purpose of examining the values and ideologies of the Victorian era in comparison to the postmodern paradigm, Victorian conventions are shown juxtaposed with postmodern techniques such as the authorial intrusion and alternative endings.Sarah Woodruff is different from other characters in The French Lieutenant‟s Woman because she is epistemologically unique and because the narrator does not have access to her inner thoughts: in chapter 13 the author directly addresses the reader and states that he gives his characters the free will to determine their outcome in his novel. In a typical Victorian context, the protagonist‟s inner conflict and motives would be exposed to the reader. Fowles denies his right as the author to impose definition of characters and in this way recognizes “the age of Alain-Robbe Gillette and Roland Barthes” in bringing about the “death of the author” and the birth of the “reader”. The reader must interpret the text in ways (s)he views it and is forced to actively engage in the text. Fowles also introduces the author as a god-like figure (who turns back time) to craft multiple endings.。