SPACE AND TIME FRAGMENTS IN THE NOVELS OF JOHN MAXWELL COETZEE

Abstract

ohn Maxwell Coetzee is one of the most prominent figures of world postmodern literature. His novels bear strong marks of philosophy and reflexive thought, clearly manifesting postmodern artistic features in various aspects: non-linear structure, decentered characters, parodic language, etc. In particular, on the level of artistic space and time, Coetzee effectively employs the techniques of fragmentation, montage, and simultaneity to construct a fictional world that is both chaotic and haunting, where human beings appear as fractured and disoriented entities amidst historical circumstances. The study of fragmented space and time in Coetzee’s novels helps to illuminate the layers of meaning in his works, while also demonstrating the writer’s artistic talent in reconstructing spatial and temporal structures as a way of reflecting reality and the human condition in the postmodern context.