The paper titled "Re-envisioning Disparate Polarities: A Metamodernist Reading of Ali Smith’s Winter" by Mahmoud Ibrahim Ibrahim Radwan focuses on a metamodernist analysis of Ali Smith's 2017 novel Winter. The primary research question explores how Smith's novel employs metamodernist aesthetics to reconceptualize binary distinctions such as death and rebirth, vision and truth, and past and present, by viewing them not as opposites but as interrelated and coexisting elements.
The purpose of the study is to investigate how Winter reclaims the fractured state of the individual and constructs spaces for dialogic communication, reimagining a utopian desire for a tolerant and collaborative world. The scope of the study encompasses the exploration of how the novel reflects and engages with the metamodernist theoretical framework, particularly the concept of relationality.
The methodology of the paper involves a close textual analysis of Winter, examining how the novel's structure, themes, and character dynamics embody the principles of metamodernism. This analysis includes a detailed examination of the narrative's treatment of polarities and how these are integrated into the text's broader ethical and relational discourse.
Key findings of the paper include the identification of Winter as a narrative that transcends traditional binary oppositions by emphasizing the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate elements. The study reveals that Smith's novel not only reflects the complexities of the twenty-first-century global context but also proposes a new mode of thinking that embraces plurality, relationality, and dialogic communication. The narrative's use of Christmas Eve as a setting is highlighted as a significant moment where these themes converge, underscoring the potential for reconciliation and the reimagining of a fragmented world.
The study concludes that Winter, through its metamodernist approach, offers a vision of a world where disparate polarities are harmonized, encouraging readers to move beyond egocentrism and embrace a more relational and intersubjective worldview. The paper emphasizes the significance of this approach in addressing contemporary global crises and the importance of fostering tolerance and collaboration in a fragmented world.