So, What is it?

What is 'Metafiction' and why should we care?

Before we begin discussing Metafiction and its application to Barth's Lost in the Funhouse, we should discuss what Metafiction is. In Jeremy Hawthorn's Studying the Novel he describes Metafiction as 'Literally, fiction about fiction – normally denoting the sort of novel or short story which deliberately breaks fictive illusions and comments directly upon its own fictive nature or process of composition'. (Hawthorn, page 235, 2010) We will see very quickly within Lost in the Funhouse the use of these features such as the use of pre-emptive explanation of the narrative and authorial techniques about to be used.

Patricia Waugh states that 'Metafiction is a term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artefact in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and reality.' (Waugh, 1984)

Basically speaking, 'Metafiction' is a form of self-conscious fictional writing which is aware of its existence and makes reference to it, similar to the style of 'breaking the fourth wall' so frequently seen in movies and on an even simpler basis, Metafiction is “writing about writing”. (Erin Vachon)

So what exactly is the point in Metafiction?

Metafiction occupies that strange territory between fiction and reality which usually adheres to the typical methods and techniques of literary fiction while at the same time points out the fictitious nature of what is being written and read to often draw the readers in and investigate what they are reading in a way that would usually be missed by other styles of writing. As Waugh states in her text Metafiction:The Theory and Practice of Self-conscious Fiction, “such writings not only examine the fundamental structures of narrative fiction, they also explore the possible fictionality of the world outside the literary fictional text.” (Waugh, 1984) 

While it is easy at times to understand the necessity and relevance of drawing awareness to the actual process of writing itself and to the need for conscious decision in certain aspects of writings, it is rare that a text ever truly makes the reader question the world outside of the text through the way it is written instead of the things it is written about. For example, Sci-Fi books may frequently draw a reader's imagination to the unknown terrors in space or even beneath our shorelines. But how often do the actual narrative techniques or the narrator themselves for that matter make us question our awareness of who we are and what role we play within our own reality? If we even have a 'true' reality; this is the skill of Metafiction.

Metafictional Techniques:

Before we continue I feel it is best I include a list of a few Metafictional techniques to help you identify them within Lost in the Funhouse, such as:

• Directly addressing the reader whether it be the characters in the story or the narrator itself.

• Metareference: A Metafiction technique in which the story in which the characters are aware that they are in a work of fiction and make reference to it. (Often called breaking the forth wall in television and movies')

• Story within a story: A character within the story begins to narrate their own story which may not necessarily be related to the original story.

• Making reference to the literary techniques being employed within the story, either by the narrator or a character. 

Before we continue, feel free to watch the video below for another, slightly different explanation of Metafiction, Go ahead, that's what it's there for.