NOTES: Metafiction

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED is unique because much of it is writing that focuses on writing, on storytelling. This is called METAFICTION. The following, more detailed information on metafiction comes from Associated Content:

A Definition of Metafiction - By Eric Martin
Metafiction is a style of writing that uses the act of writing as subject. A metafiction story might feature the author as a character. . . . In metafiction, the craft, the intricacies, and the sources of writing are put on display. . . .
metafiction is fiction that brings attention directly to the act of writing.
Is metafiction new?
No. If we consider metafiction to be inclusive of any fiction that uses writing as its subject, then it has been around for quite a long time. Wikipedia cites One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) as a very early example of metafiction because the book directly considers the act and power of story telling.
What is special about metafiction?
The relationships between creator and created, reality and fantasy, between fiction and truth are all open to exposition in meta-fiction. This is a rather rich subject for reflection and even philosophy and so makes meta-fiction an approach ripe with potential and with depth.

. . . metafiction [may be]defined as fiction that purposefully draws attention to its own nature (ie., fiction ie., "made-up" writing).

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