POSTMODERN STRATEGIES IN ALEX FLINN’S A KISS IN TIME
Abstract
A Kiss in Time is a novel written by Alex Flinn. A Kiss in Time is a story of
Talia who was cursed to prick her finger with a spindle and saved by Jack. In general,
this research discusses the postmodern strategies that are used in presenting the
postmodern aspect of A Kiss in Time. Brian McHale’s postmodern perspective is used
as the theoretical framework to present the ontological dominant by analyzing the
construction and confrontation of worlds in A Kiss in Time.
This research is a qualitative research and a documentary technique is used to
collect the data for this research. The primary data of this research are any kind of
information and facts about the construction of worlds, while the secondary data are
any kind of facts and information about the postmodern phenomenon that support the
analysis of the primary data. This research uses inductive method in analyzing the
data; that the discussion goes from the specific to the general, from particular to a
whole group of ideas, phenomena, or situations.
The result of this research shows that A Kiss in Time is governed by the
ontological dominant of postmodernist fiction through the postmodern strategies
found in A Kiss in Time. Postmodern strategies involve transwords identity, the
construction and confrontation of worlds. Transworld identity represents the plurality
of worlds and constructs an intertextual zone. The construction of worlds involves the
complication of the ontological boundary and dimension of worlds. Furthermore, A
Kiss in Time also reflects the condition of postmodern society by presenting the
supernatural events and objects, and serves the practice of pastiche of the past and
fantasy. A Kiss in Time also presents the condition of hyperreality by projecting the
Royal Euphrasia, a thematic park, as an imaginary to make people believe that this is the real, whereas all of the Royal Euphrasia is no longer real but belongs to the
hyperreal order.