1. “What’s in a Word?” Possessing A.S. Byatt’s Meronymic Novel by Thelma J. Shinn by Thelma J. Shinn Papers on Language & Literature 31.2 Papers on Language & Literature 31.2 (1995): 164-84. p resented by Anne Chen (1995): 164-84. p resented by Anne Chen

2. Central Argument Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt is a novel, balancing poetry and prose, past and present, and numerous shades and meanings of the word “ possession ” in a blend of the Romance and Realism styles of the Victorian and contemporary novel. Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt is a novel, balancing poetry and prose, past and present, and numerous shades and meanings of the word “ possession ” in a blend of the Romance and Realism styles of the Victorian and contemporary novel.

3. A meronym: an “image of parts” A meronym, as gray color, merges opposite parts of white and black, an attempt to re-unite the fragmented traditions of narrative style by balancing the components. A meronym, as gray color, merges opposite parts of white and black, an attempt to re-unite the fragmented traditions of narrative style by balancing the components. a blend of Romance and Realism a blend of Romance and Realism a revision of both the past and the present: a revision of both the past and the present: a conception of cyclical and linear time a conception of cyclical and linear time

4. A blend of Romance and Realism Both Romance and Realism inherit meronymic novelistic traditions Both Romance and Realism inherit meronymic novelistic traditions Romance, with all the wealth and all the courage and all the wit and all the adventure, is in terms of escapism and fantasy to give hopes and dreams in our time. e.g. Hawthorne ’ s The Scarlet Letter, Romance, with all the wealth and all the courage and all the wit and all the adventure, is in terms of escapism and fantasy to give hopes and dreams in our time. e.g. Hawthorne ’ s The Scarlet Letter, science fiction science fiction

5. Realism, faithful representation of life in a naturalistic universe or an individual consciousness, is a reaction against the excesses of Romanticism in 19th century. Realism, faithful representation of life in a naturalistic universe or an individual consciousness, is a reaction against the excesses of Romanticism in 19th century. e.g. Henry James ’ s psychological realism e.g. Henry James ’ s psychological realism “ Magic ” Realism: return Romance to the novel. “ Magic ” Realism: return Romance to the novel. To balance Romance and Realism, Byatt returns to George Eliot and Nathaniel Hawthorne for stylistic guidance. To balance Romance and Realism, Byatt returns to George Eliot and Nathaniel Hawthorne for stylistic guidance.

6. A revision of the past and the present In meronymic novel, the linear bias of the past gets rebirth from the interaction of the cyclical quest. In meronymic novel, the linear bias of the past gets rebirth from the interaction of the cyclical quest. # A search for love — two generations (Christabel and # A search for love — two generations (Christabel and Ash/ Maud and Roland) Ash/ Maud and Roland) # The position of Victorian women – the life of Christabel # The position of Victorian women – the life of Christabel is reevaluated by contemporary feminist critics. is reevaluated by contemporary feminist critics. # Meronymic language – Byatt allows her own living # Meronymic language – Byatt allows her own living language the flexibility of Romance, of poetic narrative, language the flexibility of Romance, of poetic narrative, so that she can re-imagine as well as recreate the Past so that she can re-imagine as well as recreate the Past in the Present. in the Present.

7. Conclusion With her linguistic marriages of concept With her linguistic marriages of concept and phenomenon, and of emotion and action, Byatt creates a Romance in Possession captured within the word that lives on cyclically, however dead the phenomenal expression sharing the space of that word may be, so that new phenomena can be easily imagined as contemporary expressions of ongoing human truths.