Public versus Private History in the Works of J.G. Farrell

Abstract

The main topic of this work is the post-modern interpretation of history and the issue whether it could be objectively researched and recorded. A special emphasis is placed on defining the concepts of the so-called personal history of an individual and the so-called public history falling under the influence of the social discourse. The work predominantly focuses on the relation of an individual and particular historical event and investigates to what extent an individual can contribute to the overall portrayal of this event or on the contrary, how the society, or rather the system, can influence the individual and through that it can influence the overall perception of history as well. These findings are subsequently applied to the historical novels Troubles and The Siege of Krishnapur by James Gordon Farrell.