Hawksmoor :: English Literature

Hawksmoor - There are many puzzling features in this novel - Discuss three in detail, look at the way they are communicated.Hawksmoor as a novel is on the whole, puzzling. As it is a detectivestory, Peter Ackroyd uses different techniques of involving the readerin his mend so that even if the beginning is not fully understood, wehave to go on reading it just to see what happens next. Thesedifferent features, for example, the juxtaposition of the period periods among the chapters the post-modernistic aspects of Ackroydswriting and the conflicts between reality and fiction all make thenovel puzzling.Time in this novel is very confused, with two time periods (the modern mean solar day and the eighteenth century) being juxtaposed in alternate chaptersthroughout the novel. The theme of time is continued on this premiseand there are many references to time by the characters themselves.For example at one point, Nicolas Dyer says..how do we conclude what time is our own.Nicolas Hawksmoor as well as asks Well, Walter, what do you make of that timing?Its impossible, sir.Nothing is impossible. The impossible does not existNot unless are there direct referrals to time, like this but also thereare tenuous links and suggestions to it as a dominant theme. Forexample, Hawksmoor is looking for the nix meridian when he is inGreenwich and there are many others. The changes in time arehighlighted by the interesting use of language for the chaptersnarrated by pass Dyer. Many spellings are different from modernEnglish, for example, corpse is spelt corse. Ackroyd also usescapital letters for nouns in these chapters. The eighteenth centurywriting is a eternal reminder to the reader of which time period isbeing read about and is particularly prominent when the chapter andtherefore the time period changes. Furthermore, it means that thereader has to quash more and because of the different formationof sentences it is difficult for the reader to follow at times, whichis consisten t with the detective story theme. Ackroyd wants the readerto be actively involved in the plot and they need to pick up on anysmall threads that he drops.As the novel progresses, there is an increasing confusion with time,so much so that at points it seems barley present. Ackroyd highlightsthis with the abundance of flashbacks that both the main charactershave and because of this the time is changing not only between thechapters but also within them. Dyer has many flashbacks to his pastand they often come without warning or relevance to what waspreviously talked about.