The Novel The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch: Intertextuality, Metafiction and Fantastic

The essay analyses various intertextual figures and metafictional aspects of Iris Murdoch’s novel The Sea, The Sea, published in 1978. This text can be considered, in nuce, a dialogue: on one hand, between fiction and philosophy, and on the other, between British and Tibetan cultures. In contemporary society, intercultural dialogue represents a significant means to transcend time and space, serving as a method of spiritual interference. This type of dialogue fosters harmony between identity and alterity. The concepts employed are linked to the theories of intertextuality, narratology, and cultural studies; the study aims to provide a holistic approach to the analysed novel. The analysis will examine three aspects (the intertextual, metafictional, and fantastic dimensions) of this novel through the lenses of intertextuality, hermeneutics, close reading, and comparative methods.