Historiographic Metafiction through Women’s Legacy in Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth

Abstract

This work endeavours to explore Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth as a postmodern masterpiece of the late twentieth century, it sheds light on medieval women as a historical example and portrays it from a new stance. It associates the historical critical approach with the practical analytical one, it examines the difference between historical reliability with its mixed practise in literature. This study is divided into two chapters, in the first chapter the reader will be introduced to history and truth depending on historians’ objectivity and sources, as well as, historians’ representations of high medieval women, in addition to the interconnection aspects of history with fiction to symbolise their legacy of achievement. Likewise, the second chapter is introduced with analysis and historiographical metafiction practices to disclose the historical authenticity of women’s representations in history with fiction and the significant aspects used in incorporating them, alongside Follett’s integration methods, which are noteworthy to persuade women empowerment. This dissertation advocates that historiographic metafiction through women’s legacy in Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth is symbolised by their achievement to prove their empowerment.