ABSTRACT

This chapter examines what Hayden White's take on history writing means in terms of readers. White's concern has been with defending history from extinction by better revealing the conditions of its production. For White, the true appeal of historical narratives lies in their metaphoric and literary possibilities. Historical narratives provide insight into the human condition, engaging us in present also. They are thus useful instruments for developing self-understanding and cultural awareness. As White writes: [H]istorical narratives are not only models of past events and processes, but also metaphorical statements which suggest a relation of similitude between such events and processes and the story types that conventionally use to endow the events of our lives with culturally sanctioned meanings. With all the emphasis on modernist literary forms and modernist sensibilities, how exactly do the "postmodern parahistorical representations" White introduces in Figural Realism fit in.