A STUDY OF POST – TRUTH SOCIETY THROUGH THE NARRATIVE OF CHRISTOPHER PRIEST’S THE PRESTIGE

Abstract

The term ‘post – truth’ is defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotional and personal belief” (Oxford). Because of its universally pervasive relevance, post – truth was chosen as the Oxford dictionaries “Word of the Year” in 2016. This paper analyses the narrative technique of Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel The Prestige from the purview of post – truth. Using the concepts of ‘slipstream’ and ‘cognitive dissonance,’ the paper hypothesizes that the narrative of The Prestige can be used as a tool to decode the complex mechanism of how the post – truth narrative unfolds in today’s society. This hypothesis can be used to analyze the significance of communication in the digital, post – truth world of today.