Noah’s Ark in <i>A History of the World in</i> 10 1/2 <i>Chapters</i>

Noah’s Ark serves as the thread patching up the seemingly disorganized stores in this unique one of Julian Barnes’ master pieces. A biblical symbol of “the grace in the eyes of the Lord” to the “righteous,” the ark is nevertheless interpreted in a different way than in traditional exegetics. By close reading of each of the chapters in the novel, we hope to sort out the series of metamorphosis of the ark in different ages and Barnes’ hidden theme from among the wrongly targeted criticisms. While the novelist confuses readers in juxtaposing contradictory comments frequently, we try to lay bare how the fleeting images he creates in the work reflect his agnostic hesitation in view of the moral implications imbedded in the biblical references and clarify the religious ambivalence behind his writing.