Strange Masks of Adapted Identities in Patrick McCabe’sWinterwoodandThe Holy City

Patrick McCabe’s novels dramatize how people make use of character archetypes, media ideals, and fiction to adapt to new realities. These concerns are especially notable in two of his later novels, The Holy City and Winterwood. In the protagonists’ process of social adaptation, they illustrate how the construction of self-identity is defined by narration, and how a world in flux demands constant re-negotiation of the narrative and adaptation to the new story to make self-identity, life patterns, and their contexts match. In effect, the narratives suggest that engagement in media adaptations can guide audiences to find strategies for social adaptation.