Why is “history” such a central theme in the novel Waterland?

Waterland charts the history of an individual, or more accurately it charts the history of the individual through particular events and examines how they played a part in shaping who he was to become and the later events of his life. Though, Swift blurs the distinctions relating to the genre making it difficult to relate the novel to a particular genre. The post-modern tradition of blurring narratives and techniques and crossing the lines between genres is clearly present in Waterland.

Throughout the novel, we have to assume that all of what Crick says is true, that it is not embellished, that it has not been mistakenly forgotten with the passing of time. But the novel Waterland tries to not teach us the facts of the protagonist's life but to teach us the purpose of history, at least to the novel’s main characters. This is one of the key points to consider when studying the novel – what it tries to teach the reader, for the novel tries to teach something to the reader. This...