Postmodern Postmodern LiteratureLiterature1950’s – present 1950’s – present

Reacting against what came Reacting against what came before…before…

• All literary movements begin as a All literary movements begin as a REACTION against the previous REACTION against the previous movement; thus, many of the movement; thus, many of the characteristics can be compared side characteristics can be compared side by side to see the shift more clearlyby side to see the shift more clearly– Realism reacted against Romanticism…Realism reacted against Romanticism…– Modernism reacted against Realism…Modernism reacted against Realism…– Now Post Modernism reacts against Now Post Modernism reacts against

Modernism!Modernism!

Modernism vs. PoMoModernism vs. PoMo

• See world as See world as composed of one composed of one universal Truth universal Truth (capitalized); as (capitalized); as religion has come religion has come under question, that under question, that Truth is up for debate, Truth is up for debate, but the artist is the but the artist is the conduit to reach itconduit to reach it

• Essential question: Essential question: How can I interpret How can I interpret this world of which I this world of which I am part?am part?

• See world as See world as composed of composed of multiple, historicized multiple, historicized truths (little t, truths (little t, plural); truth is plural); truth is constructed by constructed by historians, media, historians, media, artist, AND readerartist, AND reader

• Essential question: Essential question: Which world am I in?Which world am I in?

Modernism vs. PoMoModernism vs. PoMo

• Artistic distance Artistic distance between artist and between artist and work; personality of work; personality of writer absent in writer absent in work; “I” is a work; “I” is a universal “I”, not universal “I”, not artistartist

• Writer has Writer has privileged insight to privileged insight to Truth; works to Truth; works to reveal to readerreveal to reader

• Much more Much more intimate nature; intimate nature; writer is very writer is very much present in much present in the work; “I” often the work; “I” often equals “writer”equals “writer”

• Shared Shared author/reader/cultauthor/reader/culture production of ure production of truthstruths

Modernism vs. PoMoModernism vs. PoMo

• Rely on classical Rely on classical and literary and literary allusions to help allusions to help convey universal convey universal TruthTruth

• Ex. “The Love Ex. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” alludes Prufrock” alludes to Dante’s to Dante’s InfernoInferno and Shakespeare’s and Shakespeare’s HamletHamlet

• Avoid excess of Avoid excess of allusions, but if do allusions, but if do use them, are use them, are usually personal or usually personal or pop culture relatedpop culture related

• Ex. PoMo poem Ex. PoMo poem may allude to the may allude to the death of poet’s dog death of poet’s dog in 3in 3rdrd grade, which grade, which reader doesn’t reader doesn’t know, but poet know, but poet doesn’t caredoesn’t care

Modernism vs. PoMoModernism vs. PoMo

• See selves as myth-See selves as myth-users; use myths to users; use myths to re-establish re-establish universal Truth universal Truth based on the pastbased on the past

• Ex. Final lines of Ex. Final lines of The Waste LandThe Waste Land: : “these fragments I “these fragments I have shored have shored against my ruins”against my ruins”

• See selves as myth-See selves as myth-makers; modify myths makers; modify myths to fit contemporary to fit contemporary situations and create situations and create new myths to fit new myths to fit contemporary contemporary situationssituations

• Ex. Shrek takes fairy Ex. Shrek takes fairy tale and makes it fit tale and makes it fit TODAY (laughs at old TODAY (laughs at old stereotypes)stereotypes)

Other PoMo Other PoMo CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Structures writing in nontraditional Structures writing in nontraditional formsforms– PoMo writers experiment with form of PoMo writers experiment with form of

fiction in order to convey meaning, or fiction in order to convey meaning, or even just for the “fun” of playing with even just for the “fun” of playing with the reader’s expectationsthe reader’s expectations

– The Things They CarriedThe Things They Carried is a novel, but is a novel, but not in the typical sense of the wordnot in the typical sense of the word

Other PoMo Other PoMo CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Comments upon itselfComments upon itself– PoMo writers are often intensely self-PoMo writers are often intensely self-

conscious, and therefore comment upon conscious, and therefore comment upon the art they are creating AS they are the art they are creating AS they are creating itcreating it

– ““How to Tell a True War Story”How to Tell a True War Story”

Other PoMo Other PoMo CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Blends and overlaps fiction and non-Blends and overlaps fiction and non-fictionfiction– This idea ties in with the concept of This idea ties in with the concept of

multiple worlds existing simultaneously, multiple worlds existing simultaneously, thus these two historically separate thus these two historically separate genres are seen more fluidly by PoMo genres are seen more fluidly by PoMo writerswriters

– Tim O’Brien the author…Tim O’Brien Tim O’Brien the author…Tim O’Brien the characterthe character

Other PoMo Other PoMo CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• Features cultural diversityFeatures cultural diversity– PoMo writing has been more “open” to PoMo writing has been more “open” to

writers of various cultures and genderswriters of various cultures and genders– Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Alice Walker, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Alice Walker,

Amy Tan, Toni Morrison, etc.Amy Tan, Toni Morrison, etc.