Postmodernism 1945-Present(?)

Postmodernism is a reaction to Modernism, the Cold War, and the rise of the Internet Postmodernism arguably peaked during the 1960s and 1970s, but there is no consensus on whether we have entered a new era.

Characteristics of Postmodernism Fragmentation of identity Paradox Unreliable narrators Irony Playfulness Black humor Paranoia

Characteristics of Postmodernism Pastiche: Imitation of other works and periods. Intertextuality: Works existing in relation to other works. Example-- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as a different perspective on Hamlet. Metafiction: self-consciously drawing attention to a work's status as an artifact

Characteristics of Postmodernism Hyperreality: image saturation and media seem more “real” than unmediated experiences. Maximalism: excess, redundancy, and the idea of “more is more.” Blurred distinction between “highbrow” and “lowbrow” art; popular culture in art. Art as process and performance.

Modernist literature sees fragmentation and extreme subjectivity as a problem that must be solved, and the artist is often cited as the one to solve it. Postmodernists, however, often demonstrate that this chaos is insurmountable; the artist is impotent, and the only recourse against "ruin" is to play within the chaos.

Key Postmodern Writers Thomas Pynchon (US)- Gravity's Rainbow Kurt Vonnegut (US)- Slaughterhouse-Five Joseph Heller (US)- Catch-22 Vladimir Nabokov (US)- Lolita Hunter S Thompson (US)- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Alan Moore (US)- Watchmen

Key Postmodern Writers Chuck Palahnjuk (US)-- Fight Club David Foster Wallace (US)-- Infinite Jest Bret Easton Ellis (US)-- American Psycho Toni Morrison (US)-- Beloved William S Burroughs (US)-- Naked Lunch