Contemporary Literature & Postmodernism 1939 – Present

Contemp. Lit - Historical Overview World War II – 1939 – 1945  Began when Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler’s armies invaded Poland.  U.S. was drug into the war on Dec , when Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor killed over 2,395 Americans and destroyed / damaged 21 ships and 323 aircrafts. Until this attack, the U.S. had remained neutral (although we had provided financial support to those countries fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan).

Contemp. Lit – Historical Overview WW II - U.S. response – Atomic Bomb  The U.S. dropped atomic bombs that obliterated two Japanese cities. Bomb on Nagasaki / Bomb on Hiroshima – from the U.S. airplane Enola Gay Infamous and symbolic mushroom cloud represents the triumph of science & technology, the purpose of which was, ironically enough, to benefit mankind, and to make life richer and easier for all. Many Americans disapproved of the use of the atomic bomb to end WWII, but most agreed with the purpose of the war itself.  Fighting against tyranny and regimes that would destroy the American way of life.

Contemp. Lit – Historical Overview The Cold War – 1945 – 1991 (ideological battle between Capitalism and Communism)  Although the U.S. emerged from WWII an economic and political powerhouse, we did not go unchallenged for long.  The Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons in the 50’s and 60’s – created conflict with the U.S.  Cuban Missile Crisis – 1962 – Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuba, pointed at the U.S.  The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 The result = a new Russian republic with democratic aspirations However, the threat of nuclear violence was still present.

Contemp. Lit – The Digital Revolution and Economic Prosperity Introduction of the computer  50’s and 60’s – businesses and governments were revolutionized by large mainframe computers Made quick electronic storage and retrieval of large amounts of data possible in a short amount of time.  80’s and 90’s – desktop computers appeared in schools, offices, and homes 80’s – “me generation”  Individual enjoyment and material success seemed to overshadow other concerns.  Late 90’s – internet communication emerged along with wireless telephone technology All of these innovations fueled a surge in the stock market in the 90’s  Attack on September 11, 2001 – killed three thousand civilians (damaging blow to the countries economy).

Contemp. Lit – The Digital Revolution and Economic Prosperity Positive effects of science & technology  Increased life spans  Better fed and housed many  Moved us faster from place to place  Allowing some to stroll on the surface of the moon Negative effects of science & technology  Computer tech. has made many jobs obsolete  American consumers - many feel that they have become anonymous (known only by a password or credit card number)  American privacy is unprotected  American dreams are shaped by mass advertising, journalism, and entertainment

Literary Response To many writers, the madness of the war-torn world was an inescapable condition of modern life, and the only appropriate response was hard-edged laughter at life’s tragic ironies.  Gallows humor – ironic humor arising from an acknowledgement of the absurd or grotesque Often used to describe the work of writers who flourished after WWII.

Contemporary Fiction Diversity and Vitality  Postmodern – a term used to describe contemporary American culture - still in the process of being defined. Postmodernism – sees contemporary culture as a change – a development or a departure – from modernism.  Postmodern writers use many of the same tools that the modernists used; although, they are constructing a body of literature that is completely different from that produced by the modernists.

Contemporary Fiction Characteristics of postmodernism  Allowing multiple meanings and multiple worlds  Worlds: realistic, literal, past, and dreamlike metaphorical  Narrators and characters may tell different versions of a story, or a story may deliberately accommodate several valid interpretations. The postmodern would ask, “Why choose only one version? Why limit ourselves?”  Authors do not abide by conventional rules (e.g. – 9 pages = one sentence / every word in the first chapter begins with “A” … every word in the second chapter beings with “B” etc.)  Intensely self-conscious Comment on themselves / criticize themselves / take themselves apart / encourage readers to put them together again  Blending of fiction with nonfiction  Uses the past fearlessly (invigorate the old by means of the new)

Contemporary Nonfiction Breaking the Barriers  Until this point, nonfiction meant everything that wasn’t fiction. (Many times, nonfiction writers were lumped together with journalists.) Critics tended to concentrate on the search for the Great American Novel, which was thought to be more important than anything a nonfiction writer could produce.  Since the 70’s, this idea has changed dramatically. Featured reviews now discuss the art (not just the factual content) of books on computers, architecture, travel, history, etc. Lists of bestsellers which have always included self-help books, now regularly feature memoirs, biographies, and histories.

Contemporary Nonfiction Two statements concerning today’s nonfiction: 1.) Does it have to be accurate? Traditional literary terms do not always apply to nonfiction (setting, theme, point of view, etc.) Truth or accuracy is often a test applied to nonfiction, with frequently unsatisfactory results.  E.g. – a travel memoir which discusses wildlife in the Himalayas found to be fiction due to the author’s extensive research in a library rather than traveling to the Himalayas.

Contemporary Nonfiction Two statements concerning today’s nonfiction: 2.) The New Journalism 60’s – New Journalism (aka literary journalism) appeared  Authors attracted attention by describing contemporary culture and actual events in strongly individual voices.  Used devices (from fiction) including characterization, plot, suspense, setting, symbolism, and irony.  A new journalist did NOT feel obliged to keep his or her opinion and presence out of writing; in fact, presence and participation were often crucial.

Contemporary Poetry Varied and Intensely Personal  Decline of Modernism No longer appropriate for the times! A generation had returned from war to a country where conformity and material success were the main values.  Acquiring a house and car, and making money were of more immediate importance than ever.  Projective Verse Led by Black Mountain Poets: Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, and Robert Creeley Produced poems strongly influenced by Pound and Williams “Open-form” – treating each poem as an individual entity, creating its own form as it proceeded. Open-form poems avoided regular meter and rhyme and aimed to imitate the spontaneity and complexity of reality itself

Contemporary Poetry The Beat Poets  1957 – impact on American popular culture  Marked by poetry readings, jazz performances, and the appearance of late-night coffeehouses in San Francisco and New York’s Greenwich Village  Howl by Allen Ginsberg – Bible for the Beat Poets Poem that addressed the concerns of contemporary lifestyle (first clear alternative to poetry that seemed to be written for analysis in the classroom)  Injustices of modern life & importance of the imagination became the themes of contemporary poetry

Contemporary Poetry 1959 – Robert Lowell published Life Studies, one of the most important and influential volumes of verse to appear since WWII.  About personal experiences that modernist poets had avoided dealing with directly: emotional distress, alcoholism, illness, and depression.  Confessional School of Poets – friends or students of Lowell’s (Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and John Berryman) wrote frank, sometimes brutal poems about their private lives.

Contemporary Poetry Today, American poetry is characterized by diversity.  Variety in style and attitude has attracted more of an audience. Poetry performances Technology (making many available through audio, video, television, and/or website)  Reflects democratic quality  Often write in the language of common speech (don’t hesitate to shock with details of their private lives)