Post Modernism 1939-present

Post Modernism When did it begin: Early post-modernism started before the onset of the second world war. However, some critics believe it didn’t start until the 80’s. This was a time of constant war and lead people to want to break away from the current system and challenge it.

A Working Definition "Postmodernism" suggests fragmentation: collage, hybridity, and the use of various voices, scenes, and identities. Post modernism does not follow the familiar trend in literature. Stories are often told out of chronological order, have multiple narrators, or are struggling to complete every thought. Postmodern authors question external structures, whether political, philosophical, or artistic. Question the ways of doing things.

Working Definition con. They tend to distrust the master-narratives of modernist thought, which they see as politically suspect. Instead, they mine popular culture genres, especially science fiction, spy, and detective stories, becoming, in effect, archaeologists of pop culture. Use subcultures, especially non- ‘high art’ to show rebel against the previous art that has been produced.

Whereas Modernism places faith in the ideas, values, beliefs, culture, and norms of the West, Postmodernism rejects Western values and beliefs as only a small part of the human experience and often rejects such ideas, beliefs, culture, and norms. Whereas Modernism attempts to reveal profound truths of experience and life, Postmodernism is suspicious of being "profound" because such ideas are based on one particular Western value systems. Modernism VS. Post-modernism

Whereas Modern authors guide and control the reader’s response to their work, the Postmodern writer creates an "open" work in which the reader must supply his own connections, work out alternative meanings, and provide his own (unguided) interpretation. Modernism vs Post Modernism

Whereas Modernism attempts to find depth and interior meaning beneath the surface of objects and events, Postmodernism prefers to dwell on the exterior image and avoids drawing conclusions or suggesting underlying meanings associated with the interior of objects and events.

Post Modern Literature erased boundaries between high elite art and low art Literature was combined with journalism, (auto)biography, history, etc.

Caveat -This literary movement is vast, complex, and disputed. It is not possible to put postmodernism into a nice, digestible box. The Catalyst -The opening up of the world and information (through technology and conflict) was a main cause of postmodernism. Post Modernism: in Brief

Characteristics Very subjective—no objectivity Cultural diversity and mixing Multiple meanings and worlds in each work The real, the past, and the fantasy can merge together Different versions of the same story are told from different p.o.v.’s Different interpretations of the same story Non-traditional forms are used Self-conscious—texts comment on themselves Self-aware and intensely personal Blends fiction and non-fiction