1. Postmodernism
1940’s -1960’s

2. Birth of Postmodernism
The idea of a loss in the goodness of people, a suspicion of science and a world of logic and order was compounded by two main events of WW2: The Holocaust and the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan

3. Ideas Skeptical of the modern era
Challenged the ideas of progress, family, personal identity and objectivity.
Originally a reaction to modernism, referring to the lack of artistic, intellectual, or cultural thought or organized principle.

4. Literature
What is it?
- Used to describe the different aspects of post WW2 literature
- responses to modernism and its ideas
- responses to technological advances
- greater diversity of cultures that leads to cultural pluralism. (small groups within a larger society maintain their culture identity).
- reconceptualization of society and history

5. Characteristics of writing
Irony
Playfulness
Hyper-reality (media)
Dark Humor
Using childish, playful humor to describe serious, sometimes grave situations.
Paranoia- the belief that something is out of the ordinary even though everything remains the same

6. Authors
Kurt Vonnegut
Tim O ‘Brian
Jack Kerouac
Sylvia Plath