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LECTURE: Postmodern Literature, A Stort Introduction

Nov 17, 2024

Lecture Notes: Postmodern Literature

Definition

  • Postmodernism: A form of literature characterized by:
    • Metafiction
    • Unreliable narration
    • Self-reflexivity
    • Intertextuality
    • Thematization of historical and political issues
  • Emerged in the 1960s in the United States

Distinction from Modernism

  • Postmodernism vs. Modernism:
    • Modernism's philosophical focus is epistemological (questions about knowledge)
    • Postmodernism's philosophical focus is ontological (questions about existence)

Brian McHale's Concepts

  • Modernism as a detection story
  • Postmodernism as science fiction
  • Questions in postmodernist fiction often relate to existence, such as:
    • Is this the only reality?
    • Are there parallel universes?

Key Characteristics of Postmodernism

  1. Challenge to Grand Narratives

    • Post-1960s counterculture movement
    • Resistance to universal truths in religion, history, etc.
    • Inclusion of diverse voices (women, minorities, LGBTQ+, developing world)
  2. Intertextuality

    • No standalone texts; stories incorporate other stories or texts
    • Rewriting history or mixing historical texts within new narratives
    • Pastiche: Mixture of different works, reworking previous works into something new
  3. Metafiction

    • References within the narrative to elements outside of it
    • Can highlight or contrast realities
    • Example: Salman Rushdie's Shame
  4. Self-Reflexivity

    • Texts point to their own creation or fictionality
    • Examples: Italo Calvino’s If on a winter’s night a traveler, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five
  5. Parody

    • Playful or comedic reinvention of historical or fictional works
    • Reflects on other novels or historical events with a twist

Conclusion

  • Postmodernist literature:
    • Arises post-1960s
    • Offers incredulity towards grand narratives
    • Embraces smaller, diverse narratives
    • Engages with history, parody, intertextuality, pastiche, metafiction, and self-reflexivity
  • Further Exploration:
    • Longer lecture available
    • Encouragement to engage with questions
    • Invitation to subscribe for more content