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:
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