According to David Lodge realistic literature is based on “ their obsession with form to neglect the content and the third person omniscient mode is more often used to assert or imply the existence of society or history, than of heaven and hell. Therefore, modernist fiction eschews the straight chronological ordering of realistic material and the use of reliable omniscient intrusive narrator”. In her novel, Jeanette Winterson uses a “method of multiple points of view” and her novel “tends towards a fluid and complex handling of time, involving much cross-reference backwards and forwards across the chronological span of the action”. We can reinforce this idea by quoting Linda Hutcheon, who says: “the postmodern artist was no longer the …show more content…
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The Biblical characters become actors playing their own roles in their pre-written story. (…)
It is clear Noah who masters the discourse. Because the revision of the Genesis is presented in a dialogue between Bunny Mix and Noah, Noah using the first person and Bunny Mix the second person singular. Noah revises Genesis for posterity, in collaboration with Bunny Mix (137-138). As Author, film director and inventor of the whole story, he is perfectly conscious of his power.
Not only Jeanette Winterson re-writes the story of the bible using puns and metaphors, but she also succeeds in caricatures all the characters of the Bible, which make the reader laugh from beginning to end. We can say that fact and fiction interact. Real life is a text and the language and discourse come first. History follows no divine plan. History is the great metanarratives of man history. Man is not progressing in a linear faction. For Eileen Wanquet, “ not only is linear time destabilised by a dizzying contortion, but space also is decentred”. And Linda Hutcheon adds that:
“ Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to say that the postmodern’s initial concern is to de-naturalize some of the dominant features of our way of life; to point out that those entities that we unthinkingly experience as “natural” are in fact” cultural”
Bruce Waltke begins his argument by establishing the opponent’s view. Waltke writes that forms of criticism hold “that most of the literature of the Old Testament had a long oral prehistory before being written down” (17). Waltke seeks to refute this claim by establishing that “biblical literature had a short oral prehistory
In the sixth chapter of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster examines the Bible and its importance throughout stories, poetry and film. The Bible is one of the most commonly known pieces of literature and is even “nonsectarian” in Foster’s eyes (44). Because stories from the Bible are so well known, the Bible is a tremendously easy for authors to reference when constructing a new composition. Especially “prior to sometime in the middle of the twentieth century” writers were “solidly instructed in religion” and could count on the public being very well acquainted with Biblical stories (47). This widespread knowledge of the Bible lead to greater understandings throughout literature, and the recognized allusions helped
The presence of fundamental storytelling methods across the globe establishes a universal connection between societies. Contrasting cultures influence variation among symbolism and moral values, however collective literary essentials exist. For instance, an abundance of flood stories that expand across the world verifies a connection among the traditions of mankind. The strong resemblance between the flood accounts in the ancient Mesopotamian myth The Epic of Gilgamesh and the biblical narrative of Noah’s Ark in The Genesis propose a closer relationship that encourages further analysis. The major plot points are echoed in both texts despite differentiation of detail, however the crucial distinctions are observed through the contrasting religious themes. In contrast to Gilgamesh, the Genesis is a religious narrative that promotes monotheistic ideals. Both texts articulate nearly identical scenarios, however the Genesis adaptation provides a Christian perspective by offering moral interpretation. Further exploration of both assists in the determination of significance between the differences.
Throughout the course of the semester, we have constantly talked about and expressed the idea of reading the Bible in a historical context. Picking out the pieces that coincide with evidence that has been found with archeological findings, the accuracy of dates, and important people. The critical study of the Bible is to look at the book as a piece of historical text. The use of our “historical lens” allows us to pick out to various pieces that appear to be factual. Using this analysis of looking at the Bible through our “historical glasses”, we can understand the true meaning of the Bible in its original historical setting.
Although the core plots of Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” and Neil Burger’s Divergent are different, there are similarities between them. One similarity I have found is the way both Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” and Neil Burger’s Divergent use the postmodern quality of feelings of anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty in their respective works.
There is much debate over the historical accuracy of the Hebrew Bible and The Epic of Gilgamesh. Some claim that to understand a work of literature requires extensive knowledge of the background of this work. The contrary position is that a work of literature can be interpreted solely on it’s content. The meaning of the term classical literature is that it can be applied during any period of time, it is eternal. Yet the conditions surrounding the author might still be of interest to the reader, and of importance to the work. As with many cases, the truth is somewhere in between the two extremes. Both sides have valid arguments about the importance of historicity.
Postmodernism is a term that lacks a definitive definition. According to Fabe, postmodernism has become meaningless, which is ironically appropriate because one of the core concerns of postmodernism is meaningless (173). Mast and Kawin note that “postmodernism analyzes a world without a definitive center,” and builds on references to popular culture (630). In class, we discussed that postmodernism comments on contemporary culture, often through quotation, appropriation, borrowing, homage, reusing, and recycling. After watching the two postmodern films, Annie Hall and How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman, I think postmodernism fits into all of these definitions. I also think postmodern films offer a sort of truth that is often unrecognizable
In this particular section, Oswalt begins by arguing that you cannot rationalize calling the Bible a myth until you have a clear definition of the word “myth.” He continues by pointing out how difficult it is to actually define what a “myth” is. Oswalt emphasizes that “Rogerson goes so far as to say that there are so many differences in opinion on the subject that no one definition is possible.”4 The definitions for the word “myth” can be divided into two distinct categories: historical-philosophical and the phenomenological, or descriptive. Regardless of the analysis of the word “myth” and its various meanings, Oswalt concludes that Bible is definitely not a myth in way, shape, form, or fashion. He writes, “Rather it is a rehearsal of the nonrepeatable acts of God in identifiable time and in concert with human beings. Its purpose is to provoke human choices and behavior through the medium of memory.”5
A weakness of postmodernism, its central one according to critics, lies in its refusal to point out an alternative path for social life. Postmodernists assert that all aspects of social life are subject to the same dynamics so as such, there is
Postmodernism is a term which is highly contested in the sociological world, where it is used to indicate a significant detachment from modernism. It is easier to give the uses of the term; ‘to give a name to the present historical period, to name a specific style in arts and architecture and to name a point of rupture or disjuncture in epistemology’ (Buchanan, 2010). For this,
Post Modernism Perspective’s- "According to postmodern perspectives, existing theories have been unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post industrialization, consumerism, and global communications (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29).”Postmodern theories are based on the assumption that the rapid social change that occurs as societies move from modern to postmodern (or postindustrial) conditions has a harmful effect on people. One evident change is the significant decline in the influence of social institutions such as the family, religion, and education on people’s lives. Those who live in postmodern societies typically pursue individual freedom and do not want the structural constraints that are imposed by social institutions (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29). "Postmodern (or “postindustrial”) societies are characterized by an information explosion and an economy in which large numbers of people either provide or apply information, or they are employed in professional occupations (such as lawyers and physicians) or service jobs (such as fast-food servers and health care workers). (Kendall, 01/2014, pp. 29-30)
When studying any piece of literature there are many different methods and techniques that can be used. The Bible, in specific, is often referred to as a source of moral code, hope, and answers to social, ethical, and political questions. However, this incredibly influential book can also be read as if it were any other novel. The events, settings, and characters can all be evaluated for what they are, forgetting the notion that they are from a religious text. This approach is called narrative criticism. When regarding to the Bible in this way, we do not need to know any historical information or focus on seeking a deeper theological meaning. Instead, the stories are evaluated in terms of how
project for "any attempt at a postmodernist 'method' is contradictory (an impossible possibility)" (25). In one of the most
Postmodern writing evolved around WWII in response to Modernism that dominated the 19th c. The two writing styles share many characteristics, but the defeated modernist wallows in his realizations whereas the postmodernist offers a light or hope in conclusion. There is still a sense of foreboding for the postmodernist concerning science and technology. However, they are able to forge past their distrust, accept it as a logical progression, and begin to embrace some elements of advancement. Postmodernists have also lost faith in transcendence and spirituality, but to counter this loss they search and find hope in mystical forces or worldly treasures. Objective reality doesn’t exist for them either, but
The main features of a postmodernist are that he or she is overly subjective, sensitive towards the role of ideology in assertion and maintenance of political and economic power. On the other hand, a modernist for example, there exists objective natural reality which is independent of human beings, their practices and relationships (Duignan, 2014). Such realities