Literary Criticism Of Postmodernism

    Postmodernism is a form of literature which is marked both stylistically and ideologically, by a reliance on such literary conventions as unreliable narrators , parody, unrealistic plots, dark humor and authorial self-reference.  A Girl’s Story written by David Arnason is a perfect example of postmodernism because David tends to ignore the traditional limitation of structure. He uses the power of his mind to develop his story (A Girl’s Story). David uses the cultures and classes to create a limitation free story that anyone can enjoy and understand.

According to Neil Bessner (Bessner), postmodernism is a "slippery term to define" (15). If we look at the literal meaning of the word in a regular dictionary, we may encounter something like "a style and movement in art […] in the late 20th century that reacts against modern styles, for example by mixing features form traditional and modern styles" . In fact, it has extended many of the fundamental techniques and assumptions of modern literature. A lot of aspects and characteristics of this relatively new current are well exposed in short stories such as "Happy Endings" by Margaret Atwood (Atwood) and "Videotape" by Don Delillo (Delillo). In this essay, we will first look at

Before the Civil War, during the literary movements of Transcendentalism and Romanticism, many Americans looked at the world in an optimistic point of view. After the Civil War during the Reconstruction Era, many changed their outlook from optimistic to a more realistic outlook on life. The time period between 1870 and 1910 was when the literary movements, Realism and Naturalism in literature became prominent. Authors like Stephen Crane and Mary Chesnut wrote novels that followed these movements. These writings helped influence today’s writers to write more about current events and how they affect people. The movements are still relevant today as it can be shown through the arts of authors like; Jerry Spinelli, Nancy Werlin, and Patricia McCormick.

The post modern literary period started after World War II, it is characterized by the reliance on narrative techniques such as paradox, unreliable narrator, pigmentation, etc.

Literary modernism was a reaction against realism which was developed to depict real rural life (Campbell, 2017). As people begun to relocate to city areas many writers and artist took to redefining the meaning of a realistic life. It was believed that one way of life no longer fit for everyone and modernism introduced literature and art that began to question and show various perspectives of life. Peter Childs explains that “modernist writing “plunges” the reader into confusing and difficult mental landscape which cannot be immediately understood…” (Childs 15). Uncommon poetry and prose stemmed from this modernist development. A popular one being Nella Larsen’s Passing, which encompasses two African American women who are particularly

Postmodernism is a middle-to-late twentieth-century movement that is often exceptionally difficult to define and categorize. Beginning sometime after World War II and continuing into the present, postmodernism is often categorized as a revolt to modernism. The authors focus their writing on many characteristics such as there is no reality, meaning that all observations are assembled by outside forces and that all insights are potentially incorrect. Postmodernism has grown into what it is because of the technological growth of America as well. It responds to those changes and incorporates these ideas into the writing. Postmodernism also seeks to reanalyze society and history. Instead of just going with writing the way it has been forever, the writing seeks to question anything and everything. Then, just when the answer is there, postmodernism questions that as well. There are many themes and styles associated with postmodern writing. Fragmentation, irony, pastiche, metafiction, and unreliable narrator are some of these themes and styles. Fred Chappell, author of I Am One of You Forever, focuses on the theme of the unreliable narrator to tell a tale about Jess, a young boy from Eastern North Carolina, and his recollection of thoughts.

The article compares the postmodernist work of Barry Hannah and William Faulkner. Williamson explains how Americans have relied on writers from the south such as Faulkner and Hannah and how the writers have been the ones to describe America’s grand metaphors. The article explains how the world has changed in the postmodern era. Williamson criticizes the work of other writers like Pynchon and explains how postmodern dread like nausea, angst and dread are manifested in the work of Hannah. Williamson explores the opinions of other postmodern writers from the south and compares them to those of Barry Hannah. The article discusses Hannah’s depiction of the American South as a place populated by destitute, aimless and romanticized people. In the article, Williamson discusses Barry Hannah’s works like Coming Close to Donna, Constant Pain in Tuscaloosa, Yonder Stands Your Orphan and highlights the postmodern themes that are evident in the texts. Williamson analyzes themes of racial and religious conflict as illustrated by Hannah in his writing. The article encourages people to shun other southern writers and to embrace the work of Barry Hannah and his contemporaries who write indulgent fiction. Williamson explains why Barry Hannah expresses a postmodernist mindset in his writing. He praises Barry Hannah for his apt portrayal of the postmodern American south in his writing.

Every story, poem, play, and any piece of literature has at least one of many literary devices in common. Theme remains a constant part of every literary artwork. Modernism literature has themes that touch The Great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance, and post-World War 1 realism. Modernism began in 1915 right after the first World War; writers became jaded and bitter with experience. These themes are expressed in “A Dream Deferred’’ by Langston Hughes, “A Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway, and “On a Play Twice Seen” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Brick and mortar institutions become more irrelevant with time. Individuals that are ideologically motivated hasten the inevitable collapse of burdensome businesses that don’t put people first. The difficulty is when distorted senses of ‘justice’ lead to dynamics that repress free speech. Decumbent yet forceful leadership in businesses and governments leads to a great many problems; humans have a dualistic nature, and to ignore the potential for unforeseeable consequences is reckless. Postmodernist critiques may be written in an attempt to help make the criminal justice system better; here again, many suitable word associations that are interesting can be declared as both good and correct in a sense that is not at all sanctimonious.

The Norton Anthology of American Literature defines and explains American Modernism through a historical lens and further emphasizes the significant social changes of the era. The American Modernist era is situated between two world wars and a devastating economic depression. The anthology describes these impactful events as a catalyst for social, political, technological, and philosophical change. America lost a sense of identity and entered into a quest to find meaning in all aspects of life.

The psychological aspect behind its pages defines it as a true Modernist novel. Modernism was created during a time period when it was about reaching the top. When trying to get there, emotionally a person could excel or collapse. Ask any athlete during a state game. Ask any military officer in the midst of an attack. Ask any person when they have an obstacle standing between them and their goals. The stakes are high. The pressure is on. And anything can happen. Those people don’t define themselves by what they have. They identify themselves by what they make out of the things at hand and how they go about to finding

Post modernism was commonly known in the late 20th century and is characterized by individualism, identity, architectures, and the scientific revolution which is the source of knowledge. It is the way that people think and look at the world today, post-modernism is how it shapes the reality of things. A person that was really known during the post modernism time was Kurt Vonnegut because of his themes, and literary style during the post-modernism time. The postmodern style was very different from the modern style.

Modernism took place in the late 19th century and early 20th century, more specifically the years following World War I (“Modernism in literature” 1). The novel Angela’s Ashes, written in 1996, is considered a work of modernism. Writers often talked about historical events, due “ (feeling) that they were at the end of history.” (“Modernism” 504).

Modernist themes can be seen all throughout American Literature beginning in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The idea that the traditional values of old were no longer relevant in a modernizing, industrialized world were prevalent in modernist writings. The modernist writers felt as if something inside of them had been lost. They were constantly asking the question “what am I supposed to believe in now”? As if they felt this void inside of them that they could not seem to fill. Many of these writers saw life as fragments lying on the ground waiting for someone to come along and make sense of them, but it seems as if no one ever did for them. They began to have a negative outlook on life which reflected in their work. Works such as

Postmodern really means antimodern. Society has already begun to move decisively away from a set of ideals and heroes. It seems that most new hires are more into tribal nature. Eastern Europe is becoming unglued along the ethnic and religious lines. India suffers from the same religious conflict as well. Italy and Canada seem to be having or leading to the same problem. Movement are resurfacing all over the world. In America, the question is what is the glue that can hold us together. That is what you would think that would be on most minds of thoughtful observers of the social and political scene.