POSTMODERNISM

[syreeta]

I was wondering if anyone has been studying or has ever studied postmodernism before. I was wondering what your definitions are that make a work "postmodern". Catch-22, Beloved, and The Woman Warrior are some of the works that I have read so far in my postmodern class and I have enjoyed them all, yet the concept of what makes something truly postmodern is still a little hazy to me. Any feedback concerning postmodernism or any of these books would be greatly appreciated. This is one of my assignments, to post a question or to participate in a discussion, so any replies would be really, truly nice. Thankyou.

[den]

Hi Syreeta...
Po mo huh? maybe you know this already ;)
From Dictionary.com

"Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes: “It [a roadhouse]is so architecturally interesting... with its postmodern wooden booths and sculptural clock” (Ruth Reichl).

So like a classically-based study of contrasts. The movie `Get Shorty' is a good example of po mo. Gangsters and glamour in modern day Hollywood. `Oh Brother Where Art Thou' another po mo example based on `The Odyssey'.

As for books, they often deal with (the oh so classic theme of) questions of identity: the protagonist wants to know who he or she is and is sent on a `quest'. An simplistic example. Often they use pluralistic representations of humans, truth, or history.

[AbdoRinbo]

Continuing where den left off:

Postmodern works of fiction usually try to represent the loss and scattering of one's identity. Good examples of this are, of course, Catch-22, The Sirens of Titan, On the Road, Finnegans Wake, Gravity's Rainbow, Slaughterhouse Five, &c. Identity is the most fundamental contradiction; all signs are hollow, relative. With postmodernism came the rise of the Anti-Hero (Capt. Yossarian, Malachi Constant, HCE, Tyrone Slothrop, and so on), it ceased to be a battle of Good vs. Evil because the two always come hand-in-hand.

Other dichotomies are torn down, too: Male/Female (Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler), Normality/Madness (Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari), Western/Eastern (Edward Said), Subject/Object (Michel Foucault), Being/Nothingness (Martin Heidegger, William V. Spanos), &c. This is why in a lot of postmodern novels (even in the West), you find gender troubled characters, schizophrenics, minorities, and so forth. Typically a postmodern character is someone whose circumstances you look down upon. It's meant to make life seem absurd, to throw into doubt all of our fundamental truths (which are usually just social constructs). Albert Camus is a perfect example.

[aprildew]

I've used to think that postmodernism was an anything goes kinda genre. I've read some pretty odd things. But I agree with AbdoRinbo that the typical ideas are torn down and we are able to see a story in between the text. I've particularly enjoyed readings that identify with cultures that have typically been silenced or unknown. What are some of your favority postmodern favs.

aprildew

[anubanu]

has anyone studied frederic jameson'scultural logic of late capitalism from postmodernism.i'll appreciate if somebody could help me regarding this
---like suggesting some site etc
thanks

[Koa]

Last time postmodernism came into my studies I realised I really don't like it. No time to elaborate this thought at the moment.

[Sindhu]

has anyone studied frederic jameson'scultural logic of late capitalism from postmodernism.i'll appreciate if somebody could help me regarding this
---like suggesting some site etc
thanks
www.questia.com/popularSearches/fredric_jameson.jsp -
The whole book online. (the catch, you get only bits and pieces free, you have to subscribe for the rest)
www.unibas.ch/anglist/links/theory/theory.htm (excerpt)
http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/jameson/excerpts/postmod.html (very useful list of terms and concepts)
www.cas.usf.edu/JAC/132/mckoski.html (postmodern critique of Jameson)

www.scu.edu.au/schools/hmcs/human/writing/introwrittext/lectureNotes/Lecture11.html
Interesting lecture which discusses the capitalism/ Postmodernism relation.

www.fims.uwo.ca/people/faculty/dyerwitheford/Chapter7.pdf
This particular chapter focuses on Jameson's arguments, the other chapters are also informative.
Hope this helps, I'd like to discuss this sometime if you would like it.

[anubanu]

thanks for suggesting the sites.......i would appreciate if you could discuss this