BY:AWATIF SYAZA INTAN KAMELPostmodernism

What is Postmodernism?Postmodernism is a term that encompasses a wide-range of developments in philosophy, film, architecture, art, literature, and culture. Originally a reaction to modernism, referring to the lack of artistic, intellectual, or cultural thought or organized principle. Started around 1940s, exact date is unknown. Peaked around the 1960s and 1970s with the release of Catch 22 and Slaughterhouse Five

Postmodern LiteratureWhat is it? - Used to describe the different aspects of post WW2 literature (modernist literature). - There is not a clear and defined definition of postmodernism because of the little agreement of the concepts and characteristics and ideas within postmodernism.

Postmodernist LiteraturePostmodernist Literature contains a broad range of concepts and ideas that include:- responses to modernism and its ideas- responses to technological advances- greater diversity of cultures that leads to cultural pluralism. (small groups within a larger society maintain their culture identity). - reconceptualizations of society and history

Postmodern LiteratureThere are a few similarities to modernist literature.Like modernist literature, both are usually told from an objective or omniscient point of view.Both literatures explore the external reality to examine the inner states of consciousness of the charactersBoth employ fragmentation in narrative and character construction

Postmodern Literature: Common ThemesIrony, playfulness, black humor- Example: The Crying Lot of 49, Pynchon uses childish wordplay while discussing serious subjects. An example of his wordplay can be found in the names of his characters: Mike Fallopian, Stanley Koteks, Mucho Maas, and Dr. Hilarius.

Postmodern Literature: Common ThemesPatiche - Authors often combine multiple elements in the postmodern genre. Example: Pynchon includes elements from science fiction, pop culture references, and detective fiction to create fictional cultures and concepts.

Postmodern Literature: Common ThemesMetafiction- Writing about writing, often used to undermine the authority of the author and to advance stories in unique ways.Example: In Italo Calvinos novel, If On a Winters Night a Traveler, is about a reader attempting to read a novel of the same name. In Kurt Vonneguts novel, Slaughterhouse Five, the first chapter is about the writing process of the novel.

Postmodern Literature: Common ThemesParanoia -The belief that there is something out of the ordinary, while everything remains the same. Example: In Kurt Vonneguts novel, Breakfast of Champions, a character becomes violent when he imagines everyone else as a robot and he is the only human.

Postmodern Literature: Influential worksCatch 22 Joseph HellerSlaughterhouse Five Kurt VonnegutLost in the Funhouse John BarthThe Things They Carried Tim OBrienWhite Noise Don DeLilloGravitys Rainbow Thomas PynchonThe Crying of Lot 49 Thomas Pynchon

References"Joseph Heller." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 19 Mar 2008, 05:42 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Mar 2008 .

"Kurt Vonnegut." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 Mar 2008, 18:26 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Mar 2008

"List of postmodern authors." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 Mar 2008, 12:37 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Mar 2008 . "Postmodern literature." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 Mar 2008, 16:46 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Mar 2008 .

"Thomas Pynchon." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Mar 2008, 14:23 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Mar 2008 .