Postmodernism in literature essentially means writing that’s concerned with writing itself. It’s a self-reflexive and metalinguistic approach; the idea is to pay attention to what frames the world, even the very ink and pages used to write, say, a story or poem. All of these are subjects in postmodernist thought, as though one is looking through infinite mirrors, explains John Eilermann, a St. Louis comparative literature student.
In postmodernist literature, the narrator becomes heavily involved in the said framing, often coming across as questionable or open to scrutiny as the characters themselves. In other words, he or she is not detached from the narrative; unlike in the linear progression of modernist story arcs, the point of view can reflect the narrator, the medium, and even the reader in a paradoxical sort of way.
One way to approach the postmodernist text is to treat both language and structure as part of the so-called “consciousness” of the work. Again, it’s the framing that’s most important, leading to this suspect or unreliable narrator. In any case, style and ideology merge to utilize literary terms like fragmentation, author self-referencing, dark humor, and parody.
Multiplicity in meaning is preferred in postmodernist literature over singular insights. This is because the idea is to involve the reader in the meaning-making, which we often see in devices or techniques such as intertextuality, non-linear timelines, metafiction, magical realism, and pastiche. St. Louis-based comparative literature student John Eilermann names Samuel Beckett and Bret Easton Ellis as two of the first purveyors of the postmodernist movement.
Comparative Literature studentJohn Eilermannis based in St. Louis, Missouri. He likes the cross-disciplinary approach of the program, which enables students to take courses in philosophy, politics, and culture while allowing for the intersection of literature and history. Visit this pagefor more of John’s writings.
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| Image source: electricliterature.com |
In postmodernist literature, the narrator becomes heavily involved in the said framing, often coming across as questionable or open to scrutiny as the characters themselves. In other words, he or she is not detached from the narrative; unlike in the linear progression of modernist story arcs, the point of view can reflect the narrator, the medium, and even the reader in a paradoxical sort of way.
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Image source: loopingworld.com
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Multiplicity in meaning is preferred in postmodernist literature over singular insights. This is because the idea is to involve the reader in the meaning-making, which we often see in devices or techniques such as intertextuality, non-linear timelines, metafiction, magical realism, and pastiche. St. Louis-based comparative literature student John Eilermann names Samuel Beckett and Bret Easton Ellis as two of the first purveyors of the postmodernist movement.
Comparative Literature studentJohn Eilermannis based in St. Louis, Missouri. He likes the cross-disciplinary approach of the program, which enables students to take courses in philosophy, politics, and culture while allowing for the intersection of literature and history. Visit this pagefor more of John’s writings.
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