PMD - Postmodernism Module Overview

Postmodernism Module Overview

Postmodernism - This literature comments on itself, criticizes itself, takes itself apart, and encourages the reader to put everything back together again. As we have seen, literature is often reflective of the time period during which it is produced. The aftermath of World War II ushered in an age of rapid development in science and technology. The postwar years offered many Americans increased opportunities for economic and cultural growth, but the individual person often seemed lost in this fast-paced, computerized world.

Postmodernism sees contemporary culture as a change - a development or departure - from Modernism. Much of it is extremely self-conscious. This literature comments on itself, criticizes itself, takes itself apart, and encourages the reader to put everything back together again. The vitality of contemporary fiction also lies in its cultural diversity, in its enthusiasm for blending fiction with nonfiction, and in its extraordinary playfulness. It also seems typically American because it re-energizes the old with the new. Contemporary poets felt that Modernist poetry was impersonal, allusive, and difficult. They sought to write poetry that was more personal, while fiction writers allowed for multiple meanings and multiple worlds in their works.

Literature, too, is often a means of social protest and community change, creating history and influencing current events. When groups or individuals find themselves without power in other arenas, the pen can often become their sword. 20th-century America saw many groups turning to rhetoric to air grievances and add a contributing voice to the national discussion. From speeches and essays to the spoken word poetry of today, words have been used to challenge the status quo and call Americans to become better versions of themselves.

 

 Essential Questions

  1. Despite the diversity, what are some common themes and elements found in Postmodern literature?
  2. How has the literature of the previous literary and historical periods influenced Postmodern literature?
  3. How can literature be used to critique society and argue for change?
  4. How can I use my voice to express my individuality?
  5. How can I better prepare for the GA Milestones exam?

 

KEYTERMS Knowing your key terms can help unlock the doors to valuable information in this module. Study these words before moving on! Keep them close and consider printing a list or making notecards. Key Terms

  1. Dystopia: negative, imaginary world in which society is highly controlled
  2. Point of view: the perspective from which a story is told
  3. Speaker: the narrator of a story or the person speaking in a poem
  4. Narrator: the character or voice telling the story
  5. Characterization: the way a writer helps the reader understand what kind of person a certain character is. Methods of characterization include direct description; the character's speech, actions, and thoughts; and other characters' thoughts and speech about the character
  6. Stanza: a group of lines in a poem separated by line spacing from other lines; its function is similar to that of a paragraph in prose
  7. Atmosphere: the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys through the description of setting and objects within it
  8. Tone: the speaker's attitude toward the subject or the audience
  9. Irony: a contrast between expectations and reality; types of irony include verbal, situational, dramatic, and ironic vision
  10. Theme: a text's central message or observation about life
  11. Imagery: language and description that appeals to our five senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch
  12. Symbol: an object used to represent a larger or more significant idea
  13. Metaphor: usually defined as a comparison between a familiar object and unfamiliar object that doesn't use "like" or "as," but it also means any use of a word or phrase that isn't meant to be taken literally
  14. Simile: a type of metaphor that is directly stated, usually with the words "like" or "as"
  15. Personification: figure of speech in which a thing, an idea, or an animal is presented as if it is alive and has human characteristics
  16. Allusion: A reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, sports, politics, science, or some other branch of culture; these are a sort of code that add a lot of meaning to a text without taking up a lot of space
  17. Hyperbole: exaggeration designed to make a point
  18. Enjambment:   a poetic technique that carries the meaning from one line to the next without stopping for a comma or period
  19. Antithesis: s statement that places two sharply contrasting or opposite ideas together using parallel structure

 

Self-Assessment

Complete the following self-assessment to check your understanding of the module's key terms.

 

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS