Postmodernism
in Literature
Let’s review…
• Romanticism
• Realism
• Naturalism
• Modernism
• Postmodernism
You should notice a growing
pessimism and bleakness in
philosophy and literature.
What about
WWII would
change the
way
people see
the world?
 Holocaust
 First attack on US in decades
 The use of the atom bomb in Japan
 The spread of communism in Europe and
Asia
 The Red Scare
 The Cold War
 Nuclear Arms Race
 1950’s society splits between conservative,
family-oriented values, versus those left out
of the American Dream, as seen in the Civil
Rights Movement, Beat Poets, Unions, etc.
 A rise in technology: computers introduced in
the 1960s: now a daily part of life
Postmodernism:
What is it?
• This period began with WWII
and overlaps in time with
Modernism
• It’s very similar in its themes
and forms to Modernism,
except it seems to celebrate
“insanity,” or the idea that
there are no universal truths,
more than Modernism.
So how are the two
periods different?
Commonalities
• Fragmentation – in plot, characters,
theme, images, and overall storyline.
• Loss is a significant theme.
• The destruction of the family unit.
• Characters may be given little or no
physical description, and one or more
characters is usually an "outcast."
• Authority figures are often untrustworthy,
reflecting the question of truth.
• Movement away from religion.
• The reversal of traditional roles
Famous
Works/Authors
• Joseph Heller, Catch-22
• Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho
• Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
• Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s
Tale