Postmodern Literature

By Shreya Venkataraghavan

Postmodern literature had its origins in the late 1950’s and can be considered the successor of the modernist movement in literature. Postmodernism has been revolutionary in the way that it has really tested the limits and pushed the boundaries of what society deems to be traditional literature.

Although there has been significant debate over the exact timing of the emergence of postmodern literature, most scholars agree that it blossomed in the post-World War II era. This was a time of radical social, cultural and political change. Some of the defining characteristics of postmodern literature can be attributed to the social climate of the time.

For instance, satire and black humor feature heavily in postmodern works. Dark subjects are often broached in a playful/humorous manner. Joseph Heller’s ‘Catch-22’ is a great example of a postmodern work that is centered around satire and tragic ironies. It follows the story of a World War II captain and his experiences while serving in the army.

Fragmentation is another key characteristic of postmodern works. Fragmented narratives challenge the idea of the traditional linear storyline by jumbling up the beginning, middle and end of a plot. The narrative may start out in the middle, jump back to the past and possibly fast forward to the future. This usually serves to help build feelings of suspense, tension and anticipation in the readers.

Postmodernist poetry also relies heavily on fragmentation. Fragmentation in poetry involves interrupting phrases, jumping from one image to another, breaking the flow, etc.

It is often used as a tool to capture and shift the readers attention from one image/symbol to another.

An unreliable narrator is another important trope in postmodernist pieces. When a story’s narrator is unreliable, it means that the reader cannot fully rely on the narrator’s events to be completely accurate due to the character’s mental state or intentions. This serves to further engage the reader in attempting to analyze and interpret what is actually going on rather than simply relying on what they are being told.

Techniques such as fragmentation and an unreliable narrator intend to make things less straightforward. Such techniques succeed in grasping the readers’ attention. Another technique utilized by postmodernists to add a hint of disorder to a narrative is paradox. A paradox is something that seems absurd and self-contradictory.

‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis is a great example of a postmodern piece.

Published in 1991, the novel tells the story of a New York investment banker who also happens to be a serial killer. The book alternates rapidly between comedy and horror and is told in first person. Both of these are defining aspects of postmodern literature.

Many argue that when it comes to literature we are now in a post-postmodern era.

Regardless, contemporary works rely heavily on postmodern techniques. Fragmentation

and disorder are a huge part of poetry as poets continue to push boundaries when it comes to what people consider to be a poem. Writers continue to employ unreliable narrators, fragmentation, black humor, etc. in their works in order to create suspense.

Literature is, however, an everchanging landscape and common tropes and stylistic techniques will evolve in the years to come.