Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a literary movement that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. 

The 1960s are often considered to be a breakthrough decade for its development (Nunning 621). While postmodernism could be considered as a continuation of the experiments of modernism, it is also a reaction to the modernist tradition. It is associated with pursuing to overthrow the elitist notion of “high art” by utilizing elements of what could be viewed as “mass culture”. Works of postmodern literature typically blend genres, cultural influences, and stylistic levels while rejecting traditional literary classification (Abrams 168).

A postmodern text can usually be considered as “open” with indeterminate meaning. The role of the reader has been elevated, and the reader became crucial as a participant (Ashton 1). As the postmodern literary movement encourages experimentation, it is typical to find many fantastical and absurd elements, with the use of metafiction and intertextuality also being highly characteristic for this movement (Nunning 622).

An example of a postmodern work could be Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel Catch-22. The story has several storylines which are out of chronological order. A crucial element of Catch-22 is the use of paradox and its absurd consequences as the book's characters try to navigate the nonsensical military rules so they can return home. 

Other examples of postmodern authors and their works:

Rushdie, Salman – The Satanic Verses

Nabokov, Vladimir – Lolita

Morrison, Toni – Beloved

Vonnegut, Kurt – Slaughterhouse-Five

Works cited:

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Heinle & Heinle, 1999. 

Ashton, Jennifer. From Modernism to Postmodernism: American Poetry and Theory in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 2006. 

Nünning, Ansgar. Lexikon Teorie Literatury a Kultury. Host, 2006.

Author of the page: Petr Eller