Postmodernism

Or POMO for short

Historical Context

• Period after WW2 (post-1945)• Vietnam War (1955-75)• Characterized by rapid change:–Air travel is commonplace–New methods of communication–Computers are integrated into life

Characteristics

• Complex, impersonal, and commercial nature of today’s world.• Avoids the possibility of meaning.• Concerned with the individual in

isolation.• Based on personal experience.• Deep awareness of the landscape.

Writing Style

• Fragmentation (continue Modern tradition)• New literary forms–Compose works from dialogue alone–Blend fiction and nonfiction/fantasy

and realism

Famous Writers

• David Foster Wallace• Sylvia Plath• Joyce Carol Oates– She is a professor at Princeton University. Bring

her in for extra credit!• Tim O’Brien– The Things They Carried

• Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor

• Suffered from lupus; this made her sensitive to misfits and outsiders.

• Her stories reflect her strong Catholic faith.– Believed that man would be defeated unless he

acknowledged his obligation to obey God.– Only salvation is divine awareness and

redemption.