POST MODERNISM

Post Modernism is the term used to describe literature and art after World War II.

Modernism refers mainly to literature after World War I. the horrors of war made writers question traditional European society. Traditional themes and modes could no longer represent the harsh realities of the post-World War I world. The narrative is fragmented (stream of consciousness) there is a reversal of traditional symbols (Avant-garde) e.g., Eliot.

Post modernism carries this tradition further. The effects of World War II – atomic warfare, holocaust, - are even more traumatic. Therefore, post modernism brings our themes like absurdity of life, uselessness, etc. It also uses humor etc., which can be understood by everybody. Post-modernist writers purposely twist conventional aspects of literature such as the plot, the hero of the story, etc., to show that existence is meaningless or absurd. E.g., Theatre of the Absurd – Samuel Beckett. There is no coherent plot – two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for a person called Godot who may or may not exist – ‘Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful’ – (often funny).

Post-modernist literature is antihero – the hero is portrayed as a pathetic character, ineffective, passive, not powerful, glorious, and brave. E.g., Arthur Miller – The Death of a Salesman.

Post-modernist writers use stream of consciousness as their form of narrative – long passages of introspection, continuous flow of the characters mental process.