Postmodern Literature Research Articles

“So Beautiful That Mortal… Eyes Can’t Take It”: How Postmodernism Shows Us the Function of the Beautiful in the Landscape of the Traumatic

In her 2010 article “Aesthetic Wit(h)nessing in the Era of Trauma”, Griselda Pollock lamented the aperture between psychology, particularly that of PTSD, and esthetics in the search to bear witness to traumatic experience. This article explores the gray area that exists when the esthetic and the traumatic converge, arguing that such areas exist not only as direct representations of the difficulty of narrativizing trauma as described by such theorists as Cathy Caruth, Onno van der Hart, and Bessel van der Kolk, but also simultaneously as windows into the moments of what Dominick LaCapra calls “the sublime object of endless melancholia and impossible mourning”. Postmodernism is argued to be the organic choice of voicing traumatic retellings, and close readings of John Hersey’s proto-postmodern Hiroshima (1946), Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (1992), and David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest (1996) work to highlight the intersections of trauma, postmodern literature, and esthetics; or, in Wallace’s case, theoretical discussions of traumatic tropes as facilitated by the postmodern tradition. In drawing attention to this tripartite convergence, this article hopes to continue in the vein of scholarship that reaffirms the need for evermore research in the field of trauma studies as well as substantiate a claim of the heightened importance of postmodern literature in the 21st century—an epoch indelibly marked by trauma, as noted by Pollock.

Postmodernism Elements in William Falkner's As I Lay Dying

This paper delves into the profound postmodernist traits embodied in William Faulkner's novel, As I Lay Dying, particularly focusing on the concepts of "indeterminacy" and "immanence". Initially, the paper establishes a clear understanding of postmodernism, outlining its definition and characteristics, encompassing Ihab Hassan's theory and conceptualizations of indeterminacy and immanence. Subsequently, the analysis shifts to the exploration of indeterminacy embodied in As I Lay Dying, highlighting its manifestation in the narrative through mentally challenged narrators such as Vardama and the "normal" yet mad Darl. Furthermore, the paper examines the indeterminacy in the plot's progression and the ambiguity of its overarching theme. Beyond indeterminacy, the work also showcases immanence, evident in the stream-of-consciousness narrative, the mission formula, and the profound inner strength of the characters. By dissecting these postmodernist facets, the paper unveils the unique allure and profound depth of As I Lay Dying as a postmodern literary work, emphasizing Faulkner's mastery of the craft and the profoundness of his spirit. Overall, this paper offers a fresh perspective on the novel, serving as a valuable reference for understanding both the work itself and the broader scope of postmodern literature.

POSTMODERNIST VIEWS OF TIME AND SPACE IN LITERATURE

Rejecting canonical narrative forms and ideas, postmodern literature presents a fresh perspective on the passage of time and geographical location. In contrast to the linear and cohesive representations of time and space expected in modernist literature, postmodernist works often embrace dislocation, fragmentation, and distorted timelines. Through metafiction, intertextuality, and non-linear tales, this study investigates how postmodern writers question traditional ideas of space and time. These methods show time as cyclical, irrelevant, or fluid, which disrupts the reader's perception of a steady, chronological development. Similarly, postmodern literature frequently portrays space as hyperreal, fragmented, or disjointed, reflecting a world where the lines between the tangible and the abstract are increasingly blurred. This study analyses seminal postmodern works to see how these changed views of space and time fit into a more extensive critique of postmodern reality, identity, and meaning stability. According to the results, postmodern literature does more than make us rethink the passage of time; it also prompts us to wonder what it means to exist.

Exploring Ambiguity: Literary Significance of Holocaust Representation in Raymond Federman’s To Whom it May Concern

As a significant literary tool and narrative technique, ambiguity is regarded as one of the most common and striking components of postmodern writing. The obscurity in its definition, context and usage leads researchers and literary critics to take interest in this concept and authors to refer to it frequently as well. In this sense, Raymond Federman’s To Whom It May Concern is one of the novels in which ambiguity, as a narrative technique, emerges overtly. This study tries to define and explain the context of ambiguity which is among the major narrative elements of postmodern literature. Likewise, how it appears in the novel and for what purposes authors apply it will be handled. Moreover, how ambiguity is included in the main elements of novel such as the character, theme, time-space, point of view and plot, what apparent and embedded purposes the author has by applying to narrative ambiguity and its connection with the Holocaust will be scrutinised. On the other hand, whether this ambiguity in narrative is a genuine ambiguity or just a narrative clarity intentionally used by the author to steer the readers toward an intended objective will also be discussed.

ROMAN QARİNİN “ÇİNGİZ XAİMANIN RƏQSİ” ROMANINDA POSTMODERNİST ELEMENTLƏR

Postmodernist Elements in Romain Gary’s Novel “The Dance of Genghis Cohn” Summary An outstanding representative of French literature of the 20th century, Romain Gary’s literary career is distinguished by its variety and color. The writer periodically presents the problems of the time he lived in and the Jewish identity to which he belongs. Also in his works “The dance of Genghis Cohn” highlighted the German-Jewish problem in a unique way. Using various principles of the postmodern novel, Romain Gary has created an interesting novel. From this point of view, the article first gives brief information about postmodern literature, and then analyzes the novel. Key words: Postmodernism, French literature, irony, the grotesque, the Holocaust

POSTMODERNIST VIEWS OF TIME AND SPACE IN LITERATURE

The paper analyzes the postmodernist perspectives on time and space portrayed in literature. Postmodernism, as a literary and cultural movement, questions conventional ideas about time and space by highlighting their flexibility, disintegration, and subjective characteristics. Postmodernist literature frequently feature non-linear storylines that blur the distinctions among past, present, and future, interrupting the conventional linear flow of time. Postmodernist literature examines how space is created and dismantled, highlighting its dependence on social and political factors. Spaces are considered to be socially produced structures that mirror and sustain power dynamics and social hierarchies. This paper summarizes the main features of postmodernist perspectives on time and space, emphasizing their influence on narrative organization, identity development, and the examination of power dynamics. The paper highlights the impact of postmodernist views on time and space, such as disrupting conventional narratives, shifting authority, and offering different interpretations of reality. This abstract provides insights on how postmodernist literature questions traditional concepts of time and space, creating opportunities for fresh inquiry and interpretation.

სამყარო ხუან მარსეს თვალით

The topic of the publication is the work of the outstanding author of modern Spanish literature, Juan Marce (1933-2020) and his Georgian translations (translated by K. Jishiashvili, ed. M. Kvachantiradze). Through these texts, the Georgian reader is given the opportunity to discover the author, without whom it is difficult to imagine contemporary Spanish literature, and the publication is the first attempt to study his work in Georgian literary criticism. Among postmodern literature quests magical realism is probably the most appropriate for Marse’s work. Born in Barcelona, the writer spent most of his life in a poor district of the city and the characters of his stories belong to this world: people who have to struggle for existence, for survival every day. The publication examines the text in the context of artistic techniques typical of postmodern literature, which disposes the reader for reminiscences of the images, corresponding to this indication, pushes towards intertextual searches and forces to get involved in interaction. The publication notes that by simulating a mixture of the real and the illusory, the writer manages to make the reader his soulmate, to show how a new reality is born in the consciousness of the character, which has nothing in common with the reality a priori defined by him and which may be the closest to the truth.

Psychological Approach in the Interpretation of 20th Century Kazakh Postmodern Literature.

The aim of the study is to analyse contemporary postmodern literary works of Kazakhstan through the conceptual prism of Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis. To achieve research goals, the following methods were used: axiomatic, content analysis, and comparative. The results of the study determined that contemporary Kazakh writers characterise a large field of motives and ideas that are revealed through text, symbols, and characters. Strong tools for their interpretation were the psychological approaches of Freud and Jung, which are the standards of psychoanalysis and have their own specific features of semantic content. Content analysis of postmodern materials has established that Kazakh stories trace the motives of mythology, religion, relationships and inner spiritual development, which consider the mental differences of the heroes of the storylines. During the psychoanalysis of the works, it was emphasised that postmodernism in the literature of Kazakhstan reflects the rejection of absolute truths, blurring the boundaries between genres, playing with traditional forms and content. Many of the characters in the stories are experiencing an identity crisis, which has been analysed through the Freudian triad and Jung's archetypal images. Kazakh literature, being woven into the cultural and historical heritage of the nation, reflects the features of mentality, socio-cultural transformations, identity and spiritual quest of heroes.

Digitalisasi Sastra Kontemporer Lewat Grafik Novel “Tabi” Karya Marchella FP

The digitization of literature is one of the effects of the postmodern era that cannot be avoided. This literaturebased qualitative research investigates the development of postmodernism in literature, with a primary emphasis on its principles and implications in modern literature. This research aims to find out how postmodernism, especially in the digital era, has an impact on the recognition and sales of modern literary works. Using Marchella FP's novel "Tabi", which was released as a case study in October 2023, this study investigates the role of social media platforms, especially TikTok, in promoting and selling literature. This research emphasizes the important implications of digital postmodernism for future prospects by emphasizing paradigm shifts and enhanced inclusivity in the digital world. Additionally, this research examines the idea of viral marketing and how it relates to spreading literary works through social media platforms such as TikTok. Keywords: Contemporary Literature, Literary Digitization, Postmodernism.

Postmodernist Text as Didactic Teaching Tool for Philologist Students

This article is a theoretical and practical justification for creating courses and didactic materials for offline-online teaching, that is, such a way of studying the subject with students of philology, the effectiveness of which would not depend on the transition from offline to online mode of learning and vice versa. Based on the research the author proposes to study the literature of postmodernism with the help of case study methodology and Trello technology. Shows the use of innovative methods in teaching the philological discipline to improve the level of linguistic and cultural competence of students, as well as ways of presenting the material during the classroom sessions. The article demonstrates how general theoretical and highly specialized practical tasks are combined in one case. Auxiliary didactic material in the form of scientific articles and dissertations is indicated, the purpose of this aspect of the assignment is to teach students how to work with scientific sources. The schemes created for the study of the novel within the framework of case technology are presented. This article describes the methodology for creating an express course for philology students studying the literary direction of postmodernism. This method is relevant during the transition to online learning, when creating electives, in teaching a number of disciplines related to the study of modern literature. The novel by Sasha Sokolov “School for Fools” (“Shkola dlia durakov”) is taken as an example-base, but it can be any novel in the genre of post-structuralism at the discretion of the teacher. Studying the novel of the 20th century, a novel in the genre of post-structuralism, where there is a variety of genre forms, can be a good basis for a quick and effective development of the topic.

A Deconstructive Analysis of Postmodern Themes in Selected John Ashbery Poems

This paper utilizes the deconstruction theory of Jacques Derrida to perform an extremely close reading of some chosen poems by John Ashbery, where the poets portrays the postmodern concepts. It provides a thorough overview of how Ashbery talked about fantasy through the language that later became his signature. By means of the use of Derrida’s approach, it is shown that in the middle are the myriad zones of obscurity, contradiction, and also many interpretations. This poetry, through critical scrutiny of the lingual pattern and the concept/allusion system, enlightens how the principle of Ashbery’s works confuses the approach to traditional thoughts and also perverts semantic stability. This analysis of Ashbery portrayed his questioning wanderings in the sphere of the unattainable notions of the sense in the post-modern context that extend the interpretations of the philosophical basis of postmodern literature.

THE ISSUE OF MODERN KAZAKH POSTMODERNISM AND NEO-MYTHOLOGISM IS IN THE ASPECT OF NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE (BASED ON THE STORIES OF A. KEMELBAYEVA)

The article considers the development of the postmodernism in Kazakh, Russian, and French literature. The research is based on M. Epstein’s theory about the formation of the direction of post-Soviet postmodernism. The theoretical basis of the study was considered in the light of the opinions of such researchers as N. Kuchina, S. Sheyanova, Ye. Zinurova, M. Gontar, A. Maulenov, S. Takirov, S. Altybayeva, N.Syzdykbayev, D. Kaliakbar, B. Syzdykova, A. Kairbekova, B. Orazova. The practical significance of the article is determined within the framework of studying the direction of postmodernism in modern Kazakh literature. The means of the direction of postmodernism which have social, philosophical significance, were considered through the phenomenon of intertext. The main means of the phenomenon of intertextuality are the transfer of methods of simulacrum, reminiscence and postmodernism through mythical plots. The stories “Konyrkaz (Grey goose)”, “Tyrnak (Claw)”, “Yesim (Name)”, “Kosmos (Space)” by A. Kemelbayeva, who contributed to the development of postmodernism in Kazakh literature, are analyzed. The techniques of flexible postmodernism dictate the writer's ability to portray society. The paper describes the role as a national code and highlights the ethnographic character while examining issues with folk understanding, national knowledge, and legendary beliefs in the stories of A. Kemelbayeva from the perspective of intertextuality. The author’s use of mythological knowledge in her novels is examined within the context of contemporary postmodern literature and the neomiphologism dilemma. Postmodernism’s foundational concepts of mythical cognition and understanding are portrayed in a nostalgic, retrospective light, taking into account the unique characteristics of the narrative form. The article’s fundamental thesis is that the theory of the hybrid genre in the contemporary narrative system, transformation, is based on the field of neomyphologism.

Fictional worlds of fantasy and "magical" prose as a space for generating supertext

In this paper, the author addresses the features of the supertexts based on the modern Russian novels, namely postmodern works, the genre of which can be defined as fantasy. One of the areas of research is the interpretation of the author's myth, as well as understanding the role of myth in literature. The subject of the study is an end-to-end code that unites the prosaic macrocycles of modern authors as a supertext unity. The object of the study is the macrotext as a format of a literary work in the literature of modern Russian writers. The authors consider in detail such aspects of the topic as the cross-cutting theme of an alien / adopted / unrecognized / illegitimate child and its connection with the genus and family, and the implementation of this theme in novels combined into trilogies or macrocycles. Both general scientific research methods and specialized philological ones were used in the article, namely: the method of qualitative content analysis and the narrative method, the methods of idealization and deduction are secondary methods of working with the material. The leading method was the interpretation of literary texts, which were the source of the parktic research material. The main function of the myth is to reflect a certain image of reality, being an add-on above it, containing specific semantic models and roles distributed among the characters, and also an expression of the author's position. The author's myth can be described as a playful, mosaic, inverse construct. The conclusions presented in the article can be used in further analysis of the work of modern writers, as well as when working with the concept of "author's myth" and studying the transformation of myth (both archaic and social, cultural, etc.) in modern postmodern literature. A special contribution of the authors to the research of the topic is the consideration of this motif in its diversified interpretation in various works and the connection of this motif with the onomastic code of works as one of the principles of the formation of a supertext.

A Profound Irrationalism Anchored in Postmodernism: A Study of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party

This paper examines the presence of profound irrationalism in Harold Pinter's play, The Birthday Party, through the lens of postmodernism. The analysis draws on postmodernist theories of language, meaning, and power, to explore the ways in which the play reflects and critiques the socio-political context of the postmodern era. The paper argues that the play is an important work of postmodern literature that embodies the postmodern critique of rationality, reason, and truth.

Trivialno v luči refleksije o postmodernizmu z nekaterimi primeri slovenske fantastične ter zgodovinske kratke proze

The article offers a brief overview of some prominent theoretical considerations on the transcendence of the traditional dichotomy between serious and trivial literature in light of reflection on postmodernism. In postmodernist literature this is manifested as a new form of intertextuality, which the author corroborates with some examples of fantasy and historical short stories. The intertextual hybrid nature of short prose genres takes shape as a correction of some typical narrative elements. This is why the theoretical starting points presented in the article are supported with the analysis of elements related to time and space in fantasy and historical short stories.

Forms of intertextuality in a postmodern play (a case study of “Old Money” by Wendy Wasserstein)

The study is devoted to the analysis of forms of intertextuality in postmodern drama on the example of Wendy Wasserstein's play “Old Money”. Postmodernism, as a cultural paradigm, is characterized by complex relations with its own history and traditions. The article explores how the use of various texts, allusions, and cultural references in “Old Money” contributes to the creation of a multilayered and complex text characteristic of postmodern drama. By analyzing the intertextual relations in this play, the purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of Wasserstein's postmodern creative approach and their influence on the perception and interpretation of the playwright's text. The results of the study may be useful for further understanding of intertextual strategies in postmodern literature and studying postmodern aspects in the work of Wendy Wasserstein. The study of intertextuality in “Old Money” allowed us to better understand and evaluate the artistic world of the play, to reveal the relationship between texts and contexts that interact in creating meaning. We have identified the features and significance of each of the intertextual allusions, as well as their impact on the perception and interpretation of the play. In addition, the analysis of intertextual connections shed light on the specificity and value of the author's own creative method, revealing his cultural and intellectual preferences.

Absurdity A Postmodern Indicator in Tom Stoppard’s Rozencrants and Guildenstern Are Dead

Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, arguably his best-known play, is as complex in dramatic structures as it is simple in language form. The article pinpoints and analyzes the postmodern literary and dramatic techniques employed by the author, as well as the postmodern features of the play, especially the absurd and the senseless, based on Albert Camus and Jean-Francois Lyotard’s theories.

Fragmented Landscape in Harold Pinter's "The Room": A Postmodern Study

This paper explores the theme of fragmented landscape in Harold Pinter's play, "The Room," through a postmodern lens. The analysis examines how the play reflects and critiques the socio-political context of the postmodern era and how this context shapes the fragmented nature of the play's landscape. The paper argues that "The Room" is an important work of postmodern literature that exposes the dehumanizing effects of a fragmented landscape. This paper briefly explains Postmodernism and fragmented landscape and how Harold Pinter depicted them in his play.

Explicit Intertextual Connections in Driscoll’s Her Perfect Family: A Reader-Centric Analysis

This study examines explicit intertextuality and its impact on the reader in Teresa Driscoll’s crime novel, Her Perfect Family, published in late 2021. Julia Kristeva’s theory of intertextuality stands as a significant milestone in postmodernist literature, positing that any new text is inevitably influenced or enriched by prior writings. British author Driscoll employs explicit intertextuality throughout the work, incorporating references to renowned English writers such as George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, D.H. Lawrence, Mary Shelley, and Lewis Carroll in various chapters. As a result, the reader perceives a connection between these authors and the chapters, contributing to the overall reading experience. It becomes evident that Driscoll, as a contemporary postmodernist novelist, draws from the themes and characters of these established literary figures to enhance the intricacies of her plot. By providing clues and insights relevant to the contemporary context, the author cleverly weaves explicit intertextual references into the narrative, engaging readers in a process akin to solving a puzzle, and creating connections. Moreover, Driscoll assumes the role of an instructor, posing critical questions about the aforementioned acclaimed authors, their works, and their characters. This approach makes the reader feel like a student, encouraging them to establish intertextual connections in Her Perfect Family and to understand the plot more easily.

Collage Poetry from a Postmodernist Perspective

The main feature of postmodernist literature is the self-referential nature of the text, so that the form of collage poetry can be seen as its new discursive paradigm, and its anti-logical form reveals a reflection on the traditional character representation system. While introducing three-dimensional objects into the two-dimensional plane, "things" freely appear in the expressive form of collage poetry, and the "sense of things" embodied by rupture and heterogeneity leads to the proposition of contemporary art. In the open space of meaning constructed by collage poetry, the viewer interacts with the author, presenting a contemplation and rebellious innovation in the era of mechanical reproduction, thus achieving "art towards philosophy".