Postmodern Literature Research Articles

“POETICS AT THE CROSSROADS”: SERBIAN POSTMODERN LITERATURE BEFORE AND AFTER 1989 IN SLOVAKIA: THE SPECIAL CASE OF DANILO KIŠ (1935 - 1989)

The aim of our paper is to present the general reception of the creative life and literary works of Danilo Kiš in Slovakia against the background of Serbian postmodernity. We want to do this in connection with the milestone year 1989 (the date of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Velvet Revolution in Slovakia, but also the year of the author's death), which unfortunately did not live in a dream of democracy in Central or Southeastern Europe. Finally, it is symbolic that D. Kiš's works were relatively well-known and well received in the territory of the former Czechoslovakia, and were translated both before and after 1989, while professional general reflection on his works is increasing, especially since the 1990s, when several literary theoreticians and critics have returned to his life and creative messages with sympathy. However, we will go in medias res and present all the registered responses to the topic. The approach chosen will not be chronological, the order of these considerations will be involuntary, but in the end we will also offer a bibliographical list of all translated works from Serbian postmodern literature in the Slovak language from 1989 to 2019 in alphabetical order. It is a list of translated novels, collections of short stories, poetry selections and dramas by contemporary Serbian writers, which have been adapted by several Slovak translators. The corpus of these translated works from Serbian literature into Slovak after 1989 is therefore not only welcome, but perhaps also fully accepted.

Revisiting the Elements of Postmodernism in Salman Rushdie’s Shame

Postmodern literature is thought to be typically anti-traditional and anti-foundationalist. It can be said that the major body of postmodern literature is thought to have started from the 1950s onwards. The major postmodern literary features are metafiction, self-reflexivity, intertextuality, writerly text, hybridity, magical realism, foreshadowing, irony, parody, anti-novel, anti-hero, fabulation, surfiction, hyperreality, use of language games etc. The prominent themes in postmodern literature are such as crisis of identity, cultural hybridity, experiences of migrants and their feeling of alienation, the general feeling of rootlessness. Postmodern fiction also emphasizes the disbelief in God as well as the disbelief in the conventional notions of the unified or coherent individual. Salman Rushdie has been studied and researched as a postcolonial writer as there are obvious postcolonial themes in his novels. But we can also study him as a postmodern writer. The paper makes an attempt to discuss the postmodern literary concept of meaningless of life as prevalent in Rushdie’s Shame and to put forth Rushdie as a postmodern writer.

POPULARIZATION OF THE IDEAS OF TRANSHUMANISM IN FICTION (THE CASE STUDY OF THE NOVEL “TRANSHUMANISM INC” BY V. PELEVIN)

This paper presents a comparative analysis of transhumanist provisions and ideas manifested through fiction, particularly, in the novel by V.O. Pelevin “Transhumanism Inc”. The common points of convergence are revealed: the author’s interpretation of a number of transhumanistic ideas and possible variations of transhumanistic scenarios implemented in the novel by V.O. Pelevin. The paper concludes that the ideas of transhumanism are undoubtedly close to the postmodern literature, there is an ongoing popularization of transhumanism in the Russian literature, and there are some stereotypical emphases and fatigue in the writer’s vision of transhumanist perspectives.

Al-Amidi's Critical Thinking and Its Implications to The Discussion of Postmodernism Literature Criticism

<p>This research aims to elaborate al-Amidi's critical thinking and express its implication in the discourse of postmodernism literary criticism. This research is a qualitative descriptive research. Data collection uses reading and note-taking techniques. The triangulation used in this research is data triangulation. The data analysis method in this research uses content analysis and hermeneutics methods with elements of interpretation, description, and comparison. The results of this research indicate that al-Amidi's critical method has implication in postmodernist literary discourse on the objectivity aspect of simulation in the narrative of a character based on Jean Baudrillard's assumptions. That is, although postmodernist literature tends to subjectivity to the author, it does not completely forget the basic structure that builds a literary work through a very deconstructive process of meaning. Because in essence, postmodernism has never really been separated from modernism which tends to be objective. If al-Amidi is more inclined to criticism of poetry, then postmodernist literature is more visible in literary works in the form of prose, such as short stories and novels.</p>

Çoğuldizgeye göre postmodern yazının oluşumunda çevirinin rolü: Patrick Süskind’in postmodern eseri “Koku”nun dizgeye katkısı

Mevcut çalışmada Türk edebiyat tarihinde postmodern yazının oluşumunda çevirinin rolünü genel hatlarıyla saptamak amaçlanmaktadır. Özelde ise Alman yazar Patrick Süskind’in çok ses getiren ve birçok dile çevrilen postmodern eseri Koku, Bir Katilin Hikâyesi’nin (Das Parfum, Die Geschichte Eines Mörders) Türk postmodern yazın dizgesine katkısı tartışılmaktadır. Tüm bu incelemelerin kuramsal art alanı, İsrailli araştırmacı Itımar Even Zohar’ın geliştirmiş olduğu çoğuldizge kuramına dayandırılmaktadır. Türk edebiyat tarihindeki postmodern çeviri yazın ve söz konusu postmodern eserin katkısı, Zohar’ın kuramsal yaklaşımı doğrultusunda merkez-çevre; birincil edebiyat-ikincil edebiyat ve kültür repertuarı doğrultusunda yorumlanmaya çalışılmaktadır. Öncelikle postmodern yazın çoğuldizgesinde çevirinin rolü saptanmaya çalışılırken, Türk modern edebiyatının zayıf ve henüz gelişmemiş bir konumda olduğu, dizgede açık bulan postmodern çeviri yazın ile devinim gerçekleştiği, böylelikle modern edebiyatın ikincil edebiyat konumuna düştüğü sonucuna varılmaktadır. Ayrıca özellikle Amerikalı postmodernist yazarların çeviri eserlerinin dizgeyi yönlendirdiği ve Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino gibi İtalyan yazarların ise Türk postmodern yazının temsilcileri üzerinde etkili oldukları saptanmaktadır. Postmodern yazının ilk çeviri eserlerinden kabul edebileceğimiz Koku’nun ise henüz oluşmakta olan postmodern edebiyat çoğuldizgesine yenilik getirdiği; gelişim, eğitim, polisiye roman türü özelliklerini aynı anda taşımasından; üstkurmaca, metinlerarasılık, gerilim gibi postmodern yazının niteliklerine sahip olmasından ötürü Türk edebiyatının ve kültür repertuarının gelişimine olanak sağladığı saptamalarında bulunmak mümkündür. Çalışmanın sonucunda postmodern çeviri yazının, Türk postmodern yazının oluşumuna ve kültür repertuarına katkı sağladığı ve yönlendirici etkisi olduğu çıkarımına varılmaktadır.

Postmodernist Speculation of Religion and History

With the beginning of postmodern culture, few people view and comprehend the Bible as actually accurate or holy. Philosophers openly rejected the reality of Heaven and Hel, and instead they redefined these topoi (locations) metaphorically as human behavior situations. For them, heaven is "here on earth," as long as people consider their obligations to each other. So, finally, what being got today from indifference towards religion and its history and the increase in secularism is not something new; instead, it has been developed over the ages by many historians, philosophers, and theorists. So, the aim of this paper is to provide a clear introduction to the postmodern theory, and how the concept of religion has been depicted in the twenty-first century, it also includes a clear explanation of history and how it is used in postmodern literature by the writers to support their critical point of view specifically in religion. The paper ends with a conclusion that sum up the results.

POSTMODERN SUBJECT AND NARRATIVE IN BILGE KARASU'S NOVELS GECE AND KILAVUZ

Postmodernizm, klasik ve modern düşünme biçimlerinin bütüncül ve sistematik yapısına, normatif kalıplarına karşı ortaya çıkan modernite sonrası bir fenomendir. Hem kültürel hem de düşünsel anlamda geleneksel ayrımlara, kendi içerisinde hiyerarşi oluşturan kavramsal ön kabul ve yargılara karşıdır. İndirgeyici ve tek-merkezli sınıfsal kümelenmeleri ayrıştırır; bunun yerine çok sesli, marjinal bir toplum imgesi yaratır. Edebî anlamda postmodernizm kendi içine kapanmış, çağrışımdan yoksun nihai anlam dizilerini, kurgusal kalıpları kırmaya çalışır. Yazarın tanrı benzeri kurgusal hâkimiyetini, anlatı öznelerinin iki boyutlu yapısını, kalıplaşmış anlatı statükosunu yok eder. Konvansiyonel ikililikleri; kurmaca ile hakikati, sıra dışı ile sıradanı, sahte ile gerçeği, esas ile marjini birbirleriyle çarpıştırır. Batı edebiyatında postmodernist anlatı, modernizme karşı geliştirilen belirli estetik yeniliklerin ve süreçlerin sonucunda ortaya çıkar. Fakat Türk edebiyatında roman sanatı türsel olgunluğuna daha geç dönemde ulaşır. Bu nedenle modernist ve postmodernist estetik nitelikler, kimi eserlerde bir arada bulunur. Postmodernist roman, kendi özgün ve radikal formuna Türk edebiyatında seksenli ve doksanlı yıllarda ulaşır. Bilge Karasu, bu bağlamda postmodernist biçime ve bu biçiminin dinamik özelliklerine eserlerinde yer veren önemli isimlerdendir. Onun Gece ve Kılavuz adlı romanları, postmodern anlatı yapısını ve özne kurgularını içerisinde taşıyan özgün eserlerdendir. Bu çalışmanın amacını, Gece’de ve Kılavuz’da yer alan özne kurgularının, postmodern edebiyatın nitelikleri dikkate alınarak incelenmesi oluşturmaktadır.

Simulation of Gnosis: Which Doors Do "Keys of Mary" Open (On the Basis On the Novel "Keys of Mary" by A. Kurkov, Yu. Vynnychuk)

Given article is the first study of the artistic features of the novel "Keys of Mary" since its publication. The article clarifies the difference between literary texts that attempt to provide answers to the philosophy of gnosis questions and those postmodern literature texts the authors of which use gnostic ideas to create the artistic world of the work while largely formalizing them. We consider it relevant to apply the concept of "gnosis simulation" for this group of works. The author argues that it was exactly the use of ideas and signs of this philosophical direction that made the basis for the plot and composition of "The Keys of Mary". "Simulation of gnosis" emphasizes the genre peculiarity of the novel defining it as a detective-adventure; it stimulates the reader's interest, because it serves as an intriguing factor. The work is modeled on the "cosmogony structure" principle: its bipolarity is manifested both in the division of characters and in the way the main conflict is resolved. Elements of gnosis, replicated at the subculture level, are successfully used to combine three storylines, three spatiotemporal dimensions. The focus point of the work is the image of the Maiden in her three novel incarnations (Maria, Aretha, Rina) – she is an eternally young savior of the mankind, whom the forces of evil hunt in all three of the "worlds". An interesting artistic discovery in the novel that draws reader attention is the plot of a lost historical chronicle about the knight Olgerd: in the narrative space of the work, it is perceived as a "supernova" that attracts the worlds of two time- distant plot orbits and creates a kind of insight on the last pages. Primarily, the authors of “The Keys of Mary” used the simulation of gnosis to model the plot, chronotope, and intrigue; but the values,​​ deeply reflected in the legends and artifacts associated with the life of the Virgin Mary, prompt readers' need for self-determination.

NARRATIVE CHALLENGES AND METAFICTIONAL AWARENESS IN POSTMODERN LITERATURE: READING ALI SMITH’S "THE WHOLE STORY AND OTHER STORIES"

One of the widespread features of the literary postmodern, and one of its most relevant aspects in epistemic terms, is the foregrounding of the narrative dimension and the problematizing of “facts”. These narratological elements are both influenced by, and have an impact on, contemporary notions of subjectivity and reality. One of the widespread features of the literary postmodern, and one of its most relevant aspects in epistemic terms, is the foregrounding of the narrative dimension and the problematizing of “facts”. These narratological elements are both influenced by, and have an impact on contemporary notions of subjectivity and reality. In postmodern literature the “factuality” of the story is made questionable from different angles, and this is due to several aesthetic and stylistic elements which will be discussed with reference to Ali Smith’s collection of short stories The Whole Story and Other Stories (2004). This is an exemplary text of the literary postmodern, since it represents a unique instance of the dissolution of “factualities”, in which metafiction plays a relevant role. “Facts” in these stories are improbable, suspended, and indeterminate due to a narrative strategy which routinely questions “events” and/or exposes their epistemological constructedness. Readers of these short stories are not only trained into an awareness of metafiction as a major component of the narration, but they are also often left in a state of bewilderment leading to a more or less amused disbelief, or to a profound epistemological questioning.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ ЕКЗИСТЕНЦІЙНОЇ ФІЛОСОФІЇ У ЗАРУБІЖНІЙ ЛІТЕРАТУРІ КІНЦЯ ХХ СТОЛІТТЯ (ЗА МАТЕРІАЛАМИ ТВОРІВ Р. БАХА ТА П. КОЕЛЬО)

The article deals with the issue of transformation of existential philosophical issues in foreign literature of the late 20th century, on the example of the works of R. Bach (“Jonathan Livingston Seagull”, “Illusions”) and P. Coelho (“The Alchemist”, “Veronika Decides to Die”) in particular. The specifics of the study of this problem in domestic and foreign literary criticism are analysed and the relevance and prospects of further research in this field are clarified since arising at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries existential issues continue to actively pulsate in foreign literature of the turn of 20th–21st centuries, serving as one of the unifying factors of the literature of modernism and postmodernism. Existentialists closely ask the question of how and in what sphere a person can find confidence, that is, to find his true purpose (being) and its meaning. This is the most important issue of humanity in all periods of its existence, but attention to it is increasing in transitional moments, moments of change, when the anxiety for the future, tomorrow is growing. It is in this transitional period of the turn of the twentieth and nineteenth centuries that R. Bach and P. Coelho wrote their works, intensifying this issue with them. In the works of R. Bach and P. Coelho the existential problems are pronounced, namely: the search for the truth of existence through the prism of their own existence, freedom of choice, responsibility for their choice, the existence of God, “borderline situation”, death and more. In each of them they are revealed in their own way. Both writers emphasize the importance of knowing one’s “Self”: R. Bach – through the constant pursuit of perfection, P. Coelho – through the realization of dreams, both ways, in their opinion, in fact, are “the way to yourself”. The difference between the views of both writers from the views of existentialists of the early 20th century mainly consists of a life-affirming, optimistic conception of man’s place in the world and how he perceives this world. R. Bach and P. Coelho insist that life can be what we want it to be.

It Skips a Generation: Spirituality in David Foster Wallace and James Joyce

Abstract: Much scholarship recognizes David Foster Wallace’s break with postmodern literature, particularly his identification of John Barth as a “patriarch for my patricide,” and his role establishing a new movement in writing, sometimes identified as “New Sincerity.” But part of Wallace’s new ethos included a return to modernist literature as a model for spirituality and ethics. This essay explores correspondences between Wallace and James Joyce. Across a variety of works, both authors present intellectually gifted but spiritually unmoored characters, balanced by characters who are less intellectually engaged, but more grounded thanks to a naïve, intuitive spirituality.

Undoing Olive: Living with Alterity in Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge Books

ABSTRACT In this paper, I analyze the Olive Kitteridge books written by contemporary American writer Elizabeth Strout. Though Strout’s work can be seen within a broader context of a post -postmodern literature that has returned largely to Realist forms, I argue that Strout’s characters are undone in their relationship to alterity in significant ways. This turn to the other in Strout shows the continued relevance and power of post-structuralist ideas of alterity in thinking through contemporary literature.

Redefining Nationhood and Nationality through Historiographic Metafiction in the Shadow Lines

Purpose: Postmodernism is a general movement that developed in the late 20th century across the arts, philosophy, art, architecture, and criticism, marking a disappearance from modernism. The term has been more often used to describe a historical age which followed after modernity. Postmodernism is a period of uprising which refers to ups and downs in each walk of life and the different disciplines of knowledge be it literary work, philosophy, or science. Postmodern literature revokes some modern literary methods by transforming them. Historiographic Metafiction is a contradictory term that consists of two opposite categories such as history and metafiction. It is having dual representations because such writings reflect the reality as well as fictional position. An attempt is made by the Post-colonial Indian English writers to liberate Indian English literature from the foreign bondage. Historical events such as agitations, migration, movements, refugees, colonial hegemony; social-economic and cultural problems like encounter of the east-west, caste, and class became the concerns of the writers. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper is prepared by making a study of Primary source and accumulating secondary data from educational websites and written publications. This qualitative research is carried out by studying and interpreting the existing knowledge on the subject. The paper tries to analyze the historiographic metafictional features as depicted in The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh. Findings/Result: After reviewing many articles, books and thesis it has been found that the paper aims to study Amitav Ghosh's notions like ‟ Nationhood and National distinctiveness in "The Shadow Lines” as a reminiscence novel, highlights a few historical happenings like the Second World War, the Swadeshi movement, and the Partition of India in 1947 and communal uprisings in Bangladesh and India. The ardent nationalism upheld by the protagonist that is the narrator’s grandmother is questioned and re-analysed. Ghosh searches for appropriateness of traditional identity such as nation and nationalism. Originality/Value: This paper makes a study of the major character Thamma with special reference to her concerns of Nationhood and Nationality. The identity of Thamma in the novel is given prominence being a woman she stands for her thoughts and identifies her as an individual who faced tragedy but still who had the courage to raise her voice till the end. Paper Type: Analytical Research paper.

Of Colors, Chance, and Fate- Postmodernity in Anurag Basu’s Ludo

Taking Jennifer Egan’s novel Look at Me (2001) as an exemplary case study, this article explores what it means for contemporary writers to “begin with postmodernism” in responding to post-60s US culture and society. The argument brings together two recent developments in literary culture: the historicist and revisionist turn taken by scholarship on literary postmodernism, and the direct engagement by younger US fiction writers with the historical genealogy of the postmodern era.

Death of the Author and Birth of the Nation: Literary Postmodernism and Nationalism in Serbia

This paper explores different influences between, on the one hand, the ideology and politics of nationalism in Serbia, and postmodern literature and literary criticism, on the other. The theoretical controversy regarding the alleged conformism or subversiveness of postmodern art, serves as a framework for examining Serbian literary post modernism of the 1980s and 1990s. The focus is on the relationship between the postmodern literature and ethno nationalist narratives that prepared the ground for the civil war and the dissolution of socialist Yugoslavia. The literary work, ideological position and public engagement of Danilo Kiš (1935–1989) and Milorad Pavić (1929–2009) are the basis for delineating two major paradigms within Serbian literary postmodernism. Using the methodologies of discourse analysis and literary sociology, the paper departs from the framework of narratological or text-immanent criticism and delineates the transition of literary works and their reception in the space of the socio-political field.

РОМАН В. ЄРМОЛЕНКА «ЛОВЕЦЬ ОКЕАНУ. ІСТОРІЯ ОДІССЕЯ» ЯК ФІЛОСОФСЬКИЙ СІКВЕЛ ГОМЕРІВСЬКОГО ЕПОСУ

The article investigates the philosophical space of V. Yermolenko’s novel “The Ocean Catcher”, created as a continuation (sequel) of the well-known ancient heroic epic “Odysseus”. The peculiarities of the transformation of mythological and figurative material in modern Ukrainian literature are examined. The purpose of the article is to clarify the originality of the content transformation of the Homeric epic, ways of deepening the ideological content of the novel, and ways of modernizing the mythological image of Odysseus. The realization of the set purpose involves addressing a number of tasks, including: 1) clarifying the functions of the mythological image of Odysseus and of the female characters in the contemporary novel; 2) outlining the philosophical issues addressed in the work; 3) identifying the peculiarities of transforming traditional artistic material in postmodern literature. The article is based on the comparative method, and the method of philological analysis of the text is also applied. The scientific novelty of the article lies in clarifying the genre of V. Yermolenko’s novel. It is widely believed among researchers and reviewers that “The Ocean Catcher” can be categorized as a travelogue, as it portrays a journey of atonement from the burnt Ithaca to the fallen Troy, paralleling the adventures of Odysseus in the Homeric epic. However, the article provides arguments in favor of defining the genre of the novel as a sequel. In conclusion, the article emphasizes that the Ukrainian writer’s novel begins almost where the Homeric epic ends, but V. Yermolenko significantly expands the semantic scope of the work. The writer also portrays a range of female characters (Penelope, Nausicaya, Calypso, Circe) with psychological authenticity. The romantic and erotic element of the novel is complemented by profound reflections on love, betrayal, happiness, forgiveness, atonement, and other moral and ethical categories. “The Ocean Catcher” is one of the few examples of a sequel genre in Ukrainian literature. The author transfers the ideological and thematic focus from the external plot to the inner world of the characters. The image of Odysseus is deheroized. Instead, the internal motivation of his behavior is deepened, and a profound reassessment of his actions takes place from a humanistic perspective.

Original article Specifi cs of Translating a Postmodern Literary Text into Chinese (based on the works by V. Pelevin)

Original article Specifi cs of Translating a Postmodern Literary Text into Chinese (based on the works by V. Pelevin)

Literatura polska i psychoanaliza wobec problematyki tożsamości po 1989 roku

Identity is an important term in postmodern culture. In Poland, following the transformation after 1989, there appeared many articles that deal with this topic. In order to show the richness and complexity of postmodern literary and psychoanalysis texts, many comparative analyses were carried out based on various theoretical assumptions. In this paper, depending on the issue under study, the authors drew from the findings of: psychoanalysis, deconstruction, feminism and „gender studies”. This paper discusses the complexity of identity. „Guguła” by Wioletta Grzegorzewska is an example of women’s literature in which the protagonist discovers her own femininity. The male realization of the identity problem was discussed based on Wit Szostak’s „Poniewczasie”. In order to present the complexity of gender identity as a whole, reference was also made to the novel by Natalia Osińska „Fanfik”, in which the protagonist is a transgender person. The paper also presents a capacious and very complex psychological point of view on the issue of identity. The study is interdisciplinary, with particular emphasis on literature and psychology, but also on philosophical and sociological elements.

The Magic of Time Puzzle in Non-Linear Narrative—A Analysis of the Narrative Technique in “Story of Your Life”

“Story of Your Life” is a famous Sci-fi novella written by Ted Chiang (a Chinese American writer), combing linguistic elements with oriental philosophy. Since its first publication, many readers and critics have been impressed by its attractive narrative technique and thought-provoking theme. This essay mainly analyzes the narrative strategy of this novella from the perspective of Linguistics and narratology. With several conclusions of main traits in composing the story, it intends to uncover the roles that non-linear narrative plays in forming the story and revealing the main idea, to further discover the attractiveness of novel narrative approaches in science fiction and hopefully provide some inspirations for future post-modern literature creation in Sci-Fi genre.

RECLAIMING PAST: SYNCHRONIZING HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION WITH POSTMODERN ETHOS

Reclamation of the past is an apt required need of postmodern literature, the bulk of literature produced during what we call ‘postmodernism' was itself ‘self-reflexive’, interlinked and has drawn its roots in history. The postmodern perception seems to have been influenced bythe thoughts which had once been produced long back. History has always been modified over the years and always requires different dimensions for its interpretation, understanding and comprehension. Thisissomething which can be understood by considering the present about the possible happenings in the past. Many postmodern practitioners have extensively focused on claiming roots of postmodern thoughts that had already existed in the past, often seeming dominant in postmodern ethos. The primary aim of the present paper is to focus on how Linda Hutcheon’s concept of Historiographic Metafiction influenced the record of late alternative literature in a postmodern ambience.