Class notes

Postmodernism

• Postmodern is a reaction to modernism

Modernism

• It experiments with representations of reality
• Early part of 20th century
• Value judgements

Lyotard

• The postmodern condition 1979
• 'Incredulity toward metanarrative'
• The truth needs to be deconstructed so that we can challenge dominant ideas that people claim as truth.

Baudrillard

• There is no longer a distinction between reality and its representing image, or simulation.
• Hyper-reality: there is only surface meaning

Jameson

• Historical viewpoint: PM is a development of modernism.
• Postmodernist works are often characterised by lack of depth, which has been replaced by a surfeit of surface.

Key concepts

• generic blurring
• intertextuality and bricolage
• playful e.g. parody
• hyper reality
• hyperconciousness
• electicism
• death of representation
• incertainty and loss of context

TRADITIONAL

• At best: meaningful, engrossing, moving
• At worst: deceptive, sentimental

POSTMODERN

• At best: playful, curious, startling
• At worst: detached, sexist, despairing, homophobic, racist