Postmodernism in British Literature

Postmodernism in British Literature

• Postmodernism arose after World War II, challenging the idea of universal truths.
• It emphasizes subjectivity in truth, reality, and identity, where individual experiences shape perceptions.
• Postmodern texts reject grand narratives, favoring fragmented, diverse perspectives.
• This fragmentation contrasts with modernist writers' attempts to unify a fractured world.
• Postmodernism rejects the notion of a single, definitive "big story" to explain everything.
• Acknowledges multiple, often conflicting, truths and experiences.
• Recognizes that information comes from many sources, potentially contradicting each other.
• Embraces fluid, multiple, and changing identities, not fixed ones.

Key Features of Postmodernism

• Rejection of single, definitive "big stories" to explain everything.
• Recognition of multiple, often conflicting, truths and experiences.
• Acceptance of diverse information sources, acknowledging potential contradictions.
• Acknowledgment of fluid and multiple identities, rather than fixed ones.
• The world, fragmented after World War II, is less about piecing together the world, and more about accepting many perspectives.

Petit Récits (Small Narratives)

• Jean-François Lyotard's "petit récits" (small narratives) emphasizes local, specific stories over universal narratives.
• Promotes the significance of diverse communities (LGBTQ+, tribal groups, women, and third-world perspectives).
• Encourages analysis of various communities, rather than focusing on a dominant group.
• Promotes a shift away from grand narratives to focus on smaller, localized tales.
• A key idea in postmodernism.

Postcolonialism and Postmodernism

• Postcolonialism critiques European colonialism, challenging its imposed truths.
• Postmodernism's emphasis on questioning universal truths aligns with this.
• The focus on marginalized voices and localized experiences aligns with postcolonial literature's critique of colonial power structures.
• India's independence in 1947 marked a significant decolonization shift.
• A move away from English towards native languages in media, including OTT platforms and commentary.

The End of the British Empire

• The 1956 Suez Crisis marked Britain's loss of global superpower status.
• Britain, France, and Israel attempted to seize the Suez Canal, but failed due to US intervention.
• This failure confirmed US global influence and highlighted Britain's dependence on US approval.
• The crisis marked the end of Britain's independence in international affairs, and the eclipse of its global superpower status.

Metafiction

• Metafiction is a literary technique where a text acknowledges its fictional nature, reflecting on its own narrative process.
• This includes interactions between characters and readers, or commentary on telling the story itself.
• Characters and the reader are aware of their role within the narrative.
• Examples include books that comment on the reading experience.

Blending High and Low Culture

• Postmodernism challenges traditional distinctions between high and low culture.
• Blurs lines between serious and popular forms.
• Emphasizes potential depth in previously marginalized genres.
• Questions the authority to define "high" and "low" art.

Key Literary Influences and Events

• 1950s: Angry Young Men movement.
• 1954: Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
• 1962: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
• 1967: Rise of Magic Realism.
• 1969: Moon landing's impact on Sci-Fi literature.
• 1970s: Era of Literary Theory.
• 1978: Edward Said's Orientalism influencing postcolonial literature.
• 1980s: Rise of Feminist and Postcolonial writing.
• 1989: The Satanic Verses controversy (by Salman Rushdie).
• 1956: British Imperial Rule ended.