How to Read Postmodern Literature
Modernist literature is where the trend of questioning established trends and methods in literature began, and the Postmodernist movement took this aversion to tradition up to a whole new level. Literature belonging to the Postmodern era is fragmented, abstract, illogical, and ambiguous – while many claim it is confusing, it is in fact exhilarating, and its open-ended nature can lead readers to sharpen their creative, critical, and analytical skills. The key to reading and making sense of this sort of literature is to get into the Postmodern frame of mind.
Things Required:
– A Postmodern work
– Critical Thinking
– The ability to think abstractly
– Imagination
Instructions
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When reading Postmodern works, it is essential to reject the Victorian standards which have played an integral part in literature before the Modernist movement. Do not look for linear plots in novels, and do not expect poems to rhyme. Postmodern writers love to shock by going anti-tradition – e.g. love poems will not treat the subject of love in a conventional sense, and the works will appear to be devoid of any logic or sense.
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Make yourself one with the chaos. Instead of trying to organise things and look for reason, Postmodern writers fashion their works to reflect the chaotic and anarchic state of the world around us. This, in fact, is the key difference between the Modern and Postmodern movements, both of which share many similarities otherwise. The Modern writers retained a sense of nostalgia for the order and logic lost, and they mourned the passing away of tradition. Postmodern writers, however, revel in the chaos, and they celebrate and embrace the illogical nature of existence.
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Analyse the fragmentation contained in Postmodern works. While the untrained eye might see Postmodern works as an illogical hodge-podge, these in fact contain mixed-up pieces and snatches of life as Postmodern writers see it – think of it as a messed up jigsaw puzzle. It is up to the reader to interpret these as they will, and put them back together using their imagination and ability to think in abstract terms.
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See everything from a psychoanalyst’s eye. Postmodern writers and critics have a soft spot for Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, and have used his theories to observe, interpret, and explain everything around them. The complexities and inner workings of the mind and human society as explained by psychoanalysis can all be found embedded in Postmodern works.
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Finally, remain open-minded, and welcome the prospect of discovery and new experiences. If you cling to old concepts and remain reluctant to explore, you will never be able to understand the intricacies and spirit of Postmodern literature. Challenge old concepts, and look to new ways of expressing and conveying bold new ideas, techniques, and trends in literature.
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