American Lit 4 Multiculturalism
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the evolution of American literature from modernism to postmodernism, highlighting the shift from grand narratives to skepticism and diversity. It discusses postmodernism's focus on multiculturalism, questioning of oppression, and blurring of cultural boundaries. Key postmodern works such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' 'Beloved,' and 'Catch-22' are analyzed for their themes of racism, oppression, and paradoxical language, reflecting the movement's playful and critical approach to literature.
Takeaways
- 📚 The course contrasts modernism with postmodernism, highlighting the shift from the 1960s to contemporary literature.
- 🔍 Postmodernism is characterized by skepticism towards grand narratives and the rejection of overarching ideas that promise salvation.
- 🏛 Postmodernists are critical of utopian political schemes such as communism and nazism, which have historically led to oppression and violence.
- 🌐 The movement favors individualized solutions like wind or solar power over centralized projects, reflecting a distrust in large-scale systems.
- 📖 In literature, postmodernists reject the search for a 'great American novel,' advocating for diverse voices and narratives from various groups.
- 🤔 Some critics view postmodernism as 'cultural Marxism,' suggesting it merely swaps one form of oppression for another without fundamentally changing the power dynamics.
- 📚 Literature under postmodernism often focuses on themes of racism, misogyny, and the experiences of marginalized groups.
- 🎭 Postmodernist works blur the lines between high and pop culture, often incorporating humor and playfulness in contrast to the seriousness of modernist works.
- 🧩 Postmodern literature is known for blurring genres, mixing comedy and drama, and creating a sense of ambiguity about the tone and intent of the work.
- 📚 Notable postmodern works include 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,' 'Beloved,' 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,' and 'Catch-22,' each reflecting the movement's themes and characteristics.
- 🌟 Influential postmodern thinkers include Mikhail Bakhtin, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard, and Carl Jung, who have contributed to the understanding of power, context, reality, and collective consciousness.
Q & A
What is the main contrast between modernism and postmodernism in the context of American literature?
-The main contrast lies in the rejection of grand narratives by postmodernism. While modernism often sought a big idea to save society, postmodernism is skeptical of such overarching concepts, which have historically led to ideologies like communism and nazism.
How does postmodernism view the idea of a single solution to societal problems?
-Postmodernism rejects the idea of a single solution to societal problems, as seen in the modernist era with large-scale projects like hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants. Instead, postmodernism favors individualized and decentralized approaches, such as wind or solar power.
What does the postmodernist perspective suggest about literature in terms of representation?
-Postmodernism suggests that literature should not be focused on finding a single 'great American novel,' but rather that every identifiable group should have its own representation and potentially its own department in academia.
What is the criticism of postmodernism in terms of its focus on oppression?
-Critics argue that postmodernism, sometimes referred to as 'cultural Marxism,' has simply replaced the capitalists with white, heterosexual, English-speaking, Christian males as the oppressors, and the working class with any group claiming oppression, still perpetuating a narrative of victimhood and power dynamics.
How does postmodern literature differ in subject matter from modern literature?
-Postmodern literature often focuses on themes of racism, misogyny, sexism, and is written from the perspective of excluded or misunderstood groups, in contrast to the modern literature that might have sought to create a grand narrative or a 'great American novel.'
What does the concept of 'blurred borders' mean in the context of postmodernism?
-In postmodernism, 'blurred borders' refers to the breaking down of traditional distinctions between different categories, such as high culture and pop culture, comedy and drama, and the merging of various art forms and perspectives.
Why is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee considered postmodern literature?
-'To Kill a Mockingbird' is considered postmodern because it deals with the theme of racism, portrays minority characters as victims, and challenges the traditional narrative by showing whites as either villainous racists or indifferent masses.
What makes 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' by Junot Díaz a multicultural and postmodern novel?
-The novel is multicultural and postmodern due to its Dominican main character, multiple narrators, use of Spanglish and buzzwords, and references to fantasy and science fiction. It also blurs the lines between different genres and cultural expressions.
How does 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison exemplify postmodern and multicultural literature?
-'Beloved' exemplifies postmodern and multicultural literature through its African-American main characters, fragmented narrative structure, exploration of the lasting effects of slavery, and the ambiguity of whether the title character is a ghost or physical entity.
What are some of the characteristics of postmodern literature as described in the script?
-Postmodern literature is characterized by its rejection of grand narratives, focus on themes of oppression, blurred borders between different cultural and artistic forms, and a playful, conversational, and often satirical tone.
Which thinkers have influenced postmodernism and how?
-Thinkers like Mikhail Bakhtin, who examined the relationship between power and knowledge, Jacques Derrida, who argued that nothing exists outside of context, Jean Baudrillard, who discussed the indistinguishability of reality and technological simulation, and Carl Jung, who introduced the concept of a collective consciousness, have all influenced postmodern thought.
Outlines
📚 The Shift from Modernism to Postmodernism in American Literature
This paragraph discusses the transition in American literature from modernism, characterized by grand narratives and big ideas, to postmodernism, which is skeptical of such overarching themes. Postmodernism, still evolving, rejects the idea of a single narrative that can save society, as seen in the failures of communism and nazism. Instead, it favors individualized solutions like wind or solar power over large-scale projects. In literature, this translates to a move away from the search for a 'great American novel' to the recognition of diverse voices and experiences, including those of marginalized groups. Critics, however, accuse postmodernism of replacing one form of oppression with another, dubbing it 'cultural Marxism' and suggesting it merely shifts the focus from class struggle to identity politics.
🌐 Postmodernism's Emphasis on Multiculturalism and Blurred Boundaries
The second paragraph delves into the postmodernist approach to literature and culture, emphasizing the importance of multiculturalism and the rejection of traditional categorizations. Postmodern works often explore themes of racism, misogyny, and the experiences of marginalized groups, challenging the reader to consider perspectives beyond the mainstream. The paragraph also highlights the postmodernist tendency to blur the lines between high and popular culture, as well as between comedy and drama, creating works that are playful, conversational, and sometimes ambiguous in tone. Examples of postmodern literature, such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Beloved,' are provided, illustrating the movement's focus on diverse characters and narratives that reflect the complexities of contemporary society.
🎨 Postmodernism's Influence and Literary Examples
This paragraph examines the influence of postmodern thought on literature, with a focus on the works that exemplify its characteristics. It mentions several key postmodernist themes, such as the exploration of power and knowledge, the context-dependent nature of reality, and the concept of a collective consciousness. The paragraph also provides a list of influential postmodern books, including 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,' 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,' 'Catch-22,' and 'Visit from the Goon Squad,' each of which is noted for its unique approach to storytelling and representation of diverse perspectives. The discussion of these works underscores postmodernism's challenge to traditional literary forms and its embrace of complexity and ambiguity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Modernism
💡Postmodernism
💡Grand Narratives
💡Multiculturalism
💡Cultural Marxism
💡Oppression
💡Blurred Borders
💡Fragmented Narratives
💡Playfulness
💡Inclusive Literature
💡Collective Consciousness
Highlights
Contrast between modernism and postmodernism in American literature from the time of World War 1 to the present.
Postmodernism's rejection of grand narratives and skepticism towards big ideas that promise salvation.
Critique of utopian political schemes like communism and nazism by postmodernists.
Postmodernist preference for individualized solutions like wind or solar energy over centralized projects.
The idea that every identifiable group should have its own space in literature and academia.
Critique of postmodernism as 'cultural marxism' and its focus on oppression.
Postmodern literature's focus on themes of racism, misogyny, and the perspective of excluded groups.
Blurring of borders between high culture and pop culture in postmodernism.
Postmodernist architecture's playfulness and departure from modernist seriousness.
Inclusion of high culture elements in pop culture as seen in postmodernist art and literature.
Postmodern works' casual, conversational, and playful tone in contrast to modernist seriousness.
The difficulty in categorizing postmodern works as purely serious or comedic.
Analysis of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' as a multicultural and postmodern text dealing with racism.
Discussion of 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' as an example of multicultural and postmodern literature.
Exploration of 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison as a postmodern text with African-American characters and themes of slavery.
Examination of 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' as a multicultural and postmodern narrative in the comic book industry.
Insight into 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' as a postmodern text with an autistic protagonist.
Postmodern characteristics of 'Catch-22' including paradoxical language and anti-logical dialogues.
Jennifer Egan's 'Visit from the Goon Squad' as a satirical and postmodern take on the pop music industry.
Influence of thinkers like Mikhail Bakhtin, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard, and Carl Jung on postmodernism.
Transcripts
a year of american literature
in this the fourth and final quarter of
american literature we will contrast
modernism from about the time of world
war 1 into the 50s which we studied in
third quarter
with
multiculturalism or postmodernism
about the time of the 1960s through
today
keep in mind that post-modernism is
still under construction
people don't agree on what it even is
and they certainly don't agree on
whether it's
great or whether it's trash
still we can assemble some of the main
ideas
and the most important one is got to be
the rejection of grand narratives that
means we're done with that big idea
that's going to save us all
the moderns
like to come up with some big idea
that's going to save us all but the
postmoderns are very skeptical of this
sort of thing we've seen it turn into
communism and nazism they promise to
deliver the workers paradise or the pure
racial paradise but the postmodernist
thinks
if you think you've discovered the
secret you're probably going to invent
the secret police to enforce it
and this goes beyond utopian political
schemes look how in the early part of
the 20th century we built these big
hydroelectric dams and in the mid part
of the century
huge nuclear power plants we're going to
solve all our problems with one big
project
huge freeway projects huge housing
projects
a post-modernist is much more likely to
be attracted to wind or solar
individualized
not centralized drones delivery tiny
houses
well
what does this mean for literature
the moderns were looking for that great
american novel
the big one
the postmodernists say
every identifiable group ought to have
its own department
at the university
you should be aware however that not
everybody falls into this
some people are actually skeptical
of a postmodernist skepticism
the grand narrative of marxism or
communism was essentially dividing
people into two groups the capitalists
who have the money in the working class
who are oppressed by the capitalists
after seeing millions of people
incarcerated abused and murdered under
this system
it became very difficult to actually
support marxism
but many critics of postmodernism call
it cultural marxism they say you've
merely replaced the capitalists with
white heterosexual english-speaking
christian males and replaced the working
class with every group that can claim
any kind of oppression but they claim
you're still running the same old game
this focus on oppression has led many
people to mock postmodernism as
oppression studies
they don't see multiculturals as wanting
to end the oppression but merely to turn
the tables
well
what does this mean for literature
it means that you should look for the
subject of the book to be racism
it means
you should look for the subject of the
book to be misogyny and sexism
it means
you should look for books which are from
the perspective of excluded
misunderstood groups
blurred borders
for many millennia people have
categorized things into distinct groups
post-modernists want to break this down
in many different ways
blur the borders between
different things that they're looking at
for example both modernists want to blur
the borders between high culture and pop
culture
take a look at some modernist
architecture
these people are trying to be serious
about their art of designing buildings
they are trying to make a serious
statement
now
let's take a look at
some
post-modernist buildings there's a
playfulness a not seriousness about it
a post-modernist will take a piece of
high culture like the mona lisa and
recruit it
into
pop culture
just look at some of these great
paintings and what post-modernists have
done with them
they're having fun with it
the postmodernists are also blurring the
borders between comedy and drama
modernist works tend to have a more
stern serious grave tone the very titles
of famous modern novels as i lay dying
or the grapes of wrath may appear
melodramatic to the postmodern reader
in contrast postmodern works may be more
casual conversational playful they may
be a slipperiness to the postmodern
works whereas the reader isn't
quite able to pin down whether it's
serious or not
it's very clear that 2001 a space
odyssey the film from the 60s is
intended to be taken very seriously but
what about the fifth element sometimes
it seems serious and sometimes it seems
ridiculous
i'm sure you can think of many other
examples yourself
let's take a look at some important
books of postmodernism and why they are
considered post-modern
to kill a mockingbird by harper lee an
alabama girl and her brother grow up to
understand racism
why this is multicultural or postmodern
it's about racism
the minority characters are victims
the whites are either villainous racists
the indifferent masses that give racists
to space opera or heroic allies
in the brief wondrous life of oscar wow
an overweight dominican boy in new
jersey
obsessive science fiction fantasy and
falling in love is plagued with a curse
that has haunted his family for
generations
why it's multicultural and post-modern
well the main character is dominican
it's narrated by multiple characters
it includes many spanglish and buzzwords
it contains many fantasy and science
fiction book and film references
beloved in beloved by tony morrison an
escaped slave struggles with her choice
to murder her child to keep her out of
slavery
why it's multicultural or post-modern
the main characters are african-american
the novel takes place in 1873 after
slavery and in fragmented flashbacks of
various characters
it remains unclear whether beloved the
title character is a ghost or is
physical
it explores the all-encompassing
destruction wrought by slavery which
affects the characters in freedom just
as much as captivity
in the amazing adventures of cavalier
and clay by michael chabon two jewish
cousins one czech and one from brooklyn
become major figures in the early comic
book industry
why it's multicultural or postmodern
well the main characters are jewish they
work in the comic book industry
traditionally pop culture but the book
wins the pulitzer prize
in the curious incident of the dog in
the night time by mark hadden an
autistic youth must clear his name after
being blamed for the killing of the
neighbor's dog
why it's multicultural postmodern
the main character is autistic the
reader sees the world only through his
eyes
in joseph heller's catch 22 the military
bureaucracy delivers orders from above
that make no sense and a main character
is zaryan who just wants to stay alive
why it's postmodern
white officers and soldiers oppressed
the indian soldier hal fought as a
different species the soldiers treat the
women including prostitutes and nurses
as play things to manipulate
catch 22 is filled with paradoxical
language and anti-logical dialogues
jennifer egan's visit from the goon
squad is a satire of the modern pop
music industry why it's multicultural or
postmodern
it's focused on the pop music industry
traditionally low culture it lacks a
beginning middle and end but just jumps
around
it's satirical about fame and fortune
the characters tend to be nasty
each chapter has a different main
character and a different tone
in alice walker's color purple an
african-american woman is abused by men
why it's multicultural postmodern the
main characters are african-american
the males are evil
a few thinkers that influence the
postmoderns mikhail folkhalt
examine the relationship between power
and knowledge
jacques
derrida
nothing exists outside of context
baudrillard people can't tell the
difference between reality in a
technological simulation
and carl jung
humans connect to each other and their
ancestors through shared experiences
a collective consciousness that gives
meaning to the world
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)