POST-MODERN/CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

(1950-PRESENT)Anna Ramos

Brennan RodriguezCassandra Gomez

Jonathan LeeJuanmiguel Ortiz

Postmodernism

Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to the extremes.

Contemporary literature is not escapist Contemporary writers focus on describing

people’s emotional states rather than focusing so much on objects of their culture( as modern writers did)

Historical Context

(1945)The end of World War II with the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima

(1947-1953)The Cold War with the U.S.S.R. begins

(1955-1968)The Civil Rights Movement (1957)The Final Frontier: Space Travel (1969)Segregation in public schools is

abolished (1940s- present)Technology advances:

Computers, Internet, Media, Cell phones, Etc.

Values and Beliefs

War Fears: - many war-torn veterans from WWII

tried to make sense of the madness - Fear of Nuclear Warfare plague the

entire U.S. to raise the value of their lives Civil Right’s Movement: - The certainties of the past were called

into question

Continued…

- Racial Equality for all citizens in the U.S. - It amplified the idea of an individual’s

worth in society - Ethnic and minority writers ,and people,

began to wonder how they might fit into mainstream culture

Multiculturalism - The growth in diversity brought many

different ideals to the U.S. - The differences in culture, religion, and

lifestyles were now accepted

Continued…

- Respect for other cultures began to emerge

Pop Culture- The values are often portrayed and

placed in the media, such as movies and television

Post- Modernism- With the growth of modernism, others

sought alternatives to redefine the norm- To redefine the norm, people would

question their own consciousness and express their unconventional mindsets

Continued…

- The focus was now on how major ideas were being communicated

- This affected literature, drama, architecture, journalism and design

Genre and Style

Genres -Novels -Plays -Autobiographies -Narratives Styles - Direct characterization: The writer makes

direct statements about a characters personality and tells what the character is like.

Continued…

-Indirect Characterization: The writer reveals information about acharacter and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, andactions, along with how other characters respond to that character,including what they think and say about him

-Pop-Culture Allusions: The writer makes pop culture references thatinclude movies, television, music, etc.

Continued…

- Extended Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.

Significant Authors

J.D. Salinger (1919- 2010)-novels, short stories “Catcher and the Rye” “Hapworth 16, 1924”

Arthur Miller(1915-2005)-plays

“ The Crucible” “Death of a Salesman”

Amy Tan(1952-) - novels

“The Joy Luck Club” “The bonesetter’s Daughter”

Continued…

Harper Lee(1926- )-novels, essays “ To Kill a Mockingbird”

“ When Children Discover America” Tim O’Brien(1946- )

-memoirs, short stories “The Things They Carried”

“If I Die in a Combat Zone” Malcolm X(1925-1965)

-Autobiographies “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”

Man Listening to Disk by: Billy Collins

“This is not bad -- ambling along 44th Street

with Sonny Rollins for company,his music flowing through the soft calipers

of these earphones, 

as if he were right beside meon this clear day in March,the pavement sparkling with sunlight,pigeons fluttering off the curb,nodding over a profusion of bread crumbs.”

Continued… 

This music is loud yet so confidential.I cannot help feeling even morelike the center of the universethan usual as I walk along to a rapidlittle version of "The Way You Look Tonight,"

 and all I can say to my fellow pedestrians,to the woman in the white sweater,the man in the tan raincoat and the heavy glasses,who mistake themselves for the center of the universe --all I can say is watch your step,

Independent Practice

After having read Speaking of Courage, how does the story relate to the post-modern time era? Find two examples of literary devices that contribute to the post-modern/contemporary time period. Analyze how these devices incorporate the post-modern time era with Speaking of Courage.