After Chuseok we will begin exploring the poetry of Margaret Atwood, Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson. Get ready for some fantastic discussions! In preparation for Atwood and Plath's poetry, in particular, I'd like you to read the following article about postmoderism. It's a bit academic and heavy, but there are some very good explanations in this article of the philosophies of moderism and postmoderism. The author also begins to explore why feminist theorists have been drawn to postmodern thinking (the type of thinking that is predominant in our culture, in so many ways). Please read through this and post a brief comment that summarizes what postmodern thinking is. A few sentences will be sufficient. Hit the highlights of what you think defines this paradigm of thinking.
http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html
(By the way, this art is a piece by M.C. Escher. If you've never checked out his artwork, do a google images search and see what you can find. It's fascinating!)
(Another aside: there are two links posted on the Web links list on the right-hand side of the blog that provide some interesting information about poverty and modern-day slavery. It's interesting to read these sites while digesting the conversations we've been having in the HL class about In the Skin of a Lion and in the SL class about Death of a Salesman. Have fun exploring!)
24 comments:
The article is indeed a bit academic and heavy. While reading the article, I thought that most works we studied in class belong to the modern/postmodernism. So basically postmodernism has to do with liberalism and radicalism, and rejecting the "grand-narratives" to focus on mini-narratives.
I am not sure if I fully understood the article, but based on my understanding, postmodernism is related to breaking limits and standards, which sometimes involves taking a radical view. May be “breaking limits and standards” is why postmodernism draws feminist theorists.
wow, the article was heavy...I didn't fully understand the article either, but I think I get the main idea. Postmodernism is like liberalism. The article explains how postmodernism doesn't lament on the "idea of fragmentation", but instead celebrates it. It opens up to new and broader thinking and views. Like the article says it's "reflexive". Postmodernism goes beyond the limits and the normal standards of life, which might be a reason why feminists are attracted to postmodernism. They want to break the "old standard life of women". They want change.
Postmodernism is a concept that departs from modernism in fields of arts and architecture, and it criticizes/distrusts grand theories and ideologies. Basically postmodernism challenges established ideas.
Postmodernism is an idea that emerges from modernism. Both ideas emphasize on deliberately rejecting the boundaries set for how art should be.
I think postmodernism accepts and celebrates the fragmentation, discontinuity, and ambiguity, etc, of literature. It is against popular beliefs and genres and to me, it seems pretty radical and has the potential to be attacked by the public for being too rational. (postmodernism attacks some established beliefs and even knowledge). I think it calls for some rational changes in society.
Just like the article says, there seems to be many aspects of postmodernism for us to all grasp at once. But by reading this article, I have some sense that postmodernism is similar but unlike modernism in that it celebrates rather than lamenting the idea of fragmentation and incoherence. Postmodernism does makes no claim to universality truth and reason. In other words, it favors stories that explain small practices rather than large concepts.
Upon reading the article, I've been experiencing a mix of emotional, as well as rational, responses to postmodernism and modernism. Since, I don't want to say anything that I may regret later I'm trying to restrain myself from expressing my current thoughts. Before I can critically and effectively pass judgment on these two very complex ideologies, I think I should find out more about them.
Anyways, postmoderism, according to the limited knowledge provided by the article, is an ideology that rejects the universal and conforms to the thinking that everything is relative or "situational." Well, that explains why the world's walking the path it's walking right now...-_-;; Ultimately, I think postmodernism thinking is destructive to humanity. What it is actually attempting to debunk is a belief, or an ideology, that has its roots and foundations in the thousands of years of human history. Thus, regarding postmodernism what I want to do is learn about it only because it is so widely accepted in today's society. Then, after learning about it, I can seat back and watch it crumble as it strives to achieve the impossible.
The human mind...as much as it is incredibly amazing beyond all measures, it is just as incredibly susceptible to the arrogant attitudes of mankind that disables it.
posmdernism come from modernism. It is simple but not simple concept. It has a simple definition, however, if we look into other areas where this comcept is apllied, it is hard to understand.
BUT, we have a great candidate who practices POSTMODERNIM everyday. It is THE BLAKE. He is a perfect example of a person who praises "Let's not pretend that art can make meaning then, let's just play with nonsense" idea.
Thus, opposing the modernist ideas = Praising fragmentation= Posmodernmism = Blake = Answer !
I didn't fully grasp the concept of postmodernism through this article. However, i believe that postmodernism is the celebration of the tweaked, discontinuous and fragmented qualities not only in literature but in a worldly view as well. It almost celebrates the breaking of boundries and the radical change away from conformity.
the whole concept of postmodernism is not essentially clear through this article we read, the article aint easy but i could infer what it really means. Postmodernism could refer to taking modernism to the extreme, it dealt a bit more with cultural and intellectual aspects. the term was used in art, music and literature and generally just refers to the revival of cultural elements.
in order to follow suit I will define postmodernism first
Postmodernism(Noun):Genre of art and literature and especially architecture in reaction against principles and practices of established modernism
then, also in order to follow suit, I will say that the article was in fact a bit 'academic and heavy'
I believe the article's explanation was lengthy and drawn out but if I were to summarize the actual article I would have to say that it was giving a thorough definition of what the author had observed post-modernism to be. Which is the blurring of genre lines and the creation of art without boundaries.
I also believe Andrew is a doodoo head.
Blake, is "doodoo head" an offical postmodern term? I'm just wondering because, as The Blake (according to Andrew), you might have some philosophical insights I don't know about yet. :)
Well, that was way over my head. To be honest, I fell asleep too many times to while reading this that I really do not remember anything that it said. However, upon skimming the article, it seems like postmodernism could be problematic to the world. I think I will have to agree with John on how the world is heading towards big trouble. Postmodernism sounds like it would brainwash the minds of people since it “celebrates the idea of fragmentation, provisionality, or incoherence.” It would create more “Meursaults” in this world, which in turn would mean more chaos in this world such as more deaths of innocent people.
sungguk postmodernism is anti-brainwashing and would help influence individual thinking, you should have read my anti-john bang ideals post first
Wow, I think postmodernism was really just created for all those people who in elementary could never color in the lines. Honestly, the basis of postmodernism is to stray from an intentional genre and to produce sentences of discontinuity and so on. I suppose in this way writing becomes more an expression of the human soul and it's flaws and less of just a show for the readers.
The points that stood out to me were that postmodernism does not attempt to lament the fragmentation and disorder in the world, it celebrates it. And that the ideas of rationality, science is truth, and complete order are aspects of modernism so postmodernism doesn't contain those ideas.
Postmodernism is a study that is intended to break limits and boundaries of knowledge. It rejects the idea of limiting ideas and I think this concept can be greatly applied to literature in terms of understanding the universal theme portrayed.
According to the article and other definitions I have read about postmodernism, postmodernism is a reactionary sentiment initiated by the western hemisphere to revolutionize the human's culture, arts, lifestyle and thinkings.
Postmodernism criticizes the modern societies' activist thinkings and try to have deeper understandings. Modernism and postmodernism both pursue liberalism and internationalism.
From modernism arises postmodernism. Applying to things like literature, art philosphy and etc, postmodernism is 'being' outside of the box. Away from the norm is what counts. It's realizing and taking the time to think about what the 'truth' is for onself in reality. Moreover, it's about being apart from the general human understanding while still being highly skeptical about explanations for a particular group or culture. Postmodernism is TOK :)
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