Postmodernism (1947-Present)
Intro
Postmodernism is the critique of Modernism. It is the movement that seeks to return the lost traditions of literature and history in America. During this time, it was believed that language was fundamentally flawed and that it was impossible to communicate a clear meaning of what the author wanted to convey through his/her writing. Words can not create one specific image and there could not be an absolute meaning in the words that could be understood by every reader. Writers such as Bernard Malamud and Harper Lee were key authors during this time period.
Postmodernism, also known as the post-war era, began in 1946 after the end of World War II and still continues today. Many historical events have occurred since this time. After the war ended, the United States entered the Cold War against the Soviet Union. This war got its name because there was never any physical war that was fought during this time. It consisted of the continuous threats of nuclear war from both countries and the space race that ended when America put the first man on the moon. The Korean and Vietnam wars were also important events during this time. Korea split into north and south due to conflict over communism causing a civil war in the country. The Vietnam war began when United States soldiers were sent to Vietnam to try and contain communism within the country. More historical events during Postmodernism includes the building and tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the election of Nelson Mandela in South America, and 9/11. |
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Bernard Malamud
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Bernard Malamud is known to be one of the most prominent figures of Jewish American literature.
Malamud was born on April 26, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the firstborn son to Max and Bertha Fidelman Malamud’s two children. His parents came to the United States from Russia in the early 1900s and made a living by running their own grocery store. They were uneducated and never kept many books, records, or music in their home. Due to this, Malamud would find a love for reading and writing stories at one of his local Yiddish theaters. His father encouraged him greatly to continue his writing and gave Malamud the Book of Knowledge encyclopedia as a gift when he was nine years old. Malamud considered this his most valued gift he had ever received. Later, he attended high school in Brooklyn and received his Bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York in 1936. After graduating, he worked in a factory and as a clerk at the Census Bureau in Washington, D.C. In 1949, he began working at Oregon State University. He left this job in 1961 to go and teach creative writing at Bennington College in Vermont.
Although Malamud wrote in his spare time, he began writing more seriously when he became educated of the events and severity of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the genocide of 6 million Jews in Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler. This and the knowledge of Jewish history and tradition gave much inspiration to the novels and short stories that Malamud wrote. Malamud’s first novel, The Natural, was not Jewish themed but had underlying themes about the initiation and isolation in America. It follows a protagonist who struggles with morality, trying to do what is right. This book is considered to be Malamud’s greatest and symbolic works. However, his second novel, The Assistant, published in 1961, tells a story of a Jewish immigrant who owns a grocery store in Brooklyn, much like Malamud’s parents. The immigrant hires an anti-Semitic, homeless boy who is on the verge of starvation. This book’s theme shows that a person should maintain faith in the human soul no matter who they are or what they believe. Another one of Malamud’s works includes The Fixer (1966). It is considered to be one of his most powerful works, winning the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. This story follows a Jewish handyman who was falsely accused of murdering a Christian boy. Malamud uses this story of torture and humiliation to show the triumph of man. Many of his other works including A New Life (1961) and God’s Grace (1982), were all influenced by Jewish tradition and the prejudice against Jews. Malamud’s last and unfinished novel was called The Tribe. It told the story of a Russian Jewish Peddler who was living among the Native American Indians. Before he died, many people said that he wrote too much of misery among Jews. In an interview he had with Michiko Kakutani from the New York Times, he says, “...you write about what you write best.” Bernard Malamud passed away on March 18, 1986.
Malamud was born on April 26, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the firstborn son to Max and Bertha Fidelman Malamud’s two children. His parents came to the United States from Russia in the early 1900s and made a living by running their own grocery store. They were uneducated and never kept many books, records, or music in their home. Due to this, Malamud would find a love for reading and writing stories at one of his local Yiddish theaters. His father encouraged him greatly to continue his writing and gave Malamud the Book of Knowledge encyclopedia as a gift when he was nine years old. Malamud considered this his most valued gift he had ever received. Later, he attended high school in Brooklyn and received his Bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York in 1936. After graduating, he worked in a factory and as a clerk at the Census Bureau in Washington, D.C. In 1949, he began working at Oregon State University. He left this job in 1961 to go and teach creative writing at Bennington College in Vermont.
Although Malamud wrote in his spare time, he began writing more seriously when he became educated of the events and severity of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the genocide of 6 million Jews in Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler. This and the knowledge of Jewish history and tradition gave much inspiration to the novels and short stories that Malamud wrote. Malamud’s first novel, The Natural, was not Jewish themed but had underlying themes about the initiation and isolation in America. It follows a protagonist who struggles with morality, trying to do what is right. This book is considered to be Malamud’s greatest and symbolic works. However, his second novel, The Assistant, published in 1961, tells a story of a Jewish immigrant who owns a grocery store in Brooklyn, much like Malamud’s parents. The immigrant hires an anti-Semitic, homeless boy who is on the verge of starvation. This book’s theme shows that a person should maintain faith in the human soul no matter who they are or what they believe. Another one of Malamud’s works includes The Fixer (1966). It is considered to be one of his most powerful works, winning the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. This story follows a Jewish handyman who was falsely accused of murdering a Christian boy. Malamud uses this story of torture and humiliation to show the triumph of man. Many of his other works including A New Life (1961) and God’s Grace (1982), were all influenced by Jewish tradition and the prejudice against Jews. Malamud’s last and unfinished novel was called The Tribe. It told the story of a Russian Jewish Peddler who was living among the Native American Indians. Before he died, many people said that he wrote too much of misery among Jews. In an interview he had with Michiko Kakutani from the New York Times, he says, “...you write about what you write best.” Bernard Malamud passed away on March 18, 1986.
literary themes
Themes of Postmodernism include the search for identity, absurdity, chaos, and dark humor. Authors during this time will usually reject outright meaning in their stories and will highlight and welcome the possibility for multiple different meanings. After World War II it was seen impossible to try and locate a specific reason for the things that happen. The world could not be completely or specifically defined. Authors wrote their stories on how they saw the world, undefined and unspecific.
Timeline
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Key Authors
Harper Lee- To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman
Flannery O' Connor- A Good Man is Hard to Find, Good Country People, Everything that Rises Must Converge, Revelation, The Life You Save May be Your Own, Greenleaf, The River, Parker's Back, The Displaced Person, The Lame Shall Enter First, The Geranium
Bernard Malamud- The First Seven Years, The Fixer, The Assistant, The Natural, God's Grace
Flannery O' Connor- A Good Man is Hard to Find, Good Country People, Everything that Rises Must Converge, Revelation, The Life You Save May be Your Own, Greenleaf, The River, Parker's Back, The Displaced Person, The Lame Shall Enter First, The Geranium
Bernard Malamud- The First Seven Years, The Fixer, The Assistant, The Natural, God's Grace