Postmodernism movement started in the 1960’s, carrying on until present. James Morley defined the postmodernism movement as “a rejection of the sovereign autonomous individual with an emphasis upon anarchic collective anonymous experience.” In other words, postmodernism rejects what has been established and makes emphasis on combined revolutionary experiences. Postmodernism can be said it is the "derivate" of modernism; it follows most of the same ideas than modernism but resist the very idea of boundaries. According to our lecture notes “Dominant culture uses perception against others to maintain authority.”
George Saunders is a New York Times bestselling American writer of short stories, essays, novellas and children's books. His short story “The 400 Pound CEO” appeared in Harper's magazine. Jeffrey is a very unique character who was very engaging as a 1st person narrator. Saunders achieved the sympathy factor for this protagonist. The concept was 100% original and interesting, and even the minor characters had clear personalities. It is especially depressing to consider that hatred like this can continue into adulthood. George Saunders “The 400 Pound CEO” relates to postmodernism because the main character been bullied, ostracized, and verbally abused because of his weight by his workers who are average weight.
Jeffrey’s father is dead, his lifetime was brought to an end too soon, most likely from being overweight, and he was left alone with no surviving family members. Yet, for the most part of the short story he is calm, rational, and passive until he finally lashes out. Jeffrey may have been ostracized by his peers in his teen years due to him being slightly on the heavier side.
Tim is Jeffrey’s oppressor and tormented at t...
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Even when Jeffrey was incarcerated for the death of Tim in the penitentiary institution he was still being bullied! He thinks about being reborn as someone better. Jeffrey told the truth when he was tried in court, which proved he showed remorse. Jeffrey proved that he was really strong and has a lot of self-control (you know, besides when he hugs his bully of a boss to death), considering the circumstances, anyone would have eventually snapped. At least Jeffrey did not kill a complete innocent. In the end, Claude used his observation skills against Jeffrey to maintain his authority he had on the job.
Works Cited
Keep, Christopher, Tim McLaughlin, and Robin Parmar. "Defining Postmodernism." Defining Postmodernism. N.P., N.D. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Saunders, George. "The 400-pound CEO." Harper's Magazine Feb. 1993: 52. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
However, with this transition, some questions come up: What is the difference between being ridiculed and being pitied for? Is it really that much better to be pitied for? Answers to these questions would have made the transformation process of the term “fat” clearer. Though there is no doubt that Carver is making a statement here with the waitress’s pity, it is more than just pity for the fat man and more than just the presence of “the grotesque” (Kurkjian 2). It is seeing the fat man beyond his fat, someone who is mannerly and also shameful of his weight. When the waitress interacts with him, he thanks her for the food, forgives her for spilling his water, and frequently says that “they” (himself) do not eat so much all the time (Carver 67). The waitress realizes the kind-hearted and self-critical man he truly is and stands up for him when her fellow employees mock him. Carver does not change the term “fat.” In reality, he emphasizes the perception of what is beyond being fat, that there is more under the surface of what he or she looks like. Here, Carver is, in fact, using the Freudian idea of superego, which “concentrates on the mind of morals and ethics” (Abrams
killed by Mark for wanting to do the right thing and tell the truth. Jeff is one of the guys who helps with the kidnapping, He does whatever Mark tells him to do. Jeff is also a poor student in Mr.
Macey, David. “Postmodernity.” The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin Books, 2001. 307-309. Print.
Jameson, Frederick. "Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" New Left Review. 146 (July-August 1984) Rpt in Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992.
His father's capacity for work bothered Jeff. To him it seemed as though nothing had
went to the war, his father was attacked by a group of Bushwackers. Jeff was frightened, and
Postmodern literature contains an authoritative point of view as it expresses the “real” and the “unreal”. The authoritative viewpoint hides within the representation of words and the form of the text. Jean Baudrillard speaks of the masking of view in his essay, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society”, when he says, “This, feigning or dissimilating leaves the reality principle inta...
Haralambos & Holbron (2004:84) determined that postmodern societies distinguish themselves through four key figures: culturalism, fragmentation, autonomization and resignifcation. Postmodernism theorizes that class is dead due to our consumer culture that allows infinite freedom of choice, taste, lifestyle and fashion; therefore, everyone has the ability to shape themselves and create their own identity. Globalization and media influence has spread the idea of individualism is the key that divides society subsequently provoking no definite class exclusivity—People no longer identify themselves through their social class, occupation or their background, rather they do so through their leisure (realsociology, n.d). Postmodernism encourages the idea that if perceptions are acted upon they can be achieved through a person’s willingness to pursue their personal development and desires (Pakulski & Waters,1996:121:120). Literary critic Frederic Jameson argued from a Marxist perspective that society is divided because despite having a superstructure that is constantly changing (culture and society), there is still an economical base (the relation of productions and exchange) which is what ultimately shapes society (Clark, 2008);
Alcohol got the young Dahmer discharged from the army while he was stationed in Germany. He went to Florida, and tried to get a job. When his money ran out, and he had nothing to fall back on, Jeff called his father. Jeffrey was told that, no, he couldnt have any money, but he could have a plane ticket home.
George Marcus describes reflexivity as the “self-critique, the personal quest, playing on the subjective, the experiential, and the idea of empathy” (Marcus 193). In Ethnography through thick and thin, Marcus writes that the emergence of the different styles of reflexivity in ethnographic writing has come to stand for the influence of postmodernism. In brief, according to the Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1996), post-modernism is defined as an eclectic movement, originating in aesthetics- architecture and philosophy. Postmodernism espouses a systematic skepticism of grounded theoretical perspective. It concentrates on the tensions of difference and similarity erupting from the globalization processes: circulation via people, cross-cultural interaction, interaction of local and global knowledge. Postmodernism manifests historical perspective of modernism and modernity.
Although the postmodernist movement evolved after World War II, another devastating period of time, it demonstrated a more optimistic outlook on events (Postmodernism). The development of modernism began in Britain and America in the 1890’s, however, it was not widely seen until the 1900’s, but it became less popular around the 1950’s. (Literary History- Modernism).
Postmodernism literally means after-modernism and is used to describe the period of time we currently are in which is after the age of modernism. Premoderns placed their trust in authority. Moderns lost their confidence in authority and placed it in human reason instead. Postmoderns kept the modern distrust of authority but lost their trust in reason and have ...
In the 1950s, authors tended to follow common themes, these themes were summed up in an art called postmodernism. Postmodernism took place after the Cold War, themes changed drastically, and boundaries were broken down. Postmodern authors defined themselves by “avoiding traditional closure of themes or situations” (Postmodernism). Postmodernism tends to play with the mind, and give a new meaning to things, “Postmodern art often makes it a point of demonstrating in an obvious way the instability of meaning (Clayton)”. What makes postmodernism most unique is its unpredictable nature and “think o...
Postmodernism assumes an ontology of fragmented being. Where modernism asserts the primacy of the subject in revealing universal truth, postmodernism challenges the authority of the subject and, thus, universal truth based on it. Modernism and postmodernism, however, draw upon distinctly different epistemological modes: critical and dogmatic.
Postmodernism is an intellectual movement that promotes itself as the 'antithesis' of modernism, resulting from the intensification, radicalization, or transformation of the processes of modernity. (Barfield, 368) The term was introduced in the late 1940's, however, the turn towards, if not the origin of postmodernism in anthropology, can be traced to a single publication: Writing Culture (1986). It consisted of contributions from nine scholars, edited by Clifford and Marcus, and attempted to sketch out the basic premise of the postmodern perspective. (Harris, 153) Anthropologist are forced to contend with the changes created by postmodernism in a variety of ways, beginning with the challenge to anthropological authority. It is felt by many that it is incredibly arrogant for anthropologists to assume that they have both the capacity and mandate to dissect, interpret and describe the lives of people in other cultures, given the power and wealth imbalance of the colonial past, leaving the 'other' unable to speak for him/herself. This argument finds itself in the whole 'West vs.