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Modernism vs postmodernism free essay
Modernism vs postmodernism free essay
Modernism vs postmodernism free essay
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INTRODUCTION I’m convinced that what happens in my plays could happen anywhere, at any time, in any place, although the events may seem unfamiliar at first glance. (Pinter, Harold Pinter: Plays, 2 ix) Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest post-war generation dramatists, Harold Pinter’s fame rests on not only his popular dramas, poems, sketches, short stories, but also on his political activism which is rooted in his concern for people and their impoverished mental and physical condition in post-war Europe. In fact, it can be said that many of his works are a reflection of his political activism against the abuse of power in the familial, social and political sphere and its somatic and psychosomatic impact on the …show more content…
. . . But while postmodernism seems very much like modernism in these ways, it differs from modernism in its attitude towards a lot of these trends. Modernism, for example, tends to present a fragmented view of human subjectivity and history {think of The Waste Land, for instance, or of Woolf’s To the Lighthouse}, but presents fragmentation as something tragic, something to be lamented and mourned as a loss. . . . Postmodernism, in contrast, doesn’t lament the idea of fragmentation, provisionality or incoherence, but rather celebrates that. The world is meaningless? Let’s not pretend art can make meaning then. Let’s just play with nonsense! …show more content…
His political concerns arose from his deep-rooted hatred, disgust and contempt against all forms of totalitarian agencies that abused human rights, disrupted peaceful lives and inflicted torture on political dissenters, minority groups, women, the poor, the weaker, smaller nations etc. Like a post-modernist he was concerned with the cons of logo-centrism as it leads to centralization of power, with only a few powerful people to use and abuse it. He was a playwright and a polemicist who advocated the cause of all abjected beings and highlighted the dangers of the social evils prevalent in the society. In a career spanning six decades, he had written for the stage, the radio and the television and also engaged himself as a screenplay writer, an actor, and a director and later as a political activist. His plays are an exploration of human condition when confronted by social problems which are often termed as pathologies of the society. The term ‘pathology’ originates from the Greek pathos which means ‘suffering’ and logia which means ‘study of’ (“pathology”). In medical science, ‘pathology’ is a term which means the anatomical condition of a disease or illness. The term when added with the word ‘social’ refers to the diseases or illnesses of the society. F. A. Pickworth has provided an interesting analogy between medical
The play “Cosi” by Louis Nowra is the story of a university student who is set the task of producing a play in a mental institute. The play uses many dramatic techniques including, but not limited to; the setting of the play, humour, and tension as well as role, to help draw the audience into the world of the play, the world of these ‘mental patients.’ The play also helps to bring forward people’s feelings and attitudes towards the mentally ill and people’s attitudes towards love and cheating, to further draw the audience into the world of the play, and the world of the 1970’s, when people with any kind of mental illness where treated as ‘outcasts’ and were not accepted as socially acceptable.
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.”
Postmodernism can be defined as a rejection of the idea that there are certain unequivocal truths or grand narratives (such as capitalism, faith or science) and as a belief that there are multiple ways of understanding anything, whether it be it culture, philosophy, art, literature, films, etc, or even television... Television reflects the mass-produced society we live in and certain shows exhibit many of the archetypes of postmodernism that have become prevalent in other art forms. Postmodernism can be useful for understanding contemporary television it can help us to relate to the ever-changing world we live in. Television shows like ABC’s Lost (ABC, 2004-2010) dabble in matters of intertextuality, questioning of grand narratives and, amongst others, a manipulation of time through use of flashbacks, flash-forwards and, uniquely to Lost, the flash-sideways.
Modernism indicates a branch of movements in art (Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism; Cubism; Expressionism; Dada, Surrealism, Pop Art. Etc.) with distinct characteristics, it firmly rejects its classical precedent and classical style, what Walter Benjamin would refer to as “destructive liquidation of the traditional value of the cultural heritage”; and it explores the etiology of a present historical situation and of its attendant forms of self-consciousness in the West. Whereas Modernity is often used as ...
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 early 20th century, modernist writers broke free of the consistent pattern on the themes of religion, marriage, and family values, branching out with their actual opinions and observations on society, making more readers aware of the corruption of the traditional morality in America. It became evident that the American people were placing lust, wealth, and material prosperity over their marital vows and traditional values. This idea of amorality is noticeably identified in the literary works, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Major characters in both novels show signs of demoralization, in regards to Tom Buchanan, for example, whom openly cheated on his wife, broke the nose of his mistress, and sold Gatsby’s fate down the river, and Abigail, whom slept with a married man and killed an entire village in spite of the deteriorated affair. In this new, cutting-edge society the concept of materialism is prevalent. Materialistic power became a goal for many Americans in modern America, which is identifiable in The Great Gatsby. People of East and West Egg indulged themselves with parties, pricey automobiles and the latest fashions, meanwhile, the people in the Valley of Ashes merely scraped by. Jay Gatsby out of his desire to 'own' Daisy went to great lengths to appear as a man of great fortune.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In this time era, literature and art became a larger part of society and impacted more American lives than ever before. During the American modernism period of literature, authors, artists, and poets strived to create pieces of literature and art that challenged American traditions and tried to reinvent it, used new ways of communication, such as the telephone and cinema, to demonstrate the new modern social norms, and express the pain and suffering of the First World War.
In criminology, postmodernism implies to the belief that crime is not only the result of social interaction in an area (a foundation of most conflicting theories in criminology), but also a part of the outcome will be influenced by the social aspect. According to Arrigo, the three key issues that inform postmodernism and critical criminology enterprise include one, the centrality of language which is the social human aspect and reality of life is influenced by communication. This is in terms of written and spoken word. Though language is an obstacle in communication due to dissimilarity in culture and ethnicity, it contains values that define human interactions, who we are and institutions
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...
If modernism and postmodernism are arguably two most distinguishing movements that dominated the 20th century Western art, they are certainly most exceptional styles that dominated the global architecture during this period. While modernism sought to capture the images and sensibilities of the age, going beyond simple representation of the present and involving the artist’s critical examination of the principles of art itself, postmodernism developed as a reaction against modernist formalism, seen as elitist. “Far more encompassing and accepting than the more rigid boundaries of modernist practice, postmodernism has offered something for everyone by accommodating wide range of styles, subjects, and formats” (Kleiner 810).
Different art movements are created as a reflection of the type of response to the existing or older art movement. It does not necessarily mean scrapping the old to make way for the new. In art, the new movement always takes with it part of the past, but what makes it distinct is the new and fresh perspective that it brings to the table that wasn't present or appreciated before. If anything, the chronology of art movements is testament to the growth process of the world of art, proof of how the art has evolved ever since. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism are two art movements that happened in succession, and the characteristics of and existence of Post Impressionism reflects how Post Impressionism is a reaction to the earlier Impressionism and how Post Impressionism, despite its efforts to introduce something new, still retains many important characteristics found in Impressionism.
Mary Klages states difference between modernism and postmodernism. The root of modernism would be modernity; while, postmodernism succeeds modernism. This would be a simple statement to describe the difference between modernity, modernism, and postmodernism. Klages states, “Perhaps the easiest way to start thinking about postmodernism is by thinking about modernism, the movement from which postmodernism seems to grow or emerge” (Klages, p.1). In simple words, postmodernism can only be understood once the definition and roots of modernism is understood. Mary Klages says, “Modern societies depend on the idea that signifiers always point to signifieds, and that reality resides in signifieds.(…) Rather, for postmodern societies, there
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.
Gale Stephen H. Harold Pinter: critical approaches. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. London: Associated University Presses, 1986. p.113
Post modern architecture: A revival of architectural elements of the past or a version of aestheticism?