The Post-modernism The post-modernism in «Nice Work» by David Lodge and «The Reluctant Fundamentalist» by Mohsin Hamid FRANCESCO FLORITTO VB

NICE WORK ( David Lodge) There is a subject position in an infinite web discourses One of the phenomena that attracted the post-modern literature is the inability to encompass the complexity of the real with a single cognitive discourse Every text is a product of intertextuality, a tissue of allusions and quotations of other texts Also quotations are characteristics of post-modern literature We product ourselves in language : “you are what you speak and not what you eat” Once again it’s used a quotation to explain the thoughts of the female protagonist

Robyn belonging to a very different social species from Vic Wilcox Two characters so different but at the end they are involved in sentimental story Post-modern artists enjoy to play with the narration’s trap; nothing is determined. Her feminism doesn’t seem to affect her behaviour In this sentence we can read the sense of uncertainty. There is also a sort of hint to the psychology of the character but not deeply , only on the surface.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist( Mohsin Hamid) Contrast between western capitalism and Islam One of the main themes of post-modern literature is the consumer society with its contradictions American conformism and Muslim fundamentalism. Other important themes are the complexity of the reality and virtual reality created by media. Post-modernism tries to show to the reader the truth even of the weak, defeated, exploited men. Reader can see the threat of terrorism also inside the protagonist’s thoughts even if he’s grown up culturally in USA Conspiracies, intrigues, secrets, are other social phenomena underlined by post-modern literature