Contemporary Literature

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Presentation transcript:

Contemporary Literature

Historical Context In the early 20th century, when the idea that God is dead was first introduced into the general culture, it caused infinite anguish and a great sense of loss. Writers and artists, and then people in general, began to question the very meaning of life, finally arriving at the conclusion that if there is no God, life is inherently meaningless. Objective truth does not exist; all we have to rely on is our own perspective, on our own truth, since that is all that we can see.

Unrelenting wars and destruction lead to the question: Is there no God?

Historical Context Most literature written before WWII (eg.The Great Gatsby) dealt with the issue of how people could go on living these realizations. By the end of WWII, these ideas had been culturally, not necessarily individually, assimilated. After the atrocities of the war, it wasn’t so hard to accept the idea that there was no benevolent God watching over. Even in the midst of joy and relief that the war was over, the predominant attitude was disillusionment.

In the aftermath of a war, writers found themselves with new dilemmas In the aftermath of a war, writers found themselves with new dilemmas. Postwar writers concerned themselves not so much over the loss of God, but how to find ways to cope with a world in which the only constant is change. As life changes more and more rapidly, literature changes with it. Contemporary literature, unlike other literary periods, is difficult to characterize because it reflects contemporary life and culture, which is rapidly changing and full of contradictions. Contemporary literature is no longer innocent, but ironic. It reflects our political, social, and personal disillusionment, and no longer dares to believe it can create anything new. It can only cast the old in new forms.

It is often the belief that innovation is no longer possible It is often the belief that innovation is no longer possible. There are only so many ideas and combinations of ideas, and they have all been used; all that is left is to imitate. (Increasing number of novels and plays are set in the past, but their events are seen with contemporary cynicism. In contemporary literature, there is a new cynicism about the role of art and literature itself. For previous generations, literature and other arts were meant by their creators to be “anti-establishment” (to subvert established values and traditions). There was always a distinct line between “high” and “low” culture/society, however, with contemporary times, that line has diminished, and therefore, literature itself no longer requires the seriousness and limitations that it once had for many writers.

Everything depends on our personal perspectives Everything depends on our personal perspectives. I see things one way, and you see them another, thus there is no truly objective observer, and therefore, there is no such thing as “truth.” There is only my truth and your truth, and those can change at any moment with the addition of more facts.

Contemporary literature accepts unreality of truth, and therefore, like contemporary society, contemporary literature can be contradictory – as it celebrates human diversity and laments human alienation, it also reveals the universality of human character and emotion.