Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction

Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction

Author: Theresa Wenzel

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2008-09-29

Total Pages: 89

ISBN-13: 3640175026

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Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of G ttingen, 25 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Clothes, as Diana Crane establishes in her book Fashion and Its Social Agendas, "are a major tool in the construction of identity, offering a wide range of choices for the expression of lifestyles or subcultural identities" (171). However: "Social scientists have not articulated a definitive interpretation of how a person constructs social identity in contemporary society" (Crane 2). This might be one of the reasons why clothing has found its way into fiction, contributing to the characterization of protagonists and fictional world alike. The versatility of postmodern texts makes the analysis of clothing in connection with the process of constructing identities especially rewarding. The term postmodernism is hard to define. In the preface to his book The Illusions of Postmodernism Terry Eagleton makes a distinction between postmodernism and postmodernity: The word postmodernism generally refers to a form of contemporary culture, whereas the term postmodernity alludes to a specific historical period. Postmodernity is a style of thought which is suspicious of classical notions of truth, reason, identity and objectivity, of the idea of universal progress or emancipation, of single frameworks, grand narratives or ultimate grounds of explanation. (vii) Postmodernism, then, reflects these notions in what Eagleton calls "a depthless, decentred, ungrounded, self-reflexive, playful, derivative, eclectic, pluralistic art which blurs the boundaries between 'high' and 'popular' culture, as well as between art and everyday experience" (vii). Although his definition is not in favor of postmodernism, it does indicate how diverse subject-matter as well as style in postmodern texts can be. In other words, "anything goes" (Mayer 543).


Book Synopsis Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction by : Theresa Wenzel

Download or read book Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction written by Theresa Wenzel and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008-09-29 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of G ttingen, 25 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Clothes, as Diana Crane establishes in her book Fashion and Its Social Agendas, "are a major tool in the construction of identity, offering a wide range of choices for the expression of lifestyles or subcultural identities" (171). However: "Social scientists have not articulated a definitive interpretation of how a person constructs social identity in contemporary society" (Crane 2). This might be one of the reasons why clothing has found its way into fiction, contributing to the characterization of protagonists and fictional world alike. The versatility of postmodern texts makes the analysis of clothing in connection with the process of constructing identities especially rewarding. The term postmodernism is hard to define. In the preface to his book The Illusions of Postmodernism Terry Eagleton makes a distinction between postmodernism and postmodernity: The word postmodernism generally refers to a form of contemporary culture, whereas the term postmodernity alludes to a specific historical period. Postmodernity is a style of thought which is suspicious of classical notions of truth, reason, identity and objectivity, of the idea of universal progress or emancipation, of single frameworks, grand narratives or ultimate grounds of explanation. (vii) Postmodernism, then, reflects these notions in what Eagleton calls "a depthless, decentred, ungrounded, self-reflexive, playful, derivative, eclectic, pluralistic art which blurs the boundaries between 'high' and 'popular' culture, as well as between art and everyday experience" (vii). Although his definition is not in favor of postmodernism, it does indicate how diverse subject-matter as well as style in postmodern texts can be. In other words, "anything goes" (Mayer 543).

Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction

Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction

Author: Theresa Wenzel

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2008-09-23

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 3640174747

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Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Göttingen, language: English, abstract: Clothes, as Diana Crane establishes in her book Fashion and Its Social Agendas, “are a major tool in the construction of identity, offering a wide range of choices for the expression of lifestyles or subcultural identities” (171). However: “Social scientists have not articulated a definitive interpretation of how a person constructs social identity in contemporary society” (Crane 2). This might be one of the reasons why clothing has found its way into fiction, contributing to the characterization of protagonists and fictional world alike. The versatility of postmodern texts makes the analysis of clothing in connection with the process of constructing identities especially rewarding. The term postmodernism is hard to define. In the preface to his book The Illusions of Postmodernism Terry Eagleton makes a distinction between postmodernism and postmodernity: The word postmodernism generally refers to a form of contemporary culture, whereas the term postmodernity alludes to a specific historical period. Postmodernity is a style of thought which is suspicious of classical notions of truth, reason, identity and objectivity, of the idea of universal progress or emancipation, of single frameworks, grand narratives or ultimate grounds of explanation. (vii) Postmodernism, then, reflects these notions in what Eagleton calls “a depthless, decentred, ungrounded, self-reflexive, playful, derivative, eclectic, pluralistic art which blurs the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘popular’ culture, as well as between art and everyday experience” (vii). Although his definition is not in favor of postmodernism, it does indicate how diverse subject-matter as well as style in postmodern texts can be. In other words, “anything goes” (Mayer 543).


Book Synopsis Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction by : Theresa Wenzel

Download or read book Clothing and Its Connotations in Postmodern American Fiction written by Theresa Wenzel and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2008-09-23 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Göttingen, language: English, abstract: Clothes, as Diana Crane establishes in her book Fashion and Its Social Agendas, “are a major tool in the construction of identity, offering a wide range of choices for the expression of lifestyles or subcultural identities” (171). However: “Social scientists have not articulated a definitive interpretation of how a person constructs social identity in contemporary society” (Crane 2). This might be one of the reasons why clothing has found its way into fiction, contributing to the characterization of protagonists and fictional world alike. The versatility of postmodern texts makes the analysis of clothing in connection with the process of constructing identities especially rewarding. The term postmodernism is hard to define. In the preface to his book The Illusions of Postmodernism Terry Eagleton makes a distinction between postmodernism and postmodernity: The word postmodernism generally refers to a form of contemporary culture, whereas the term postmodernity alludes to a specific historical period. Postmodernity is a style of thought which is suspicious of classical notions of truth, reason, identity and objectivity, of the idea of universal progress or emancipation, of single frameworks, grand narratives or ultimate grounds of explanation. (vii) Postmodernism, then, reflects these notions in what Eagleton calls “a depthless, decentred, ungrounded, self-reflexive, playful, derivative, eclectic, pluralistic art which blurs the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘popular’ culture, as well as between art and everyday experience” (vii). Although his definition is not in favor of postmodernism, it does indicate how diverse subject-matter as well as style in postmodern texts can be. In other words, “anything goes” (Mayer 543).

Romantic Postmodernism in American Fiction

Romantic Postmodernism in American Fiction

Author: Eberhard Alsen

Publisher: Rodopi

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9789051839685

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Intended for teachers and students of American Literature, this book is the first comprehensive analysis of romantic tendencies in postmodernist American fiction. The book challenges the opinion expressed in the Columbia History of the American Novel (1991) and propagated by many influential scholars that the mainstream of postmodernist fiction is represented by the disjunctive and nihilistic work of such writers as Kathy Acker, Donald Barthelme, and Robert Coover. Professor Alsen disagrees. He contends that this kind of fiction is not read and taught much outside an isolated but powerful circle in the academic community. It is the two-part thesis of Professor Alsen's book that the mainstream of postmodernist fiction consists of the widely read work of the Nobel Prize laureates Saul Bellow and Toni Morrison and other similar writers and that this mainstream fiction is essentially romantic. To support his argument, Professor Alsen analyzes representative novels by Saul Bellow, J.D. Salinger, Norman Mailer, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, Thomas Pynchon, Toni Morrison, the later John Barth, Alice Walker, William Kennedy, and Paul Auster. Professor Alsen demonstrates that the traits which distinguish the fiction of the romantic postmodernists from the fiction of their disunctive and nihilist colleagues include a vision of life that is a form of philosophical idealism, an organic view of art, modes of storytelling that are reminiscent of the nineteenth-century romance, and such themes as the nature of sin or evil, the negative effects of technology on the soul, and the quest for transcendence.


Book Synopsis Romantic Postmodernism in American Fiction by : Eberhard Alsen

Download or read book Romantic Postmodernism in American Fiction written by Eberhard Alsen and published by Rodopi. This book was released on 1996 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intended for teachers and students of American Literature, this book is the first comprehensive analysis of romantic tendencies in postmodernist American fiction. The book challenges the opinion expressed in the Columbia History of the American Novel (1991) and propagated by many influential scholars that the mainstream of postmodernist fiction is represented by the disjunctive and nihilistic work of such writers as Kathy Acker, Donald Barthelme, and Robert Coover. Professor Alsen disagrees. He contends that this kind of fiction is not read and taught much outside an isolated but powerful circle in the academic community. It is the two-part thesis of Professor Alsen's book that the mainstream of postmodernist fiction consists of the widely read work of the Nobel Prize laureates Saul Bellow and Toni Morrison and other similar writers and that this mainstream fiction is essentially romantic. To support his argument, Professor Alsen analyzes representative novels by Saul Bellow, J.D. Salinger, Norman Mailer, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, Thomas Pynchon, Toni Morrison, the later John Barth, Alice Walker, William Kennedy, and Paul Auster. Professor Alsen demonstrates that the traits which distinguish the fiction of the romantic postmodernists from the fiction of their disunctive and nihilist colleagues include a vision of life that is a form of philosophical idealism, an organic view of art, modes of storytelling that are reminiscent of the nineteenth-century romance, and such themes as the nature of sin or evil, the negative effects of technology on the soul, and the quest for transcendence.

From Modernism to Postmodernism

From Modernism to Postmodernism

Author: Gerhard Hoffmann

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-08-01

Total Pages: 750

ISBN-13: 9401202427

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This systemic study discusses in its historical, cultural and aesthetic context the postmodern American novel between the years of 1960 and 1980. A general overview of the various definitions of postmodernism in philosophy, cultural theory and aesthetics provides the framework for the inquiry into more specific problems, such as: the broadening of aesthetics, the relationship between aesthetics and ethics, the transformation of the artistic tradition, the interdependence between modernism and postmodernism, and the change in the aesthetics of fiction. Other topics addressed here include: situationalism, montage, the ordinary and the fantastic, the subject and the character, the imagination, comic modes, and the future of the postmodern strategies. The authors whose fiction is treated in some detail under the various aspects thematized are John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Richard Brautigan, Robert Coover, Stanley Elkin, Raymond Federman, William Gaddis, John Hawkes, Jerzy Kosinski, Thomas Pynchon, Ishmael Reed, Ronald Sukenick, and Kurt Vonnegut.


Book Synopsis From Modernism to Postmodernism by : Gerhard Hoffmann

Download or read book From Modernism to Postmodernism written by Gerhard Hoffmann and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This systemic study discusses in its historical, cultural and aesthetic context the postmodern American novel between the years of 1960 and 1980. A general overview of the various definitions of postmodernism in philosophy, cultural theory and aesthetics provides the framework for the inquiry into more specific problems, such as: the broadening of aesthetics, the relationship between aesthetics and ethics, the transformation of the artistic tradition, the interdependence between modernism and postmodernism, and the change in the aesthetics of fiction. Other topics addressed here include: situationalism, montage, the ordinary and the fantastic, the subject and the character, the imagination, comic modes, and the future of the postmodern strategies. The authors whose fiction is treated in some detail under the various aspects thematized are John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Richard Brautigan, Robert Coover, Stanley Elkin, Raymond Federman, William Gaddis, John Hawkes, Jerzy Kosinski, Thomas Pynchon, Ishmael Reed, Ronald Sukenick, and Kurt Vonnegut.

The Play of the Double in Postmodern American Fiction

The Play of the Double in Postmodern American Fiction

Author: Gordon Slethaug

Publisher: SIU Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780809318414

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In The Hawkline Monster, Brautigan's minimalist metafictive parody of the double depicts our narcissistic view of reality. In Double or Nothing, Federman subverts the conventional double, exposing its gamelike structures and traditional views of life and text.


Book Synopsis The Play of the Double in Postmodern American Fiction by : Gordon Slethaug

Download or read book The Play of the Double in Postmodern American Fiction written by Gordon Slethaug and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Hawkline Monster, Brautigan's minimalist metafictive parody of the double depicts our narcissistic view of reality. In Double or Nothing, Federman subverts the conventional double, exposing its gamelike structures and traditional views of life and text.

American Postmodernist Fiction and the Past

American Postmodernist Fiction and the Past

Author: T. Savvas

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2011-10-24

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 0230307787

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Through a close-reading of the work of five prominent American postmodernist writers, this book re-evaluates the role of the past in recent American fiction, outlines the development of the postmodernist historical novel and considers the waning influence of postmodernism in contemporary American literature.


Book Synopsis American Postmodernist Fiction and the Past by : T. Savvas

Download or read book American Postmodernist Fiction and the Past written by T. Savvas and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through a close-reading of the work of five prominent American postmodernist writers, this book re-evaluates the role of the past in recent American fiction, outlines the development of the postmodernist historical novel and considers the waning influence of postmodernism in contemporary American literature.

'Closing the Gap'

'Closing the Gap'

Author: D'haen

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-11-20

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9004647503

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Book Synopsis 'Closing the Gap' by : D'haen

Download or read book 'Closing the Gap' written by D'haen and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-11-20 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Fetishism and Its Discontents in Post-1960 American Fiction

Fetishism and Its Discontents in Post-1960 American Fiction

Author: C. Kocela

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2010-09-10

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0230109985

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This study explores the concept of fetishism as a strategy for expressing social and political discontent in American literature, and for negotiating traumatic experiences particular to the second half of the twentieth century.


Book Synopsis Fetishism and Its Discontents in Post-1960 American Fiction by : C. Kocela

Download or read book Fetishism and Its Discontents in Post-1960 American Fiction written by C. Kocela and published by Springer. This book was released on 2010-09-10 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study explores the concept of fetishism as a strategy for expressing social and political discontent in American literature, and for negotiating traumatic experiences particular to the second half of the twentieth century.

The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 2 Volumes

The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 2 Volumes

Author: Patrick O'Donnell

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2022-03-01

Total Pages: 1607

ISBN-13: 1119431719

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Fresh perspectives and eye-opening discussions of contemporary American fiction In The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction: 1980-2020, a team of distinguished scholars delivers a focused and in-depth collection of essays on some of the most significant and influential authors and literary subjects of the last four decades. Cutting-edge entries from established and new voices discuss subjects as varied as multiculturalism, contemporary regionalisms, realism after poststructuralism, indigenous narratives, globalism, and big data in the context of American fiction from the last 40 years. The Encyclopedia provides an overview of American fiction at the turn of the millennium as well as a vision of what may come. It perfectly balances analysis, summary, and critique for an illuminating treatment of the subject matter. This collection also includes: An exciting mix of established and emerging contributors from around the world discussing central and cutting-edge topics in American fiction studies Focused, critical explorations of authors and subjects of critical importance to American fiction Topics that reflect the energies and tendencies of contemporary American fiction from the forty years between 1980 and 2020 The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction: 1980-2020 is a must-have resource for undergraduate and graduate students of American literature, English, creative writing, and fiction studies. It will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars seeking an authoritative array of contributions on both established and newer authors of contemporary fiction.


Book Synopsis The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 2 Volumes by : Patrick O'Donnell

Download or read book The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 2 Volumes written by Patrick O'Donnell and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 1607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fresh perspectives and eye-opening discussions of contemporary American fiction In The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction: 1980-2020, a team of distinguished scholars delivers a focused and in-depth collection of essays on some of the most significant and influential authors and literary subjects of the last four decades. Cutting-edge entries from established and new voices discuss subjects as varied as multiculturalism, contemporary regionalisms, realism after poststructuralism, indigenous narratives, globalism, and big data in the context of American fiction from the last 40 years. The Encyclopedia provides an overview of American fiction at the turn of the millennium as well as a vision of what may come. It perfectly balances analysis, summary, and critique for an illuminating treatment of the subject matter. This collection also includes: An exciting mix of established and emerging contributors from around the world discussing central and cutting-edge topics in American fiction studies Focused, critical explorations of authors and subjects of critical importance to American fiction Topics that reflect the energies and tendencies of contemporary American fiction from the forty years between 1980 and 2020 The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction: 1980-2020 is a must-have resource for undergraduate and graduate students of American literature, English, creative writing, and fiction studies. It will also earn a place in the libraries of scholars seeking an authoritative array of contributions on both established and newer authors of contemporary fiction.

Fashion in Fiction

Fashion in Fiction

Author: Peter McNeil

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 9781847883773

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'Fashion in Fiction' examines the ways in which dress 'performs' in a wide range of contemporary and historical literary texts. Essays by North American, European and Australian scholars explore the function of clothing within fictional narratives, including those of film, television and advertising.


Book Synopsis Fashion in Fiction by : Peter McNeil

Download or read book Fashion in Fiction written by Peter McNeil and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Fashion in Fiction' examines the ways in which dress 'performs' in a wide range of contemporary and historical literary texts. Essays by North American, European and Australian scholars explore the function of clothing within fictional narratives, including those of film, television and advertising.