“Postmodernity and Beyond”
We will explore literary postmodernism. Conclusively defining postmodernism is impossible. Some scholars suggest the postmodernist movement begins in the aftermath of the second World War; however, I would add that literary postmodernism escalates with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1954 Fr. 1956 Eng.) ushering in the Theatre of the Absurd as well as raising unsettling questions with existentialist thought. I also believe that the postmodern / postcolonial signpost of the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956 provided ample fuel for the Cold War or maybe it was oil. This course will explore many unsettling and unsettled questions about culture and identity as a gateway to interrogating ideologies, democracies, and nationalisms. Our chats will be very informal but at times informed by critical theory from structuralism and poststructuralism. I am less interested in whether we find answers to postmodernism problematic condition but in we form questions that offer us possibilities. We will ask questions about the following inconclusive list: Imperialism (hegemony in the Victorianism period followed by the fall of the British Empire); Poststructuralism (skepticisms about grand narratives promoted through language as a semiotic or sign system); Postcolonialism / Decolonization (challenges to Western civilization and history as exceptionalism). This course should lead to increasing the understanding of the importance of globally connected communities, economies, and national diversities. Without ever conclusively defining postmodernism, it will continue to be a significant part of the literary landscape and conversation into the twenty-first century. I’m both humbled and excited to take this semester’s journey with you all.
Dr. James Ivory
MW 3:30 – 4:45
Face to face