Assist. Prof. Dr.

Marwan Kadhim Mohammed

Introduction
Modernism and postmodernism are two movements 
in literature and art; the distinction between the two is
hazy; there is no well – defined boundary between
them in chronological, aesthetic or political terms.
MODERNISM
MODERNISM As a literary movement, modernism
flourished in Europe and America in the 1920’s and
1930’s. Modernist writers experimented with forms,
devices and styles. They made use of the psychoanalytic
theories of Freud and Jung. Their works reflected a sense
of loss, disillusionment and even despair; writers like
T.S.Eliot and James Joyce saw a fragmented world,but
hoped that fragmentation could be countered through
their works.
Modernism experimented with a number of literary 
endeavors and styles. Modernist works are often called
Avant-garde (i.e. advance-guard). The modernist
writers regarded themselves as alienated from the
established order. Their purpose in writing was to
shock the sensibilities of the conventional reader so as
to lead him in the march ahead. ‘Modern’ and
‘modernist’ are not synonymous. The former term
broadly refers to that which is contemporary or
pertains to the present.
Modernist’ refers to the complex of characteristics 
shared by those who participate in or follow the
modernist movement. It involves a radical break with
some of the traditional modes.
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodernism refers to certain radically 
experimental works in literature and art. It is
distinguished from modernism in that it is a term
applied to the literature and art after the Second
World War, especially in the wake of the experience of
Nazi totalitarianism and mass extermination of the
Jews.
The postmodernists like the modernists, experiment 
with new literary devices, forms and styles. Their
themes are similar to those of the modernists. They
too view art and literature as a potentially integrating
restorative force. Postmodernism can be seen to define
itself against modernism.
Postmodernism, according to Peter Brooker, gives rise 
to “a mood or condition of radical indeterminacy”. It is
very difficult to classify postmodernist works; this is
because they combine aspects of diverse genres. Their
works include such genres as the Abusrd, the
antinovel, concrete poetry ,etc; all of which challenge
the ideological assumptions of contemporary society.
POSTMODERNIST CRITICAL SCHOOLS
Post structuralism Deconstruction Poststructuralists 
undertake to subvert the foundations of language and
show that its seeming meaningfulness does not result
in the communication of any definitive meaning.
Two prominent postmodernist
Two prominent postmodernist theorists Francois 
Lyotard and Jean Baudrillard Both bring the boundary
between high and popular culture, between fact and
fiction .
Francois Lyotard
His main work is “The Postmodern Condition”. To him 
the postmodernism is undoubtedly part of the
modern. He defines postmodernism as' incredulity
towards metanarratives(super-narratives) like
Christianity, Marxism or the Myth of scientific
progress.
Lyotard ’spoint of view is that meta-narratives do not 
govern or control mininarratives (individual
postmodernist literary texts) which are the products of
present day culture born out of the postmodern
experience stemming from a profound sense of
existential uncertainty. Postmodernist novels, plays
and poems reflects this uncertainty, this angst. The
American authors John Barth and Ishmael Reed,the
European writers Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco and
the Indian writer Salman Rushdie, are examples.
Jean Baudrillard
Major theorist of postmodernism French writer 
Simulations (1981) is his famous book His name is
associated with what is known as ‘the loss of the real’.
In his essay “Simulacra and Simulations”, he explains 
this loss and sets forth his propositions . He speaks
of a past era of ‘fullness’; in this era a sign was a surface
indication of the underlying depth or reality-’an
outward sign of inward grace’.
He goes on to ask whether a sign can merely be an 
index of other signs, and not of an underlying reality.
If so ,the whole system becomes a simulacrum (i.e. any
image or representation of something or a vague
resemblance of something ). He brings in the notion
of simulation, and substitutes it for representation.
He then speaks of four stages of representation of 
reality by means of signs. The representation of basic
reality. Misrepresentation and distortion of reality.
Disguising the fact of the absence of reality
underneath. The total lack of relationship of the sign
to any reality at all.
Baudrillard’s argument leads him to the conclusion 
:”within postmodernism, the distinction between what
is real and what is simulated collapses: everything is a
model or an image, all is surface without depth”. He
calls this “the culture of hyper reality “ in which
models determine yet undermine the real.