On this past week, we had been reading some examples of post-modernism short stories that can make us, as class, have a better idea of the post-modern theory with the basic elements. Also on this past week, we read some of Margaret Atwood's work, based on some anecdotes and essays that she wrote; Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist and essayist.
We read her "Letter to America", which impressed me a lot because now-a-days few people really express what they feel about some country like the U.S.. Although Atwood is Canadian, she wrote this to point out how America has been changing through the years due to actions made by other nations. I think that one of the things that I like of Atwood is the way she is sincere in her works, she is not afraid to be "rebel" by writing all that she feels or thinks is right. This letter in specific describes this perfectly, because like U.S., our society has changed so much, and we do not know how they are in reality. Also, we read her "Tour-de-farce", which I really like because she tells the story the way she would tell it to a friend or a known person; she uses literary devices related to one literary theory named post-modernism like pastiche, self-awareness, deconstruction, subversion, etc. On the other hand, something that I do not like about the Canadian writer is the use of some words that I do not understand (maybe, are from Canada) and that leads me to stop the writing and look up for the word(thing that it is not bad, but like stops me from the fluidity of my reading.
Reading Margaret Atwood means that, in part, we are also learning about post-modernism. The post-modernism theory we have been seeing it about two weeks ago, but our teacher makes us read some examples and puts us some videos for our better understanding. I have learned that post-modernism is to go out of the usual, to be "rebel" about all the past theories (like modernism) and put something different on it or re-order it . Some basic elements of the post-modernism theory are self-awareness, which are: subversion, that is reacting against a certain system or being rebel; deconstruction is having certain stuff or knowledge and tear it apart to built new knowledge or stuff; self-awareness is, for example, that characters know are characters; intertextuality is referencing many texts or authors to a literary work and finally pastiche is bringing different elements from different things and stories. Our teacher tells us that post-modernism is not only on literature, is on art, on movies, on architecture and also on our daily life, when we change something of make something out of different things. I think that I am liking this post-modern theory, is different from the others and really transmits something to the readers.
Relating Margaret Atwood with post-modernism, I think that this Canadian writer has elements of post-modernism in her works. I discover that in the works that we saw this week, she uses a lot of the literary device subversion, which make her stay out of the usual and that is (to my opinion) something characteristic in her and what attracts the reader. Also, being post-modern is to be different by making something that is against the system and Atwood expresses her ideals, dreams, anecdotes, and feelings with the help of this theory. I am really liking post-modernism, and personally, I think that for being successful in life you have to be like post-modernism... different from the rest!
Pd. I know is in Spanish, but you cannot deny it is very post-modern! :D
