Differences between Modernism and Postmodernism
Modernism
- Idiosyncratic language
- Focuses on the writer
- Challenges romanticism
- Narrative of progress through science and technology
- Techniques: stream of consciousness, free writing
- Searches for an abstract truth of life
- Inner self and consciousness were predominant
- Rejects tradiotional forms
- Use of reason provides indisputable knowledge
- Focuses on the internal world
Postmodernism
- Simple language
- Focuses on the reader
- Challenges Modernism
- Skepticism of progress, anti-technology
- Techniques: Metafiction, pastiche
- Believes that there is no universal truth of life
- It could have multiple meanings within a single literary work or a complete lack of meaning
- Focuses on the external world
- There is no objective truth just subjective knowledge
- Irony and humor in writing
- Hierarchy, order, centralized control
- Subverted order, loss of centralized control, fragmentation