post modernism

reasons for postmodernism

Military industrial complex, Social Liberation movements, Mass Media

characteristics of post modernism

The movement from modernism to
postmodernism is a movement from
• formalism to informalism
• hierarchy to anarchy
• Typical elements include dreams,
parodies, puns, fragments, fables and
self-reflexiveness

what is post modernism

a broad and often complex movement that emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century as a reaction against the principles and assumptions of modernism. While modernism was rooted in ideas like progress, rationality, objective truth, and grand narratives (overarching explanations of history, culture, or society), postmodernism is characterized by skepticism toward these ideas.

Summary of a good man is hard to find

a family road trip turns tragic when they encounter an escaped convict called The Misfit. The grandmother tries to appeal to The Misfit’s sense of morality, but he ultimately kills the entire family. The story explores themes of grace, redemption, and the thin line between good and evil.

O'Connor: What is the grandmother’s reason for not wanting to go to Florida?

She says there’s a criminal, The Misfit, on the loose and wants to visit Tennessee instead.

O'Connor: What causes the family’s car accident?

The grandmother secretly brings her cat, which jumps on Bailey, causing him to lose control of the car.

O’Connor: What is the name of the restaurant the family stops at?

The Tower, owned by Red Sammy.

O’Connor: How does The Misfit respond when the grandmother calls him a good man?

He says he isn’t a good man and discusses his confusion about life and punishment.

O’Connor: Who are The Misfit’s two accomplices?

Hiram and Bobby Lee.

Summary of James Baldwin’s Going to Meet the Man

a white Southern deputy sheriff named Jesse struggles with insomnia and reflects on his violent racism, triggered by recent civil rights protests. Through flashbacks, he recalls witnessing a brutal lynching as a child, an event that shaped his warped understanding of power and race. The story exposes how racist violence is deeply ingrained and perpetuated through generational trauma and cultural normalization.

Baldwin: Why is Jesse unable to sleep at the start of the story?

He is disturbed by the civil rights protests and his brutal beating of a Black man earlier that day.

Baldwin: What childhood memory does Jesse recall?

He remembers attending a public lynching of a Black man with his parents and community.

Baldwin: How did Jesse's father explain the lynching to him?

He told Jesse it was necessary to maintain the social order and white dominance.

Baldwin: What emotions does Jesse associate with the lynching memory?

He recalls feelings of excitement, power, and pride instilled by his family and community.

Baldwin: What theme does Baldwin emphasize through Jesse’s memories and actions?

The way racist violence is taught, normalized, and passed down through generations.

"Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler summary

In a future where humans live on an alien planet, the Tlic—an insect-like species—use human males as hosts to incubate their eggs in exchange for protection and survival. The story follows Gan, a young boy who must decide whether to accept this role, balancing love, duty, and bodily autonomy. Bloodchild explores themes of power, symbiosis, consent, and complex interdependence between species.

Who are the Tlic?

An alien species that uses humans as hosts to incubate their eggs.

Why do humans live with the Tlic?

They fled Earth and rely on the Tlic for protection and survival on the alien planet.

Who is T’Gatoi?

A Tlic government official who has a close relationship with Gan’s family and plans to implant eggs in Gan.

What event makes Gan question becoming a host?

He witnesses a gruesome birth procedure where Tlic eggs are surgically removed from another human host.

What choice does Gan ultimately make?

He agrees to carry T’Gatoi’s eggs, but only after negotiating more understanding and control over the process.

Maus by art spiegelman summary

The story opens with Art Spiegelman visiting his father, Vladek, to record his memories of surviving the Holocaust. Vladek begins recounting his early life in Poland, including his courtship and marriage to Anja, Art’s mother. We see the early signs of rising antisemitism and the gradual changes in Vladek’s life before the full onset of World War II.

Why does Art visit his father, Vladek?

To record Vladek’s memories of surviving the Holocaust.

Who is Anja?

Vladek’s first wife and Art’s mother.

Where does Vladek live when Art visits him?

In Rego Park, New York.

What health condition does Vladek have that we learn about early on?

He has diabetes and heart problems.

What early sign of antisemitism does Vladek mention from his youth?

Rising tensions and discrimination against Jews in Poland before World War II.

"Woman Hollering Creek" by Sandra Cisneros summary

Cleófilas, a young Mexican woman, moves to Texas after marrying Juan Pedro, hoping for a life like the romantic telenovelas she loves. Instead, she finds herself trapped in an abusive marriage, isolated and disillusioned. With the help of two women, Graciela and Felice, she eventually escapes, reclaiming her independence and discovering the possibility of a life beyond suffering.

Why does Cleófilas marry Juan Pedro?

She marries him because of her romanticized ideas from watching telenovelas and hoping for a better life in the U.S.

What is the significance of Woman Hollering Creek in the story?

The creek symbolizes Cleófilas’s emotional pain and her longing for freedom, as well as the repression she faces in her marriage.

How does Cleófilas first realize her marriage is abusive?

She begins to understand the abuse when Juan Pedro becomes violent, and she feels trapped in a life far from the dreams she had.

Who helps Cleófilas escape from her situation?

Graciela and Felice, two women who show her strength and offer her a way out, helping her reclaim her independence.

What does Felice represent to Cleófilas?

Felice represents freedom, empowerment, and the possibility of a life beyond the traditional gender roles and abusive relationships Cleófilas faces.

"How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldúa summary

In this essay, Anzaldúa explores the complexities of language and identity, particularly for Chicana women living in the U.S. She reflects on the cultural and linguistic pressures she faces, including the discrimination against her native Spanglish and the pressure to "assimilate" to mainstream English-speaking culture. Anzaldúa argues that language is central to self-expression and cultural survival, emphasizing the need to embrace and preserve one's linguistic heritage.

What is the "wild tongue" Anzaldúa refers to in the essay?

The "wild tongue" refers to the Spanglish language that Anzaldúa and other Chicana/o people speak, a mixture of Spanish and English, which is often viewed as "improper" or "broken."

Why does Anzaldúa consider language a key part of identity?

She believes that language is deeply tied to cultural heritage and self-expression, and that speaking her native tongue is an act of resistance against cultural assimilation.

What is the significance of the quote, "I am my language"?

It represents Anzaldúa's belief that language is a core part of one's identity and is integral to how people see themselves and relate to their culture.

How does Anzaldúa describe the pressure to conform to English-speaking society?

She discusses how Chicana/o people, especially women, are pressured to abandon their native languages and adopt English to fit into mainstream society, leading to feelings of cultural alienation.

What role does the borderlands play in Anzaldúa’s view of language?

The borderlands represent a space of cultural hybridity where different languages, identities, and histories intersect, reflecting the complexity of her own experiences and the struggles faced by bilingual individuals.

"To Live in the Borderlands Means You" by Gloria Anzaldua sumamry

In this poem-essay, Anzaldúa explores the experience of living in the "borderlands," a metaphor for the physical, cultural, and psychological space between different identities. She discusses the challenges of being a person of mixed heritage, particularly as a Chicana, navigating the conflicting forces of cultural assimilation and preservation. Anzaldúa embraces this liminal space, asserting that living in the borderlands is both a source of pain and a powerful site of resistance, resilience, and creativity.

What does Anzaldúa mean by "the borderlands"?

The "borderlands" refer to both literal geographical borders (like the U.S.-Mexico border) and metaphorical spaces where different identities, cultures, and languages intersect.

How does Anzaldúa describe the experience of living in the borderlands?

She describes it as a place of conflict and tension where individuals are torn between different cultural and social expectations, leading to a complex sense of identity.

What role does language play in Anzaldúa’s experience of the borderlands?

Language is a tool of both oppression and empowerment; Anzaldúa speaks of how she navigates between Spanish, English, and Spanglish as she contemplates her dual identity.

What does Anzaldúa mean when she says that living in the borderlands means "you are neither here nor there"?

This phrase reflects the feeling of being in-between, not fully accepted by either culture, and living in a constant state of negotiation between different identities.

How does Anzaldúa view the borderlands as a source of strength?

While she acknowledges the pain of being caught between cultures, Anzaldúa also celebrates the borderlands as a site of resistance, creativity, and transformation, where new ways of being and knowing can emerge.