Notes on Zadie Smith and Luisa Sauma

Postmodernism Overview

• Time Period: 1940s onward

• Key Events:

  • World War II
  • Atomic bomb
  • Cold War
  • Space Race
  • Nuclear age
  • Feminism
  • Cultural movements
  • LGBTQ+ awareness
  • AIDS epidemic
  • Rise of technology and social media

• Qualities of Postmodernism:

  • Built on modernist aesthetics
  • Self-reflective and includes metanarrative
  • Explores intertextuality
  • Characterized by playfulness in form and style
  • Frequent use of irony

Zadie Smith Biography

• Birth Year and Place: 1975, London
• Family Background: Jamaican mother, British father
• Education: Studied at Cambridge University
  • Sold her first novel while still a senior
• Notable Works:
  • White Teeth (2000)
  • On Beauty (2005)
  • Grand Union (short stories, 2019)
  • Imitations (essays, 2020)
• Professional Role: Creative writing professor at New York University
• Style Characteristics:
  • Realist with postmodern elements and "hysterical realism"
• Awards:
  • National Book Critics Award
  • Notably featured in Jon Baptiste’s Grammy-winning album We Are

Analysis of "The Lazy River"

• Contextual Background:

  • Linked to the Brexit referendum (2016)
  • Reflects on 2017 terrorist attacks
  • Touches on themes of travel, refugees, and media

• Narrative Style:

  • Utilizes 1st person plural narration (we/us/you)

• Symbolism:

  • Delves into naming dynamics: who is named or unnamed

River as Metaphor

• Concept Exploration:

  • Describes life as a shared experience in the Lazy River metaphor
  • The river symbolizes cyclical and often superficial experiences of life:
  • Quote: "We’re submerged, all of us…Round and round we go. All life is in here, flowing!"

• Real vs Metaphor:

  • The Lazy River is both a physical place and a metaphor for life, dealing with deeper existential themes
  • Connection to Heraclitus: "We both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not."

Going with the Flow

• Life Experiences and Symbols:
  • Elements of life including social interactions (e.g., dining, playing) and reflections on personal narratives
  • Contrast between children's joyous ups and adults' skepticism

Societal Insights

• Commentary on Class and Security:
  • Hair braiders symbolize precarious social and economic positions
  • Ultimately reflects on collective existential threads within society, especially during trying times (e.g., 2017 context):
  • "If it’s a story about despair, it’s also about shame, both personal and national."

Luiza Sauma Overview

N11

• Essays and Themes:
  • Title references a postal code in London
  • Explores feelings of belonging and not belonging, particularly through family and language

"Agnes Agnes Agnes"

• Story Questions:
  • Examines belonging through character relationships, especially between Juliana and Agnes
  • Represents queerness and immigrant experiences
  • Explores why Juliana is attracted to Agnes and the reasons behind their breakup