Post-WWII American Literature: An Overview

Answer the following questions after you watch the video: 

1. What makes American postmodernism different from American modernism according to the instructor? 

2. What is meant by "multicultural literature" in her slide? Which Chinese American writer does she quote? 

3. What are some of themes of American postmodern literature according to the instructor? 
   

   
   

The period after World War II (1945–present) saw American literature evolve in bold new directions, reflecting Cold War anxieties, social upheavals, and experimental forms. Below is a structured overview of major movements, authors, and themes.

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1. Key Literary Movements

A. Late Modernism (1940s–1950s)

• Transition from pre-war modernism (Eliot, Faulkner) to more personal, fragmented styles.

• Major Authors:

• Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire) – Psychological drama.

• Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman) – Critique of the American Dream.

• Flannery O’Connor (A Good Man Is Hard to Find) – Southern Gothic, moral ambiguity.

B. The Beat Generation (1950s–1960s) “垮掉的一代”

• Rebellion against conformity, jazz-inspired spontaneity, Eastern spirituality.

• Key Works:

• Allen Ginsberg – Howl (raw, anti-capitalist poetry).

• Jack Kerouac – On the Road (stream-of-consciousness travelogue).

• William S. Burroughs – Naked Lunch (cut-up technique, surreal satire).

C. Confessional Poetry (1950s–1970s) “自白派诗歌”

• Intensely personal, often painful self-revelation.

• Major Poets:

• Sylvia Plath (Ariel) – Suicide, female rage.

• Robert Lowell (Life Studies) – Family trauma, mental illness.

• Anne Sexton (Live or Die) – Taboo subjects (abortion, addiction).

D. Theatre of the Absurd (1950s-1960s) 荒诞戏剧

    Edward Albee, The Zoo Story ; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 

E. Postmodernist Fiction (1960s–present)

• Playful, fragmented, skeptical of "truth."

• Hallmarks:

• Metafiction (John Barth, Lost in the Funhouse).

• Paranoia & conspiracy (Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49).

• Hyperreality (Don DeLillo, White Noise).

比较：

• Modernism = A broken mirror (fragmented but still reflective).

• Postmodernism = A pile of glitter (chaotic, multidirectional, no fixed meaning).

F. Minority & Feminist Voices (1970s–Present)

• Breaking white male dominance in literature.

• Key Figures:

• Toni Morrison (Beloved) – African American trauma.

• Sandra Cisneros (The House on Mango Street) – Chicana identity.

• Maxine Hong Kingston (The Woman Warrior) – Asian American hybrid narratives.

2. Major Themes

✔ Disillusionment – Vietnam War, Watergate, consumerism.
✔ Identity Crisis – Race, gender, sexuality.
✔ Fragmentation – Nonlinear narratives, unreliable narrators.
✔ Technology & Alienation – Social media, artificial intelligence.

3. Discussion Questions

1） How does postmodernism reflect Cold War anxieties in America?

2）Can you find postmodern elements in contemporary Chinese literature? Please give examples.