Way Byatt Challenges Postmodernism example essay topic

1. How effectively does Possession by A. S Byatt reflect and / or challenge the dominant ways of thinking of the time in which it was composed? The year 1990 saw the publication of A. S Byatt's Possession-A Romance. Composed during a time where the dominant discourse in literature, academia, architecture and ideology was consumed by postmodernism. Byatt conscious of the movement has effectively created a text that incorporates post-modern elements, through the use of bricolage, pastiche and a strong sense of self-reflexivity in a fragmented plot with a hybrid of genres. As well as reflecting postmodernism, Byatt challenges the movement through constructing a 19th Century Victorian love story with a conclusive ending and linear storyline.

Postmodernism was a movement, perhaps reaching its pinnacle during the 1980's and 90's by challenging 'traditionalist' conventions in religion, art, music and most notably literature. All were disregarded or challenged by a 'new' dominant way of thinking and interpreting. Byatt has successfully been able to incorporate postmodern ideals through a text that is highly self-reflective in its narrative. The self-reflexivity used by Byatt is prominent throughout most of the novel, where the responder is forced to focus on his / her role within the text rather than a preconceived idea formulated by Byatt. Where parts of the text are 'missing' or open to interpretation, as a result of textual fragmentation, Byatt consciously and subtly self-reflects to portray her thoughts, through the characters of Maud and Roland". Coherence and closure are deep human desires that are presently unfashionable".

P 422. From this quote the responder is allowed an insight into the mind of Byatt, who is perhaps insinuating a 'romance' will not occur between the novels contemporary protagonists, as this would not correspond with the principles of postmodernism. "Where these thoughts original?" Where Maud and Roland become conscious of their role within the text, Byatt is subtly revealing her own postmodern convictions, whilst admitting to her inability to produce a piece of original text. Therefore the logic behind Possession merely reflecting a Victorian romance, one where contemporary characters are forced to follow the steps of their predecessors as Byatt is also compelled to do. The film Moulin Rouge directed by Baz Lurhmann also adopts self-reflective techniques by the premeditated use of anachronism, to de legitimise the text as being nothing more than fictitious, allowing the responder to be all too aware that it is not reality, merely a musical and theatrical montage of appropriated contexts. Moulin Rouge uses self-reflexivity by including frames in a film regarding the making a stage play.

The remarks mad by the Duke, "At the end should someone die?" Also acknowledges the 'rules' of a text and acknowledges itself as an integral part of these conventions. Correspondingly Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, composed by Tom Stoppard, is also highly self-reflective. Stoppard gives two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet major roles. Both characters are knowingly aware of their position within the text as they discover their purpose. The outcome is predetermined through the title, however questions for a conclusive narrative are never met, and the responder is left to construe meaning. Simulacra is another technique employed by Byatt that reflects 'post-modernism'.

Simulacra is defined by Jean Baudrillard as, "the present unable to progress and must continue to parallel and build upon the past". Therefore history has ended and may only evolve by repeating itself. The concept of simulacra is implored by Maud, Roland and Val. Involved in a contemporary love triangle their lives mirror that of their Victorian counterparts Christabel, Ash and Ellen.

The actions and lives of Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte become so integral that without their relationship Maud and Roland's could not exist. "Roland thought... that he and Maud were being driven by a plot or fate... not their own fate or plot but that of those other"p 421. Simulacra is a technique used also in Moulin Rouge, where characters instead of forming there own original thoughts, ideas, music and dialogue opt to express themselves through contemporary artists, such as U 2, and John Lennon. Bricolage is a prominent postmodern technique used by Byatt throughout Possession, to legitimise the relationship between Ash and LaMotte. Possession contains many different literary experts including letters, poems, fairytales and short stories. These do not detract form the plot but rather give Possession its historical / detective genre.

Although very fragmented the letters allow the relationship between Ash and LaMotte a greater depth. The bricolage of texts creates intrigue, holds suspense and provides clues as part of the novel's detective genre. This is no more obvious than in the rhymes of "Tales For Innocence" in chapter five where LaMottes' rhymes give the responder a preordained idea as to the location of the love letters. Whilst Possession reflects postmodernism, it also paradoxically challenges it. Through the acknowledgement of absolute truths, such as 'love'. The title itself works to offer a set of "Mills and Boom" principles and instantly allows the responder to recognise its foremost genre.

The realisation that Maud and Roland have discovered love, an idealistic notion that holds modern ideals and challenges postmodernism. Both Maud and Roland do believe in structure and absolute truths. Even though the quote "We live in the truth of what Freud discovered... we are really free to suppose". 245, incorporates pastiche by quoting academic work of Sigmund Freud, the ideal in its simplest form is 'truth' a concept that does not exist in post-modern context. Although Maud later quotes "We never say the word love-we know it's a suspect ideological construct". Maud and Roland are ultimately forced to acknowledge an absolute truth in love for they are compelled to follow the paths of LaMotte and Ash, in a time where postmodernism and its conventions did not exist Similarly Moulin Rouge challenges postmodernism through its acceptance of absolute truth.

It upholds the absolute truths of "beauty, freedom and above all things love". The film is also has a conclusive storyline, in the same way as Possession, Moulin Rouge has a distinct ending and leaves little to interpretation. One way in which Possession challenges postmodernism is its linear time frame, and structure. Chapter by chapter we uncover more of the mystery; characters evolve in a structured and progressive frame. Although often fragmented by use of bricolage and a hybrid of genres. The novel does have a beginning, middle and end.

Byatt also includes a postscript and preface that beginning the novel with a piece from The House of Seven Gables. Therefore the romance is of a traditional sense with a conclusive resolution and a coherent storyline. And as in a traditional detective novel all conflicts have a resolution, with the mystery uncovered. Also evident is the Victorian realities of romance, history, science and literature a recovery of true life, and of a realism in poetry. The conventions of the Victorian era are portrayed by Byatt in Ash's Swammerdam although constructed by Byatt herself the ideology and beliefs portrayed in Swammerdam m challenge postmodernism in that they do no reflect the dominant way of thinking from which the text was actually composed.

Parody is another way Byatt challenges the dominant way of thinking. According to post modernism parody has become extinct and has been replaced by 'Black Parody'. However through characters such as Leonora Stern, Black Adder and Cropper Byatt deliberately set out to ridicule and stereotype through characterisation and word play. Scream is an example of a postmodern text that both reflects and challenges in similar ways. Resembling Possession, Scream is also 'self-reflective', with a plot that has no independence. Characters are compelled to follow "the rules" of a horror film.

Director Wes Craven has imitated Byatt by also incorporating parody in stereo typed characters. Sidney Prescott plays the quiet high school beauty, her friend Tatum plays the role of naive pretty blonde cheer girl, who is absolutely helpless and "guaranteed to be a victim" according to geek Randy who no one listens to but has all the answers, and Gale Weathers a corny news reporter who is over eager and all too enthused. All characters are a parody of Hollywood horror film convention and like the characters in Possession set to confront the dominant way of thinking by challenging postmodernism. The complete rejection of postmodern ideals by both Maud and Roland despite they " re living in a postmodern world is another way Byatt challenges postmodernism. The negativity of postmodernism is felt by Roland and Maud who need structure and limitations, "a clean empty bed, in a clean empty room". P 267.

Also through the satire of Leonora Stern an American Lesbian academic. Byatt is able to de-legitimise postmodernism, as Leonora is the embodiment of over emphasised theories. Through her chiefly postmodern papers, and ideas relating to LaMotte's poetry she saturates it with ridiculous and outlandish inferences. Overall Possession paradoxically reflects and challenges dominant ways of thinking from the era it was composed. Byatt incorporates postmodern techniques such as bricolage, pastiche and simulacra all contained within a highly self-reflective narrative.

However it also though parody, structure and conflicts becoming resolved with a definitive ending to the text that Byatt is able to challenge postmodernism, an make inferences to other ideology such as Freudianism and Darwinism, that shape the 'Victorian' ways of thinking portrayed through the lives of Ash and LaMotte providing a stark contrast of ideas and set rules. B. M Rousek. Ben Rousek. An Essay on how Possession by A. S Byatt refelcts and challenges conceptual ideals of postmodernism.