The Postmodern Aesthetic of Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
(2018) LIVR07 20172English Studies
Master's Programme: Literature - Culture - Media
- Abstract
- This thesis examines The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007) by Junot Díaz as an example of postmodern fiction. The thesis begins with a background chapter that outlines the central characteristics of postmodern fiction, followed by three chapters that tackle one main postmodern aspect of the novel each: fragmentation, metafiction and intertextuality. First, the novel’s use of fragmentation is explored in relation to its effects on the reader and as a way of conveying the splintered lives of its characters. Second, the metafictional aspects of the novel—particularly its narration—is discussed as a way of opening up the history of the Dominican Republic for interpretation by exposing its status as a narrative construct, thereby alerting... (More)
- This thesis examines The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007) by Junot Díaz as an example of postmodern fiction. The thesis begins with a background chapter that outlines the central characteristics of postmodern fiction, followed by three chapters that tackle one main postmodern aspect of the novel each: fragmentation, metafiction and intertextuality. First, the novel’s use of fragmentation is explored in relation to its effects on the reader and as a way of conveying the splintered lives of its characters. Second, the metafictional aspects of the novel—particularly its narration—is discussed as a way of opening up the history of the Dominican Republic for interpretation by exposing its status as a narrative construct, thereby alerting the readers to their processes of interpretation. Finally, the novel’s intertextual elements are considered as a way of destabilising notions of cultural identity while simultaneously creating an amalgamation of Western and Caribbean aesthetic forms that allow for a new understanding of the identities and experiences of the Dominican diaspora. Considered together, these three aspects of the novel illustrate its dependence on a postmodern literary aesthetic in fostering critical readers and reinterpreting the history and diaspora of the Dominican Republic. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8935488
- author
- Urch, Jonathan LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LIVR07 20172
- year
- 2018
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 8935488
- date added to LUP
- 2018-02-20 11:06:06
- date last changed
- 2018-02-20 11:06:06
@misc{8935488, abstract = {{This thesis examines The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007) by Junot Díaz as an example of postmodern fiction. The thesis begins with a background chapter that outlines the central characteristics of postmodern fiction, followed by three chapters that tackle one main postmodern aspect of the novel each: fragmentation, metafiction and intertextuality. First, the novel’s use of fragmentation is explored in relation to its effects on the reader and as a way of conveying the splintered lives of its characters. Second, the metafictional aspects of the novel—particularly its narration—is discussed as a way of opening up the history of the Dominican Republic for interpretation by exposing its status as a narrative construct, thereby alerting the readers to their processes of interpretation. Finally, the novel’s intertextual elements are considered as a way of destabilising notions of cultural identity while simultaneously creating an amalgamation of Western and Caribbean aesthetic forms that allow for a new understanding of the identities and experiences of the Dominican diaspora. Considered together, these three aspects of the novel illustrate its dependence on a postmodern literary aesthetic in fostering critical readers and reinterpreting the history and diaspora of the Dominican Republic.}}, author = {{Urch, Jonathan}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{The Postmodern Aesthetic of Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao}}, year = {{2018}}, }