Prof.dr.

Rodica Mihaila
American Literature after 1945
AN 2 American Studies A
AN 3 B (American literature and culture)
2011
THE NOVEL ATER 1945
Plan:
1.David Lodge: ain Directions !rom t"e tradition o! realism
2.#"e novel in t"e $0s and t"e %0s: A&a' !rom t"e in!luence o! naturalism to more
s'm(olic !orms) to *aul+ner and to ,eming&a'.
- .enaissance o! t"e Sout" (*lanner' /01onnor))
-#"e &ar novel 2 realism 2 e3istentialism (ailer)4
-#"e Beat movement (5ac+ 6erouac) 7ins(erg)
-#"e Novel o! 8deas) #"e 5e&is" novel 2 e3istentialism (Bello&)4
-#"e novel o! manners (9:di+e)
8ndividual &riters: Bello&) ailer) 9:di+e
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P"ili: .ot" (1;<1):
=t"e American &riter in t"e middle o! t"e 20
t"
c. "as "is "ands !ull in tr'ing to
understand) and t"en descri(e) and t"en ma+e credi(le muc" o! t"e American realit'. 8t
stu:e!ies) it sic+ens) it in!uriates) and !inall' it is even a +ind o! em(arrassment to one0s
meager imagination. #"e actualit' is continuall' outdoing our talents.> (?riting
American *iction4 1ommentar' 31 arc" 1;<1 22$)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 @ Al"erto Mora#ia A Proust B 5o'ce C t"e grave diggers o! t"e 1;
t"
c. novel = realit'
e3:lored (e'ond a limit>
B' t"e end o! t"e %0s @ =t"e deat" o! t"e novel>
D3.: -*ran+ 6ermode : The Sense of an Ending (<E)
- 5o"n Bart" : The Lit. of Exhaustion (1;<E)
-L.*iedler: Waiting for the End: The American Literary Scene from Hemingway to
Baldwin (!"#$
-8. ,assan : The %ismem&erment of 'r(heus (1;E1)
$a#id Lod%e: The Novelist at the Crossroads(1;<;)
#"e realsitic novelC t"e main road. #"e novelist reac"es a crossroads:
1. @ documentar' novel non-!iction (com(ines
Fournalism &it" tec"niGues o! !iction and :la's &it" !acts s"a:ing t"em H
#.1a:ote) ailer) #om ?ol!e-Ne& 5ournalism o! t"e E0s. D3. 8n 1old Blood)
Armies o! t"e Nig"t) D3ecutioner0s Song) #"e Dlectric 6ool-Acid #est)
2 @ !a(ulation (in!l. o! Sout" Am !iction- Borges)
3 - :ro(lematic novel ( meta!iction)
.o(ert Sc"oles: Fabulation and Metafiction
1
.a'mond *ederman: Surfiction; Critifiction
& ' $irection( accordin% to decade( I aest"etic trends (See also 6lin+o&itJ :.<)
- t"e $0s @ &ar @ a turning :oint
cold &ar conseGuences
- t"e %0s @ a!!luence) consumerism) con!ormit' @ massi!ication o! culture) cultural
im:losion) su(cultures) =tranGuiliJed %0s>
- end: - Beat movement
- civil rig"ts movement
-t"e <0s @ t"e e3:losive decade@ anti-&ar) (lac+s) &omen) students) counter
culture) :ostmodernism) !eminismH The Feminine Mystique (Bett'
*riedan) 1;<3)4 A. .ic" =t"e :ersonal is t"e :olitical>
Kietnam ?ar: 2< Se:t 1;%; @ 30 A:ril 1;E% (1;<$-1;E2)
9.S. 1asualties as o! a' 2<) 200L: %L)2<0 +illed in action and ot"er dead
(including t"e missing)4 303)<$$ &ounded in action (including 1%3)303 &"o
reGuired "os:italiJation and 1%0)3$1 &"o didnMt)4 1)E2$ missing
- t"e E0s @ t"e =me-decade> (#om ?ol!e)4 1. Lasc": Culture of Narcissism
- t"e L0s @ neo-conservative I ne& individualism) di!!erence @ multicult.
identit' :olitics re:resentation I culture &ars
-t"e ;0s @ economic (oom) :ros:erit'H narcissistic) individualism
transition: end o! 1old ?ar) :ostcom.) :ostcolonialism) ne& &orld order
glo(aliJation H uncertaint': !ear o! diversit') culture o! an3iet') :aranoia
terrorism
com:uter tec"nolog') digital culture
incivilit' and violence
)t"e ne& millennium:
*. The Literar+ ,cene
the 4-( ' t"e realist legac'. #"e end o! ?? 2 and t"e (eginning o! t"e 1old
?ar
-&riters &"o (egan to :u(lis": .o(ert Penn ?arren) ailer) Bello&) #. ?illiams) Art"ur
iller
- :recursors o! t"e :ost&ar !iction:
5ames 7ould 1oJJens (1;03- )
.o(ert Penn ?arren (1;0%- )
Kladimir Na(o+ov (1L;;-1;EE)
-+oun%er .riter( @ eager to esca:e t"e literar' in"eritance o! t"e 30s (naturalism B
socialism) @ 5o"n 7ardner (naturalism)
- #"e' invo+ed earlier &riters: Pounds) Dliot) *aul+ner) ,eming&a') /0Neill
- cultivated m't"ic B com:le3 s'm(olic !orms @ under t"e in!luence o! t"e
!ormalist ne& critics) odernism @ es:. in t"e Sout"
a) Renai((ance of ,outhern iction: : .o(ert Penn ?arren (:oet-essa'ist-novelist))
s"ort-stor' &riters Dudora ?elt' and 6at"erine Porter) :la'&rig"ts iller) #.?illiams H
2
all interested in t"e !ate o! t"e individual in t"e communit' or t"e !amil') and t"e (alance
(et&een :ersonal gro&t" and res:onsi(ilit' to t"e grou:
-Dudora ?elt' (The Wide Net)
-*aul+ner
-.o(ert Penn ?arren (All the Kings Men)
8n t"e %0s:
-1arson c1ullers @ The !eart is a "onely !unter
-*lanner' /01onnor (Wise #lood)
-St'ron ("ie $o%n in $ar&ness)
-#ruman 1a:ote ('ther (oices) 'ther *ooms)
-older: taste !or ric" ver(al e!!ects 2 grotesGue or violent e:isodes
-man' s"ared t"e e3:erience o! total violence during t"e &ar @
-tension (et. artistic order- natural energ'

() /ar no#el( : 5ames 5ones : From !ere to +ternity (1;%E)
-Norman ailer: The Na&ed and the $ead (1;$L)
5ose:" ,eller: Catch ,, (1;<1)
Konnegut: Slaughterhouse-Five (1;<;)
P'nc"on : .ravitys *ainbo% (1;E%)
c) Reali(t(0 naturali(t( 1 no#eli(t( of manner 2 (ee Har#ard 3uide4 @ ailer) 9:di+e)
Bello&
The 5-( @ 2 scares: t"e (om() communism
?riters: Bernard alamud) Konnegut) 1a:ote) Salinger
Several tendencies coe3isted:
a) an academic st'le - elegance
() (' t"e end o! t"e %0s @ anti-!ormalist: a more grotesGue) Fugged sense o! realit'
@e3istential B :icaresGue modes (veJi mai Fos e3istentialism)
- t':ical "ero (e3istentialist) C a re(elI victim (t"e sel! in a re:ressive realm o!
culture)
- t"e lines t"at se:arate @comed' !rom traged'
-satire !rom sentimentalism
- rigid !rom im:rovisation !ormsH (egan to (lur
D3istentialism:
-massive in!ustion in t"e 1;%0s
-!rom ,eidegger and Sartre (in !iction: Bart") Bello&) St'ron) Dllison) .ic"ard ?rig"t)
-alienated :rotagonist) isolated in an indi!!erent or "ostile universe
-"e searc"es !or identit' t"oug" is a&are o! t"e tragic "uman condition
American e3istentialistC =courage to (e>) to acce:t t"e (urden o! t"e !reedom to ma+e
c"oices. ,e is a re(elIvictim. ailer calls "im ="i:ster> in =#"e ?"ite Negro> (mani!esto
o! American e3istentialism)
Main mo#ement( ' direction(
&4 The 5eat Mo#ement 23in("er%0 3re%or+ 6or(o0 7ac8 9erouac0 9en 9e(e+4
- BeatCa :unH BeatCe3"austion @ su!!ering ((eaten do&n) /.
3
C(eatitude-"oliness ((eati!ication)
-a (o"emian) artistic and literar') revolt against t"e esta(lis"ed societ'I conventions
-started a(out %< in San *rancisco and Ne& Nor+: against corru:t) crass commercial
&orld
-e3istentialist and m't"ic4 transcendental a!!irmation
-ins:ired (' Dastern religionCBud"ism
-s"oc+ing li!e-st'les: illuminations aided (' alco"ol) "omose3ualit') drug addiction)
mental institutions
#"eir &or+:
-t"e r"'t"m o! FaJJ music
- societ' &as &orn out
- interest in ne& !orms o! e3:erience
5eat No#eli(t(:
-7ac8 9erouac ('n the *oad) 1;%E) cele(rated t"e rec+less li!e st'le o! t"e Beats
-:rotagonist: Sal Paradise (sel!-:ortrait) and "is !riend Dean oriart'
-Sal ParadiseCa struggling aut"or in "is mid 20s) tells o! "is meeting Dean ((ased
on Neal 1assid') a !ast-living teenager Fust out o! a Ne& e3ico re!orm sc"ool.
-t"e (oo+ accounts t"eir % 'ear travels coast to coast (NN @San *.-LA)
-Dean0s &ives: 1amiolle) ar'lin) 8neJ
- end: Dean goes Dast and Sal goes ?est alone.
-/illiam 5urrou%h : Na&ed "unch) 1;%; in Paris4 1;<2 in Ne& Nor+) @ a close loo+ at
t"e su(culture o! drug addiction
-(ased on Burroug"0s notes during a :eriod o! dee: addiction to drugs
-!irst-:erson narrator) ?illiam LeeC a =recording instrument> o! a surrealistic
collage o! nig"tmare !antasies.
)9en 9e((e+ : 'ne Fle% over the Cuc&oos Nest (1;<2)- an anarc"ic satire on t"e sic+-
societ' (mental "os:ital) @ see t"e !ilm
)Allan 3in("er%: a :oet. =,o&l>C a mani!esto o! t"e Beat generation
2) The 7e.i(h No#el @ moralist) novel o! manner (starting &it" Bello& and alamud)
The Adventures of Augie March (1;%3)
oralists @ Bernard alamud: The Assistant (1;%E)
- P"ili: .ot": .oodbye) Columbus) .oodbye (1;%;)4 My life as a Man (1;E$)
$ying Animal (2001)4
- 8saac Bas"evis Singer (came !rom Poland in 1;3%) &rites in Nidis"
- !ocused on 5e&is" c"aracters B social Guestions
- (roug"t a destinctive 5e&is" sense o! "umor
- ec"oes o! Nidis" @ t"e language o! Duro:ean 5e&s) &"ic" "el:ed to :reserve 5e&is"
culture in t"e 20
t"
c.
*4 ,cience iction 2(ci)fi4 -more serious
-"uman im:act o! t"e advanced tec"nolog'
-!uture &orld (ecomes relevant and "as a message !or t"e :resent societ'
-.a' Brad(ur' (Martian Chronicles) 1;%0)
$
- 8saac Asimov (Foundation) 1;%1)
- Konnegut (/layers /iano)
44 African)American /riter( 2,ee the 5lac8 No#el4
54 /omen /riter(
*rom 6lin+o&itJ: =Pre!ace>) )ontem(orary *o+elists 25
th
edition)) ed.Lesle'
,enderson (St.5ames Press) 1"icago) 1;;1):
At the turn of the 195-( -t"e novel loo+ed li+e it &as dead or d'ing (lac+ o! a(ilit' to
re!lect a current realit')Ot"e novelist0s &orld located eit"er in a su:rarational d'sto:ia
(A.Burgess) A Cloc&%ise 'range) or a mad"ouse (6en 6ese')
The 19;-(Oa ne& understanding o! t"e :ur:ose and &a' o! !unctioning o! t"e novel:
innovative &riters (elieved t"at t"eir &or+ &as a matter o! &ords (See #on' #anner City
of Words) D3. Bart": =novels are less stories a(out somet"ing t"an e3ercises in t"e
!a(ulative Fo' o! stor'telling>4 P'nc"on too+ :leasure in t"e in!ormational overloads o!
modern science and contem:orar' :olitical "istor'4 Bart"elme located realit' &it"in t"e
language &e use to manage it.O
The 19<-(O=A renaissance o! !ormal invention> (Su+enic+)4 7il(ert Sorrentino &it" "is
Mulligan Ste% (1;E;) (roug"t t"e E0s to an end &it" a novel t"at deconstructed itsel!.
The =->(O#"e idea t"at t"ere are no real t"ings in t"e &orld (ut rat"er Fust s'stems o!
di!!erence
?n 1991- t"e novel no longer loo+s to (e in danger (.us"die0s Satanic (erse and De
Lilo0s Mao 00)Ot"e novelist and t"e terrorist s"are t"e same role in s"a:ing t"e
imagination and striving to res"a:e "istor' (e3. DeLillo) "ibra-asasinarea lui 6enned'). @
1om:elled not to (e about e3:erience (ut to (e more e3:erience (=!iction is not Fust t"e
ne&s (ut our res:onse to t"e ne&s>-Su+enic+) @t"e novel did not return to unGuestioning
realism4 it !aces li!e not sim:l' in its social and :olitical dimensions (ut on t"e
imaginative level.
#"e novelist discloses t"e construction) t"e !a(rication o! t"e social and :olitical
Ot"is gives "im a ne& aut"orit' over science and "istor' in an age o! uncertaint'. #"is is
imaginative aut"orit'. /nl' religious statements "ave suc" inde:endent aut"orit'.
(.us"dieCt"e :o&er o! !iction @ it :oses alternate &orlds &"ic" allo& t"e reader to see
(etter "is o&n &orld).
?omen &riters are more ca:a(le to !ind means to e3:ression in a culture &"ere
someone elseM0 te3t controls t"e nature o! realit'. #"e' res:ond to it not onl' t"ematicall'
(ut in terms o! tec"niGue) !or tec"niGue itsel! is t"e issue in !inding a voice &"ere
articulation is denied. (Color /ur1le)
Be!ore !iction ris+ed to (e reduced to "istor' or sociolog'4 no&Caest"etic
vitaliJation. @#"e novel deals &it" t"e imaginative structures t"at :roduce la&s or mores)
not &it" la&s or mores as suc" (involves Guestions o! voice and te3tualit')
S'stems o! di!!erence ot"er t"an t"ings in t"emselves are t"e su(Fects o! contem:orar'
t"oug"t (e3. Brad(ur': !rom red (ric+ universities to imaginar' Dastern Duro:ean countr'
Sla+a (Why Come to Sla&a23
%
1onclusion: t"e novel is once again engaged &it" t"e &orld) (ut less &it" t"e &orld0s
o(Fects t"an &it" t"e s'stems and structures t"at :roduce t"em.
inimalismCan indication o! realism0s attem:t to do its Fo( &it" a minimum o! mimetic
re!erences &"ile leaving ma3imum s:ace !or :la'ing &it" t"ose re!erences0 o:erations.
(e3. Ann Beattie) its leaderOto !ollo& t"e *renc" nouveau3 romanciers dedicated to t"e
:"enomenological sur!ace. A narrativeCan interte3t o! cultural re!erences (e3. Ste:"en
Di3onCcreates virtual universes o! interest and action)
6aracteri(tici %enerale in anii9-:
-Dm:"asis on (iogra:"ies) memoirs) in t"e 1;;E novels (' esta(lis"ed &riters
-1oncern &it" time and "istor' since t"e mid- ;0s (:ostmodern 2 end o! t"e millennium)4
re-&riting "istor') memor') (Be'ond t"e 7reat Stor'4 #"e Dnd o! ,istor')
-Distinction !iction-non!iction (D3. Ddmund orris0s Dutc"-a(out .eagan). Novels a(out
:residents (DeLillo: Li(ra) orris: Dutc") All President0s en
-1urrent crisis o! :u(lis"ing industr'. 8t continues its do&n&ard slide to&ard
=,oll'&oodiJation>
-7lo(aliJationOin :oetr' no longer a centerOa glo(al :oetr') s"aring o! "uman
e3:erience (veJi ?a+os+i) Pre!ata la 1ontem:orar' Poets (%
t"
edition)
The 9-(:
#"e decline o! minimalism &"ic" could (e traced (ac+ to ,eming&a'0s s:are :rose. (e3
o! minimalism: Anne Beattie0s novel 1"ill' Scenes o! ?inter (1;E<) and .a'mond
1arver0s s"ort stor' collection 1at"edral (1;L1)Otoo restrictive in time) :lace) and :lot)
in t"e emotional range o! c"aracters all mem(ers o! t"e lo&er class (&aitresses) la(orers)
"airdressers) store cler+s) mec"anics etc. living in trailer :ar+s )O#om ?ol! called it an
=anore3ic aest"etic>
#"e Ne& .egionalism: dre& on t"e lesson o! t"e great modernists and t"e Latin
American magical realists
-create :olis"ed &or+s4 de:ict rural li!e &it"out sentimentalit' o! t"e 1;
t"
c.!iction
-res:ond to A0s need urge to rediscover t"eir roots. Point out discre:ancies (et t"e Am
dream and t"e Am realit' :ast and :resent
D3am:les:
a.1ormac c1art"': The #order Trilogy (e3ican (order): All the /retty !orses (1;;2)4
The Crossing (1;;$)4 Citites of the /lain (1;;L)-- c"aracters caug"t (et. 1;t"c li!e st'les
and 20
t"
c =:rogress> o! moderniJation
(.1arol'n 1"ute Merry Men (1;;$) and Sno% Man (1;;;)Orural :oor o! Ne& Dngland
c. Annie Proul3 (Pru)Onever restricted to one region. #a+es on America0s most treasured
m't"s a(out t"e nation0s "istor'. /ostcards (1;;2)ONe& Dngland4 The Shi11ing Ne%s
(1;;3-PulitJer and National Boo+ A&ard)ONe&!oundland.
d. Peter att"iessen0s trilog' Killing Mr4Watson (1;;0) and #one by #one (;;)O*lorida.
e. David 7uterson Sno% Falling on Cedars (1;;3)Oset in Paci!ic Nort"&est
-Sout"ern *iction .egionalism never died.
-?omen: Anne #'ler) Bo((ie Ann ason (de com:letat :.%1)
<
-Dlder &riters: .e'nold Price
7eorge 7arret
-A!rican American *iction: .al:" Dllison 5uneteenth (1;;;) un!inis"ed at "is
deat" in ;$4 orrison 5a66 and /aradise (;E)) Love (2003)) A erc' (200L) 8s"mael
.eed 5a:anese (' S:ring (;3)) Alice ?al+er Possessing t"e Secret (;2). A ne&
generation: Dori Sanders (:.%1)
'ster' and 1rime *iction 5o"n 7ris"am #"e Pelican Brie!) 5ames Dlro'
1'(er:un+Oa !uturistic &orld ruled (' tec"nolog' . Su(genres: steam-:un+ and
s:latter:un+: American Ps'c"o (;1) (' Bret Daston Dllis
-7ra:"ic *ictionOcom(ine comic-(oo+ art &it" elements o! t"e novel. D3. Art
S:iegelman0s Maus (v.2) ;2Ostor' o! "is !at"er a ,olocaust survivor: cartoon dra&ings
t"e Poles as :igs) t"e ,e&s as mice) and t"e NaJis as cats.
Literature Su:erstars (%$): 9:di+e-t"e end o! t"e .a((it saga) ?ol! controvers' A an
in *ull ;L) Social e:ic and !amil' sagas: Don De Lillo 7nder%orld (1;;E)) cDermott)
P"ili: .ot") P'nc"on: Mason and $i8on 9:) Kineland ;2) Doctoro&: The Water%or&s
(;$)4
200;: Doctoro&: ,omer B Langle'4 5o'ce 1arol /ates: Dear ,us(and4P'nc"on:
8n"erent Kice
2010: David *oster ?allace: #"e Pale 6ing (un!inis"ed)
E