THE REPRESENTATION OF LANGUAGE IN POSTMODERN FICTION
Keywords:
postmodern fiction, language, metafiction, intertextuality, narrative complexity, fragmentation, self-referentiality, deconstructionAbstract
This paper examines the role of language in postmodern fiction, focusing on how authors challenge traditional ways of using language to convey meaning. Unlike modernist literature, which sought to uncover universal truths, postmodern fiction often embraces ambiguity, fragmentation, and playfulness in language, reflecting the complexity and uncertainty of contemporary life. Through the works of writers like Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, and Jean Baudrillard, the study highlights how language is used not just to communicate, but to question the relationship between words and reality. Central to this is the idea that meaning in postmodern fiction is fluid and ever-changing, with language constantly shifting and open to multiple interpretations. The paper also explores how techniques like metafiction and intertextuality reveal the constructed nature of language and narrative. Ultimately, the representation of language in postmodern fiction challenges readers to reconsider the limits of language in shaping our understanding of identity, truth, and the world around us.
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