3 unit English HSC Postmodernism and perscribed Texts.

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’ d...