Authority Quote by Jonathan Raban
“Insofar as I think about postmodernism at all, and it doesn't exactly keep me awake at nights, I think of it as something that happens to one, not a style one affects. We're postmoderns because we're not modernists. The modernist writersPound, Eliot, Joyce, Stevens, Yeats, Woolf, Williamsspoke with a kind of vatic authority: they were really the last of the Romantics, for whom authorship itself was like being a solitary prophet in the wasteland.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Postmodernism and Modernism, Jonathan Raban, 1990
Postmodernism is an experience imposed on individuals, not a conscious style; modernist writers acted as solitary prophets with romantic authority.
In simple terms: Postmodernism happens to us, not by us.
Key Takeaway
Recognize postmodern influences in life.
Themes
postmodernism
modernism
literary history
Mood
analytical
contemplative
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- literary criticism
- cultural studies
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
cultural shift
authorial authority
historical context
Questions to Reflect On
- How does postmodernism affect your worldview?
- Can you identify postmodern traits in daily life?
A Different Perspective
Postmodernism can be vague, making practical application difficult.
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