21st Century Literature | Week 1 : World Literature, Representative Texts &

Authors, Writing a Close Analysis and Critical

Interpretation of Literary Texts

21st Century Literature

➔ The crossroads of literature. (*** read the article at the end).

Themes in Literature in the 21st Century by Ashley Walton

➔ Contemporary writers often consciously draw inspiration and ideas from the writers who have come before them. As a result, many works of
21st literature grapple with the events, movements and literature of the past in order to make sense of the present. Additionally, the
technological advancements of the 21st century have led other writers to hypothetically write about the future, usually to comment on the
present and evoke introspection.

IDENTITY TECHNOLOGY

➔ intersections of cultures and more vocal discussions of ➔ explore what it means when all of humanity’s experiences are
women’s rights and LGBT rights filtered through technology.
➔ Sam Clay in "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by ➔ "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline depicts a futuristic world
Michael Chabon struggles to come to terms with his where everyone escapes reality by plugging into a virtual
homosexuality. The novel, which is about young comic book utopia.
collaborators during the World War II era, won the Pulitzer Prize ➔ Ex.
for fiction in 2001. 1. Transformers
➔ With her 2008 book "Infidel," Ayaan Hirsi Ali became a feminist 2. The Matrix
voice for the rights of abused Muslim women and religious 3. Marvel and DC movies and shows
freedom. 4. Free Guy
5. etc.
HISTORY & MEMORY
INTERTEXTUALITY
➔ explores the notion of multiplicities of truth and acknowledges
that history is filtered through human perspective and ➔ recognize a piece of work as being one among many
experience throughout history. Many writers purposely include
➔ "The March" by E.L. Doctorow fictionalizes yet still depicts the acknowledgements, references or parallels to other works of
realities of General Sherman’s famous march during the U.S. fiction, recognizing their place in a larger, broader conversation,
Civil War, and how people of the South were slaughtered, context and body of work.
giving a slightly different perspective of how the North is usually ➔ Some intertextual themes go as far as to poke fun at a work’s
depicted own lack of originality or the clichés that it seemingly cannot
➔ Ex. escape.
1. The Boy in Striped Pajamas ➔ In "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz, the
2. Pearl Harbor text references many comics, movies and other books in order
3. The Book Thief to describe events.
4. Jojo Rabbit ➔ Ex.
5. Etc. 1. Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch and the
Wardrobe
2. Harry Potter
3. Shrek
4. The School for Good and Evil

HARRY POTTER MARCH 25

➔ Written by Joanne Kathleen Rowling, ➔ Tolkien Reading Day is celebrated on March 25 and it’s
➔ JK Rowling organized by The Tolkien Society. It promotes the life and works
➔ Harry Potter has 7 books of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading passages from his books.
➔ 7 is the favorite number of the author ➔ This date was chosen because it coincides with the date of the
downfall of Sauron and the fall of Barad-dûr in the Lord of the
FANTASTIC BEASTS
Rings. Barad-dûr is the fictional tower from which Sauron rules
FANTASTIC BEASTS Mordor. In the books, this happens on March 25, 3019 when
➔ Also written by JK Rowling the Ring falls into the Cracks of Doom.
➔ Prequel of Harry Potter
➔ P.S. Lord of the Rings is also a work of JK Rowling. NARNIA

HOBBIT
➔ Written by C.S. Lewis or Clive Staples Lewis
➔ Written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, AKA: JRR Tolkien ➔ Why did Aslan died?
➔ Hobbits are a bit shorter than Dwarves. Dwarves average Without the witch's prior knowledge, The one who will
4feet in height. sacrifice himself truthfully will be reborn again.
- Like Christ, Aslan is one without treachery who sacrifices
himself to atone for Edmund's sin. These sacrifices are
 acts of love. Death is reversed in the resurrection of
Christ. Aslan, too, overcomes death and is resurrected.

- Because Aslan is innocent of treason and does not resist

the White Witch murdering him or her minions abusing him
in the moments before his death, he fulfills the terms of the
deeper magic and at dawn is restored to life.

GAME OF THRONES

➔ Written by George R. R. Martin

➔ Prequel: House of the Dragon.

SANDMAN

➔ Author: Niel Gaiman

HUNGER GAMES

➔ Written by Suzanne Collins

➔ Main Character: Katniss Everdeen

OTHERS

➔ ENCANTO ➔ PARASITE
➔ 3 IDIOTS - is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed
- a 2009 Indian Hindilanguage coming-ofage by Bong Joon-ho
comedy-drama film - follows a poor family who scheme to become employed by
- the film follows the friendship of three students at an a wealthy family and infiltrate their household by posing as
Indian engineering college and is a satire about the social unrelated, highly qualified individuals.
pressures under an Indian education system ➔ KIMI NO NAWA
➔ MY NAME IS KHAN - Anime: Hana yori Dango
➔ CRAZY RICH ASIANS - It depicts a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl
- is a satirical 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan, in the Japanese Countryside who suddenly and
highlights and ridicules the lifestyle of upperclass Asian inexplicably begin to swap bodies
families and society.
➔ DOLL HOUSE
- A troubled lead singer of a rock band sets out to rekindle the relationship he never had with his long-lost daughter.

READING CRITICAL ANALYSIS LITERARY ANALYSIS

➔ is a widely used approach to ➔ a careful examination and ➔ involves examining these

enhance reading comprehension.
➔ For the students to be able to
engage in the reading of complex
texts, close reading is important.
➔ Close reading is a method of
analyzing literary works which gives
focus on the particular details of a
passage or text in order to have a
precise and deep understanding of
the text; its form, meaning and even
the author’s style of writing.
evaluation of a text, image, or other
work or performance.
➔ Close reading is deep analysis of
how a literary text works; it is both a
reading process and something you
include in a literary analysis paper,
though in a refined form.
➔ Fiction writers and poets build texts
out of many central components,
including subject, form, and specific
word choices.
components, which allows us to find
in small parts of the text clues to
help us understand the whole
➔ Close reading a process of finding
as much information as you can in
order to form as many questions as
you can
 REPRESENTATIVE TEXTS AND AUTHORS:
ASIA
Three Sisters
★ Set in rural China in the 1970s, Bi's story tracks the lives
of three sisters - Yumi, Yuxiuand Yuyan.
★ The book is divided into three parts, each centering on
one of the three women.
★ Summary: In a small village in China, the Wang family has
produced seven sisters in its quest to have a boy; three of
the sisters emerge as the lead characters in this
remarkable novel. From the small-town treachery of the
village to the slogans of the Cultural Revolution to the
harried pace of city life, Bi Feiyu follows the women as
they strive to change the course of their destinies and
battle against an “infinite ocean of people” in a China that
does not truly belong to them. Yumi will use her dignity,
Yuxiu her powers of seduction, and Yuyang her
ambition—all in an effort to take control of their world, their
bodies, and their lives.
Serious Men
★ is a 2010 drama fiction novel written by journalist Manu
Joseph.
★ Summary: The story follows Ayyan Mani, a middle-aged
Dalit working as an assistant to a Brahmin astronomer at
the Institute of Theory and Research in Mumbai. He lives
in slum with his wife and a son. Furious at his situation in
life, Ayyan develops an outrageous story that his
10-year-old son is a mathematical genius – a lie which
later gets out of control. The story doesn't just rely on
Ayyan Mani's tale as we read about his boss at the
Institute and also the woman his boss has an affair
with. The separate story lines pull together in an
interesting way, though perhaps some readers will
be put off by the treatment of women in the story.
There is Ayyan's constant lies to his wife, who
seems a rather insipid character lost in the world of
her TV soaps and constantly warding her son from
the evil eye. Then there's the single, young female
scientist at the Institute who, somewhat
surprisingly, falls in love with one of the old, fat
scientists and has an affair with him. I wasn't sure
that I believed in her actions leading up to the
affair or, more importantly, afterwards. This felt
like a very male book, but I think that if you don't
take it too seriously then it remains funny rather
than offensive.
The Changeling (取り替え子 (チェンジリング) Torikae ko
(Chenjiringu))
★ is a 2000 novel by KenzaburōŌe.It is the first book of a
trilogyIt was translated into English by Deborah Boliver
Boehm And Published in the United States By Grove
Press.
★ In the novel, a filmmaker named Goro Hanawa commits suicide.
Goro had appeared happy before his suicide. Hisbestfriend, a
novelist named KogitoChoko, discovers the suicide via an audio
tape recorded by Goro; he hadsent forty tapes toKogito. Chikashi
Choko, Goro's sister and Kogito's wife, also learns that Goro died.
★ To learn why Goro had killed himself, Kogitolistens to the tapes.
Scott EspositooftheLosAngeles Times said that "What he finds is
rambling series of discourses everything from the friendship
they've shared since they were teens in the 1950s
toGoro'sideasabout art and life, their shared admiration for
Rimbaud and a fast from the past.
★ The Thing About Thugs is an odd confection of a novel, set mostly
in what looks like late-Victorian London. The streets are gaslit. The
underworld teams with the flotsam of empire: lascars, Irishmen and
so on, the undesirables of many nations. The city is overwhelmed
with crime and prostitution and an influx of immigrants. Opium
Dens abound. And a Serial killer is on the loose.
Representative Texts and Authors:
NORTH AMERICA
★ It is important to be something
★ The Bully
Twin Study
★ Twin Study by Stacey Richter Richter writes with volatile
energy, hurtling through her stories while fitting seamlessly
between the unusual and mundane. Sheshows the
repercussions of bad parenting, the loneliness of forgotten
children, the struggles of the smallest creatures, and the
frailty of age.While her observations may sometimes
sting,Richter is never afraid to up har characters antes.
Often scathing, sometimes disturbing, and just as
frequently funny, her storiesoccasionallywend off into the
surreal - they are populated by Neanderthals,
bong-suckingBat Boys,anda long-suffering
womanraisingacloneofherself as a replacement part.
Ultimately,Richter's flights of fancy are about pain,human
and real and unrelenting, and very,very subtly, about
humanity itself.
This Is America
★ a song by Americanrapper Donald Glover, under his
musical stage name Childish Gambino addresses the
wider issue of gun violence in the UnitedStates, the high
rate of mass shootings in the UnitedStates, along with
other social issues that are presumed to be aftereffects of
historically prevalent systemic racism and discrimination
A Gentle Hell
★ comprised of five dark speculative stories of quiet tension
and uncomfortable nostalgia, written for deformed children
and girls that dream of demons.
01. In "They Promised Dreamless Death" a
salesman sells sleep with the promise of a
better life, but what dreams lurk beneath the
substrate of consciousness for those who take it
are stranger than they ever imagined.
02. In "Your Demiurge is Dead, " while the world
adjusts to the death of God and the new reign of
the Triple Goddess, Charleshunts for an
Oklahoma murderer and is forced to confront his
religious ideals when he encounters a new
prophet.
03. "The Dog That Bit Her, " is the story of a
neurotic young woman who gains freedom from
her codependent marriage with the bite of a
rabid dog.
04. In the semi-autobiographical "The Singing
Grass, " the artist and the writer converge at a
meadow haunted by a carnivorous deer and the
burnt monsters that show them the
consequences of an artistic life.
05. And exclusive to the print version, a precocious
young girl is treated for her developmental
disorder with nanite technology in "The Bad
Baby Meniscus." However, with a cure comes
the death of the self, and her body begins to
reject the treatment.
 Representative Texts and Authors: EUROPE
Machines Like Meis the 15th novel
★ Machines Like Meis the 15th novel by the Englis
★ h author Ian McEwan. The novel is set in the 1980s in an
alternative history timeline in which the UK lost the
FalklandsWar, Alan Turingis still alive, and the Internet,
social media, and self- driving cars already exist.
★ The story revolves around an android namedAdamand
its/his relationship with its/his owners, Charlie and
Miranda, which involves the formation of a love triangle.
Zadie Smiths
★ a collection of essays from the novelist Zadie Smith
★ Split into five sections—Reading, Being, Seeing, Feeling,
and Remembering—Changing My Mind finds Zadie Smith
casting anacute eye over material both personal and
cultural.
╔═
LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
by Ivo Oliveira and Mithun Selvaratna
Literature
→ in an academic context, it refers to the enduring works of fiction,
philosophy, history, etc. that have been studied for generations and
shaped the foundations of our thought.
→ by its definition includes any and all written works.
Death of Print
→ has been expected to happen due to the rising accessibility of
devices like tablets and smartphones that have made the electronic
medium cheaper and more universal.
→ Book sales, as well as magazine and newspaper subscriptions,
have diminished, but our appetite for information has grown larger
and more impetuous.
Journalistic Sources
★ Twitter
↦ created something of its own literary form, offering the use of hash
tags to help convey a message within 160 characters.
★ Blogs
↦ afforded both individual writers and organizations, established
or not, the opportunity of free publication.
★ Social Media
↦ aids the hyper-textual nature of the internet and helps keep
the discussion flowing both around the world and around the clock.
★ Online Forums
↦ once belonged to a niche of dedicated computer enthusiasts, have
been incorporated by most major news sites.
| a circulation of information and people where almost everything is
dissolvable and dispensable.
↦ the kinesis of the key characteristic of the dynamics commanded
by the continuous change of technological progress, the incredible
rate of advancement and the rapid shift of values that run pari passu
with it.
Cloud Atlas
★ combines metafiction, historical fiction, contemporary
fiction and science fiction, with interconnected nested
stories that take the reader from remote South Pacific in
the 19th century to the island of Hawai'i in a distant
post-apocalyptic future
The History Boys
★ The play opens in Cutlers' Grammar School, Sheffield, a
fictional boys' grammar school in the north of England.
★ Set in the mid-late 1980s, the play follows a group of
history pupils preparing for the Oxford and Cambridge
entrance examinations under the guidance of three
teachers (Hector, Irwin, and Lintott) with contrasting styles.
WHAT DOMINATED IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Literature:
❖ Notions of romanticism have been altered.
❖ Dealing a post-9/11 world.
↦ on September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic
extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out
suicide attacks against targets in the United States.
↦ two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World
Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon in
Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth
plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
↦ almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
which triggered major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and
defined the presidency of George W. Bush.
❖ Terrorism, clash and binding factors between civilizations, or
populist and cheap criticism.
❖ Science fiction rose
↦ it fights against its obsolescence by swapping our economic and
social fabric with the unfamiliar.
↦ this destiny has actually been weaved since the 1950s.
Theatre of the Absurd
→ entangled between the boundaries of modernism and
post-modernism, Camus’s concept of the Absurd, Samuel Beckett
and Eugene Ionesco, among others, depart from the promises of a
better man, his axiomatic language, and run through existential
discourses on his failure and consequent world view.
Beat Generation
→ coined by Jack Kerouac’ along with William S. Burroughs, dealt
precisely with the roots of this fragmentation.
→ group of modern writers that create explicit work.