University of The West Indies

St. Augustine Campus

Presentation Essay

Postmodernism

Sharaaz Ali

Joshua Khan

Key Issues in Literary Criticism- LITS2301

Ms. Deborah Matthews

Wed. 15th Nov. 2023

 Postmodernism focuses on rejecting the ideals of modernism, with less idealistic political

views and a more skeptical perspective. Our presentation explored how two notable texts are

able to contain and display postmodern elements in their own individual way. Our thesis stated:

The characterization of Baron Harkonnen in the novel Dune and the concept of hyperreality in

the film The Matrix display aspects of postmodernism.

Stated by Britannica online dictionary, postmodernism refers to “a late 20th century

movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of

reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining political and

economic power”. Postmodernism rejects modernism, which found its roots in the aftermath of

the First World War. Modernism is more serious in contemplating grand narratives and their

authors to find a greater meaning in life. Postmodernism emerged after the Second World War as

opposition to this belief, in focus of the smaller, finer details, with mini narratives that can result

in multiple possibilities depending on the reader’s interpretation.

In the 1965 novel Dune, postmodernism displays itself in the characterization of Baron

Harkonnen in the second chapter. This is where the Baron is initially introduced in his

appearance as a character. Physically, the Baron’s appearance is a caricature of a villain, which

introduces maximalism, an element of postmodernism. He is described towards the end of the

chapter as “grossly and immensely fat……all this fat was sustained partly by portable suspensors

harnessed to his flesh.” His physical stature is also a parody of stereotypical villain’s traits-

gluttonous, greedy, lustful, and sadistic. Simultaneously, it is also an outward representation of

the Baron’s own character, as well as a personification of these traits.

 However, despite the Baron’s parodical and maximalist appearance, his dialogue and

interaction reveal a postmodern way of thinking and anticipating events within the premise of

the novel. One noteworthy line- “Observe the plans within plans within plans” sums up the

methods of how he operates in the story. In the second chapter, he discusses “their planet”

Arrakis being handed over to the Atreides family, their enemies, after many years, with his

nephew Feyd-Rautha and servant Piter de Vries. Here, before being physically revealed, his

dialogue with both reveal his cunning intellect. He is a man who observes from the shadows as

shown in the chapter by him being intentionally placed in darkness in a caricatural manner, but

also by his dialogue of observing the actions of other characters from a distance and predicting

their next move.

His quote of “plans within plans within plans”, refers to his knowledge that every

character has a plan, with a backup plan, with another backup plan, each based on the decisions

of another, almost in sequence based on their results. Meaning, the Baron’s way of anticipating

these decisions and actions is similar to the postmodern belief in focusing on mini-narratives

rather than a grand, singular narrative. The mini-narratives are every individual character’s plans

that the Baron deems important enough to focus on, in order for him to manipulate with the

smallest course of action that could ultimately play in his favor. This, for him, would either be in

a long-term or a short-term goal, for example, extinguishing the line of House Atreides. The

Baron is aware of House Atreides’ nobility and the hostility between themselves and House

Harkonnen- “Whenever did an Atreides refuse an opportunity for a gesture?”. He inserted his

own spy Dr. Yueh to move against the Duke when the time is right and set the loyalists within

the family against each other. With this in mind, as the Baron planned with Piter, this would be a

diversion depending on the results, for House Harkonnen to move in, with the Emperor’s
soldiers- Sardaukar- disguised in order to exterminate them. Another example would be his

conversation with Piter, where his servant knows that he will be killed by the Baron because he

knows and thinks too much, and calls out the Baron for his underhandedness, and his reason for

multiple compromises with many in order to achieve many goals. Piter voices that the Baron’s

family is used to doing the Emperor’s ‘dirty work’. “It’s a dangerous advantage, to be sure, but if

cautiously, will bring House Harkonnen greater wealth than that of any other House in the

Imperium.” The Baron is focused on the best possible outcomes for him in a political and

economic move, where he gains the most shares of wealth through precise military strikes while

exterminating his enemy House and gaining the Emperor’s fear and favor all at the same time.

“The Matrix '' contains elements of postmodernism within its structural and thematic

fragmentation, rejection of grand narratives and hyperreality. The Matrix’s presentation of

Reality and in return, Hyper-reality stems from its pastiche on the Postmodernist philosophy

book, Simulation and Simulacra. Jean Baudrillard represents “Reality” in 4 stages; 1. The Real,

the authentic truest form of the world. This is represented in the Matrix as the true reality where

the world was overrun by artificial intelligence and humans are being farmed as batteries. 2. The

Copy, a faithful recreation of “The Real”, the Matrix movie itself can be seen as a piece of Meta-

Fiction which aims to depicts what our true reality can possibly be as it takes place in the same

universe as our own which we know for a fact due to the intertextuality of many real artifacts

such as Alice in Wonderland. 3. The Simulacrum, A world that is no longer authentic or a

recreation of such. The Matrix believes that is the world as we know it, it is a facade that was

artificially created by AI to feel real. 4. Hyperreality, When the simulation becomes more real

that reality itself. This is explored in The Matrix in many ways, one of which being through the
lens of Neo where he is able to break the simulation program allowing him to create whatever

reality he wants within the simulation.

Fragmentation is conveyed through the shifting point of views and basic temporal shifts

like flashbacks. Many characters in the movie have their own personal ideologies and beliefs, the

movie swaps between characters point of views consistently throughout the story as it engages in

a parallel story line. In one storyline we follow Neo as he learns the truth about the Matrix and

becomes the one whereas in the other storyline we are presented with the rest of the rebellion

forces fighting against the AI. Furthermore, we are shown fragmentation within the false reality

itself when Neo finally learns how to become “the one”. He is truly able to separate the false

reality from what is real and control it. The story shifts in time multiple times as both parallel

storylines take place in different times. The true time is 2099, this is where the reality is and

where the rebellion forces are fighting against the AI. However, in the simulacrum where Neo

spends most of his time we are presented with the time of 1999, chosen by AI as it is believed to

be the peak of human society. Throughout the story we are pulled between both storylines and as

a result both times.

The Matrix as a concept rejects the grand narrative of life as a whole. The movie presents

life as we know it to be nothing but a grand narrative, it cannot be truly fact and it must be

rejected in order for humanity to return to reality. Within the plot the characters are constantly

battling against this notion both physically and philosophically. The show still somehow adds a

layer of vagueness on the “correct” narrative as some characters are shown to be rebellious

against this false reality whereas others are in full support of living within the simulations with

both sides having reasonable arguments. Similarly, the authority and power structures are

critically examined in the film, raising important questions. In the Matrix, the machines serve as
a representation of technological dominance and control. However, the film takes a bold stance

by portraying these machines as oppressive and deceitful, effectively challenging the notion that

a single authoritative power possesses all the answers which in itself can be seen as a rejection of

the common religious grand narrative of God.

In conclusion, modernism and postmodernism differ in their approach to narrative

structure, political views, and the role of grand narratives. Modernism tends to focus on grand

narratives and a linear narrative structure, while postmodernism is more skeptical of grand

narratives and often employs non-linear structures. Postmodernism also has less idealistic

political views and is more sensitive to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining power.

The Baron plays with the common notions of a “villain” being more intelligent and profound

while still keeping the surface characterizations of being ugly and obese. The Matrix portrays

reality and hyperreality by paying homage to simulations and simulacra and delves into

fragmentations and the rejection of grand narratives both structurally and plotwise.
 Works Cited

“Postmodernism” Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/postmodernism-philosophy

Dune. Frank Herbert. 1965.

Chapter 2, pp.17-26. ACE. Published by Berkley, New York. Paperback edition 2005

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Translated by Sheila Glaser, University of

Michigan Press, 1994.

Wachowski, Lana, and Lilly Wachowski. The Matrix. Warner Bros., 1999.