Writing: Mental Library: Postmodernism: Baudrillard's Stages of the "Loss of the Real" (Part 1)

Hello, Friends!

As Dragomir's post reminded me, we haven't talked about Baudrillard's stages of the "Loss of the Real." If you managed to understand Dragomir's elaborate explanation, you already know a little bit about the stages.

Before we start, though, there are two main terms you need to know:

Sign-an item that causes you to think of something else, but is not that thing. It's really hard to explain, so here are a few examples:

• A painting of Abraham Lincoln is a sign. The painting is not the real Abraham Lincoln, it just represents the real Abraham Lincoln. 
• A word is a sign of something. An example is the word "hat." The word "hat" is not actually a hat, it just makes you think of a hat.
• A nonfiction book is a sign. Say the book is about Amelia Earhart's journey around the world. The book is not actually Amelia Earhart's journey around the world, it just represents it.

Signifier- the thing the sign represents. Again, this is better explained through example:

• Abraham Lincoln is a signifier. The sign (the painting), represents him, but he is the real thing.
• A hat is a signifier. A hat is, well, a hat, which its sign (the word "hat"), represents. However, a hat is the actual thing.
• Continuing with Amelia Earhart, Amelia Earhart's actual journey around the world is the signifier, because it is the real thing.

I know these terms are hard to wrap your brain around, but hopefully they mostly make sense? You can take awhile to digest this, if that would help.

Now, for the stages!

Stage 1: The sign represents the signifier, and it represents it accurately. Let's continue with the painting and book examples. The word example gets too confusing.

• The painting of Abraham Lincoln (the sign) represents him correctly. This means Abraham Lincoln in real life looks exactly like the picture of himself.
• For Amelia Earhart's journey around the world, this means the book would give all the correct facts about her flight.

Stage 2: The sign misrepresents the signifier. This means the sign distorts, romanticizes, etc. the signifier, but still in some way represents the signifier.

• This would be like if Abraham Lincoln was painted with green skin, a green suit, and a pot of gold next to him. (I'm already thinking about St. Patrick's Day!) Abraham Lincoln did not actually have green skin, so this sign, (the painting), is a misrepresentation of him. However, it is still a representation of Abraham Lincoln because, well, you know the painting is supposed to be Abraham Lincoln
• This would be more commonly seen in a romanticized painting, like if someone painted the alleyway outside the place where Shakespeare lived without including the gross trash.
• For Amelia Earhart, it would be like if someone wrote a book about her journey around the world, but said that, in the process, she met cats who lived on clouds and took one home with her. The sign, (the book) misrepresents the signifier (Amelia Earhart's actual journey.) 
• This would more commonly be seen in memoirs, where the person writing remembers an event differently than it actually happened.

This is the first part! The next part is soon to follow! (And pictures will be added also.)

Spruce Nogard

Source: Peter Barry's chapter "Postmodernism" in Introduction to Theory

Creative Complex: The Peculiarity of the Third Stage of "Loss of the Real," As Clarified by the Acclaimed Baudrillard

Greetings, Readers.

As a preface to this small note upon Baudrillard's stages of the "Loss of the Real," we must first confess our utmost apology at the lateness of this post. Spruce, I am afraid, has had too large a variety of work from the illustrious foundation entitled School, and hence, has not slept enough. Thus, she asked me the slight favor of writing this post.

Spruce, as she has informed me, has yet to dedicate an entire post to the elucidation of Baudrillard's stages of the "Loss of the Real," a topic under the category of postmodernism. She will do so in due course.

On this conventional day, nonetheless, we shall endeavor to stretch the capacity with which our minds operate.

The third stage, complicated as it is, is clarified by the usage of a metaphor.

In this metaphor, you, a preeminent painter, paint a picture of yourself painting the picture. However, in the picture, you are in an elaborate room. There is no truth in this representation because, at this moment when you are painting, you are not in a room full of grandeur, but your small, ill-functioning upstairs.

The question presently proposed is this: what does this self in the painting find within the imaginary world created?

Dragomir Volkov

Source: Peter Barry's chapter on Postmodernism in Introduction to Theory

Attributions: https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/11/06/00/54/straw-man-1025192_960_720.jpg

On My Mind: The Postmodern Paradox

Hello, Ideologists!

Today, I'm going to ask you the postmodern paradox. If you haven't heard of postmodernism, I am writing a blog series on it, so you can just search "postmodernism" in the search box and find it. For the specific post that relates to today, click here.

Anyways: The postmodern paradox:

Postmodernists believe truth is relative.

This reminds me of the song "Paradox" from Pirates of Penzance.

However, if truth is relative, then doesn't that also mean the people who believe in absolute truth are correct?

But, how can truth be relative if truth is absolute?

Therefore, the postmodern paradox.

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

https://pixabay.com/en/pirate-flag-bones-skull-danger-47705/

Mental Library: Postmodernism Part 3: Truth

Hello, wonderful Friends!

This month, we are going back to our Postmodernism series.

Today, we are talking about truth. Both postmodern books and the postmodern era started around the end of the 20th century/the beginning of the 21st century. Therefore, anyone born in that time tends to think in a more postmodern mindset.

One aspect of postmodern thinking is the belief that truth is relative. Many people believe one person's truth can be the complete opposite of another person's truth, and they can still both be true.

For example, one person might believe Lord of the Flies by William Golding is the best book ever. Another person might believe it is the worst book ever. According to postmodernism, they both can be completely right.

Is this actually, well, true?

I can't dictate what you think, so you'll have to decide for yourself. I think it's true in some cases, but not all. I believe there is absolute truth as well.

Back to the question: "Is the statement 'truth is relative' true?", it's interesting to think about. The reason this is interesting is because, if someone answered "no," from a postmodern perspective, you would say something like: this is true for you, but not for me." But then again, how can truth be relative and not be relative at the same time? It starts to get very confusing.

Anyways, have you read any books about this or discussed this question with anyone? Have you heard about it before? Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/banner-header-directory-lie-truth-1188502/

Writing: Mental Library: Postmodernism Part 2: Irony

Hello, Postmodern Readers!

Today, we are focusing on irony. As Dragomir appreciates this, he is writing today.

Greetings, Readers. If any of you still store the information given in the Literary Devices Mental Library Post, in your mental library, you will conclude I did not speak of irony i
n that post.

Irony, as defined by the esteemed search engine Google, is: the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.

There are, three distinct categories of irony used in literature.

1) Dramatic Irony

Defined as: When the person or persons watching a movie or play or reading a novel knows something one or more characters in said movie, play, or book, do not know.

This is seen in the marvelous work entitled: "The Cask of Amontillado" by Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. At the commencement of the story, the reader learns that the character of Montresor has "vowed revenge" on the other character, a Mr. Fortunato. The reader knows this information, but the character of Fortunato is unaware of his imminent destruction.

2) Situational Irony

Defined as: Irony which occurs when the opposite of the predicted situation happens.

To continue with our estimable work, "The Cask of Amontillado," the character of Fortunato's name is exceedingly similar to the word of "fortune," causing the reader to believe he is, fortuitous. But, as known, he is murdered at the end of the marvelous work. This, as seen, is not fortuitous.

3) Verbal Irony

Defined as: Irony perceived in speech.

This is discerned when Montresor tells Fortunato: "And I [drink] to your long life." In truth, however, Montresor desires to murder Fortunato.

These, the second aspect of Postmodernism, have part in alternative genres, as well. 

Thanks, Dragomir! We had lots of fun learning about irony. Friends, do you know of any books that use irony a lot? Post in the Comments!

Dragomir Volkov

Spruce Nogard

Source: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/poe/cask.html

Attributions: 

https://pixabay.com/en/portrait-edgar-allan-poe-1848-62996/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/shamrock-four-leaf-clover-green-510482/ 

Writing: Mental Library: Postmodernism Part 1: Narrators

Hello, Post-Modern Lovers!

New series today: Postmodernism!

What is postmodernism?

Very basically, postmodernism is the main literary movement we are in right now. Literary movements are kind of like genres, but much, much, broader.

Anyways, the first characteristic of postmodernism we will be looking at is narrators, or, Participation.

In postmodernism, authors sometimes talk directly to the reader. There are two types of this:

1) I don't know the actual term for this, so we are going to call it Storytelling/Storyteller.

If you are reading a book in which the author talks to you, and includes you (making you do things, etc.), s/he is a Storyteller narrator. Adam Gidwitz is a Storyteller in his A Tale Dark and Grimm series. Sometimes, he jumps in to wonder why a certain character said something that didn't make sense, or assuring you that the story will turn out all right in the end, or just messing with you.
 SPOILER ALERT

(A Tale Dark and Grimm: "'Do I smell human flesh?' he asked.
Hansel caught his breath.
'Of course, silly,' his grandmother said. 'There's a little boy named Hansel, waiting for you in the closet in the living room.'

No, she didn't say that. I was just teasing you" (Gidwitz 139-140).)
SPOILER ENDED.

2) I also don't know the term for this, so I'm calling it Unconscious Thinker.

This type of narrator tends to go into stream of consciousness. As defined by Google, it is: a person's thoughts and conscious reactions to events, perceived as a continuous flow.

Pseudonymous Bosch is an Unconscious Thinker in his Secret Series. At one point in the series, the Pseudonymous Bosch is having a dilemma about whether he should finish his chocolate now, even though he meant to be disciplined and save it for a treat later, or save it. This is more the Unconscious Thinker because his thoughts do not pertain to the actual story.

Have you read any books with these types of narrators? Have you heard about postmodernism? Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: 

https://www.amazon.com/Name-this-Book-Secret/dp/0316113697 

https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Dark-Grimm-Adam-Gidwitz/dp/0142419672/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472329625&sr=1-1&keywords=a+tale+dark+and+grimm