Assignment # 3 / Post Modernist Literature / Contreras, Francisca

1. Which 2 readings did you choose, and why did you choose them?
I chose “Do androids dream of Electric Sheep?” by Dick P.K. and “Crash” by J.G. Ballard; first because their names attract my attention and second because when I started to read I found interesting the plot which being strange and disturb, it gets you to ask about a lot of things related to the life and the reality, and to think about what is the power of the technology on our lives?. However, this kind of story is shocking for me and sometimes I get nauseous; but there’s always curiosity with a book that talks about the future and of course I’m not the exception.

2. Are these readings very good or excellent examples of post-modernist literature, basing your analysis on the ppt presentations given in class? Why/Why Not?

In my opinion, they are excellent examples of post-modernist literature. The Dick’s reading reflects the entropy of the world where most of the humans are living in Mars because of a nuclear holocaust; moreover it shows absurdity and pushes things to the limit when in the story talks about the animals as owners of the world which is considered both a status symbol and a sign of righteous empathy. While the Ballard’s reading portrays the transformation of human psychology by modern technology, and consumer culture's fascination with celebrities and technological commodities, other important characteristic in the book is the characters where they don’t feel passion or sexual excitement to other people unless some kind of technology is involved, so in some way this represents important themes: go to extremes and reprobation full of a virtual and disturb reality.

3. Of all the readings you did this semester, which one was your favourite? Why?

Of course my favourite reading was “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe because I’m an admirer of him and I enjoy reading his mystery stories full of suspense and horror but full of astuteness and intelligence at the same time, inciting not just to read more and more but also to think and use our analytical thoughts. Finally, I like this reading because you become part of the story being caught of it until the last line, until the solution of the crux. However I would like to mention that I enjoy reading some modernist stories of Raymond Chandler who wrote in a very similar style of Poe where he includes suspense, intrigue and a clever detective who has to solve the mysteries.

4. Of the 3 time periods we looked at this semester (Victorian, Modernist & Post-Modernist), which did you enjoy the most? Why?
I really enjoyed the Victorian era, on the one hand because is the Edgar Allan Poe’s era who is one of my favourite writers and on the other hand being loyal to my gender, I like the style of Victorian era because is positive and optimistic, rural and natural, including happy endings, where the good gay and the bad gay are clearly defined what allow to understand easily the plot of the stories. However, I enjoyed with the others periods but not so much like Victorian because they have something that cause on me disturbing feelings what obviously I don’t like.