okay. i must state that i absolutely LOVE how almost everyone begins there blog with some little story that is completely off topic (just like this one) about how they like addressing prompts, or providing a warning of their upcoming gibberish. these stories help me look forward to reading other people's blogs. ;]
anyways....
postmodernism. a very interesting way of thinking don't you think? Obviously after our class discussion on whatever day it may have been, it's safe to say that we all know what a narrative is - correct? people, does not matter what type of person one may be, uses these niffty things to justify ideas, beliefs, whatever floats your boat. no matter what you do, you always have to turn to narratives to justify your case. then from there you have the choice to a metanarrative and a local narratives. mettanarrative are “big stories, stories of mythic proportions – that claim to be able to account for, explain and subordinate all lesser, little, local narratives” (Powell 29). a local narrative is merely a smaller story that is part of the bigger story....
when i first read that definition i immediately thought of religion. i think of religion as one gigantic metanarrative since there are no real hard core facts, at least in my opinion. this helps create the foundation of thier beliefs, lifestyle, morality, and so forth.... so it is their way of providing a "why" for all those questions that make one break a mental sweat (i.e. what is the meaning of life).
in BNW the grandnarrative is the compiled values of technology, efficency, community, identity, and stability. Bernard Marx shows the danger of a postmodernistic society as he feels rather oppressed by his society's grand narrative. He feels that he does not truly belong in a place where everything and everyone is shared. When gazing at the sea, he remarks "It makes me feel as though....I were more me, if you see what I mean. More on my own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a cell in the social body (Huxley 90)."
alright. i'm done blabbing.
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2 comments:
You commented me. Yay! So, I shall humbly return the favor!
Ok, I LOVED how you said that these local narratives are just part of bigger ones. You can't just have little ones! They all stem from something really big. Also, the way you defined narratives as the "Why" of something is a really profound way of putting it. It's like they tell you: "This is why." Although, I suppose sometimes we don't know the answer, and have to accept that the reason is just Because.
Oh, and you're reference to Bernard not fitting into one giant societal narrative is perfect! I couldn't actually put it into words. But, I think you got it. Basically, humans aren't made to all conform to one type of metanarrative. So, a society that tries to have just one is oppressive. But, like I said in many of my blogs, it is still ok to think someone is wrong as long as you accept them that way. I mean, even a metanarrative as globally huge as Christianity has many different styles and interpreatations of little things that make them different, but still under the same metanarrative umbrella.
Dude, everyone knows the meaning of life is 42. :-)
Andrea
yes, we should have a good talk sometimes. (good talk... what a phrase... philosophical perhaps? Dunno. They're fun to have though). Perhaps on Facebook one day... :-)
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