Paper

Postmodernism in English Literature

Are submitted to meet the course:
Literature Appreciation
The lecturer of the course:
Dr. Dra. Hj. Dwi Ima Herminingsih, M. Hum.

Compiled by the group 2:

1. Katrina Dwi N (12203183004)
2. Milenia Prasasti (12203183003)
3. Rastri Bita N (12203183116)
4. Siti Rohmah (12203183015)
5. Safira Gita Mahardika (12203183055)
6. Youan Irkhama (12203183088)
7. Muhamad Fikri (12203183058)

CLASS TBI 3A
ENGLISH LANGUGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING
ISLAMIC STATE INSTITUTE ISLAMIC (IAIN) OF
TULUNGAGUNG

October 2019

i
 PREFACE
All the praise and thanks to God the Almighty, who has given us mercies and blessing, so
we can accomplish this paper entitled, “Postmodernism in English Literature”. May shalawat and
greeting always be with our prophet Muhammad SAW who has guided us from the darkness to
the brightness, and I would like to say thank you to:

1. To Prof. Dr. H. Maftukhin, M.Ag., as rector of State Islamic Institute of Tulungagung.

2. To Dr. Hj. BintiMaunah, M.Pd.I., as the council of Faculty of Education and Teacher
Training of State Islamic Institute Tulungagung.
3. To Dr. H. Nursamsu, M.Pd., as head of English Education Department.
4. To Dr. Dra. Hj. Dwi Ima Herminingsih, M. Hum., as a tutor of Literature Appreciation
who had given directions so this book could be fulfilled.
5. To My Parents who give the best prayer and always support us.
6. My beloved friends who always support and give advice for the perfect result.
We realize this paper has not been perfect but we do hope it will be useful and gives
inspiration for everyone who reads. Criticisms suggestions are need to make this paper be
better.

Tulungagung, October 25th, 2019

The Compilers

ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER ..................................................................................................................... i

PREFACE ................................................................................................................. i

TABLE OF CONTENT .......................................................................................... ii

CHAPTER I ............................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1

A. Background ......................................................................................................... 1
B. The formulation of the Problem ......................................................................... 1
C. The Purpose of Writing ...................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER II ............................................................................................................ 3

DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................... 3

A. The Background to Emergence of Postmodernism ............................................ 3

B. The Definition of Postmodernism ...................................................................... 3
C. The Characteristics of Postmodernism ............................................................... 4
D. The Biography of Caryl Churchill the Creator of Cloud Nine ........................... 4
E. The Example of Postmodernism Drama “Cloud Nine” ...................................... 5
F. Summary of Cloud Nine ................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER III ........................................................................................................ 12

CLOSING .............................................................................................................. 12

a. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 12
b. Sugestion........................................................................................................... 12

iii
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background
In human history, we know of some eras or eras whose characteristics are colonial
period, puritanism, naturalism, romantism, modernism and postmodernism. Modern
times are marked by human self affirmation as subjects. Especially after saying Rene
Descartes, "cogito ergo sum" which means 'I think then I exist'. Through this agreement,
humans are guided by their ratios as self-oriented subjects so that the ratio or the human
mind becomes the controller of humans and their behavior. At this time various theories
emerged that prevailed until now. Finally, in our time in the postmodern era. Thought in
this period called itself postmodern. Many things have changed with the development of
the human mindset, especially in the fields of philosophy, science, art and culture.
Humans feel dissatisfied and unable to survive the development of science and
technology, capitalism, and modern ways of thinking. Modernism is considered relative
universal and must be replaced with a new paradigm, namely postmodernism. these are
the things that underlie the birth or emergence of postmodernism.

B. The Formulation of The Problem

1. What is the background to the emergence of postmodernism ?
2. What is the definition of the era of Postmodernism?
3. What are the characteristics of the era of Postmodernism?
4. What is an example of Postmodern drama?
5. What is the biography of Caryl Churchill?
6. Briefly explain the story from Cloud Nine?
7. Explain the analysis of the drama Cloud Nine?
C. The Purpose of Writing
1. To explain the background to the Emergence of Postmodernism
2. To explain the definition of the era of Postmodernism
3. To mention the characteristics of the Postmodernism era

1
4. To cite an example from Postmodern drama
5. To explain the biography of Caryl Churchill
6. To explain briefly the story of Cloud Nine
7. To explain the analysis of the drama Cloud Nine

2
 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

A. Postmodernism Period

1. The Background to the Emergence of Postmodernism

Postmodern is a term used to describe the socio-cultural implications and contemporary

art that developed in the late 20th and early 21st century. This term first appeared in 1930 in
the arts by Federico de Onis to show the reaction of modernism. This term originally started
around 1940s and peaked around the 1960s and 1970s with the release of Catch 22 and
Slaughterhouse 5 by Joseph Heller. Post modernism is a criticism and distrust of the flow of
modernism which is considered to have failed to realize the ideals they expect to prosper all
mankind, but they are considered to have failed and undermined the social order because of
people’s lives that are too individualistic, so that the rich people getting richer, the poor
people getting poorer, smart people fooling the stupid ones, and strong country colonizing
the weak country. Humans feel dissatisfied and unable to survive the development of science
and technology, capitalism, and modern ways thinking, modernism is considered obsolete or
old and must be replaced with postmodernism. Postmodern has ideals, wants to improve
social conditions, culture and awareness of all realities and developments in various fields.
Departing from the differences in dreams of modernism, postmodern emerges and develops.
Finally, this postmodern thought began to influence various fields of life, including in the
fields of philosophy, science, and sociology. Postmodern eventually became a cultural critic
of modernity. What the modern mind is proud of, is no longer considered valuable, and what
was once looked down upon is now valued.

2. The Definition of Postmodernism

Based on the origin of the word, postmodernism comes from English which means
understanding (ism) and postmodernism "consists of two words," post "and" modernism
". "Post" means a situation that has passed, detached, separated, or interrupted. As well as
the word "modern" which can be referred to the Big Indonesian Dictionary for "the latest
or the most recent". So, it becomes logical to compile some to say postmodernism was
born after modernism existed. Postmodernism period happened in 1960 until now.
Postmodernism is a late 20th century movement in art, architecture that continues
modernism. The appearance is marked by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism.

3
 Postmodernism does away with many of the things that religious people regard as
essential. For postmodernists every society is in a state of constant change; there are no
absolute values, only relative ones, nor are there any absolute truths. Postmodern believe
that the majority of the world bases its views on what is presented to them through the
media, this is called hyper-reality. A reality created through media. This era began with
the rise of information media, so that we can get information from anywhere and anytime
quickly. In the postmodern era, industrial society turned into an information society.

3. The Characteristic of Postmodernism

a. The postmodern era is a move from the industrial era to the information era
b. Technology is developing rapidly and affecting all human lifestyles.
c. The explosion of the mass media industry in terms of people's behavior is not
determined by traditional religions, but has unwittingly been regulated by the mass
media, such as television programs, social media, etc.
d. The stronger media hypereal that is dominated by two things, namely politics and
economics, this causes the mass media easily engineered by people who have a
position.
e. Money is considered very important, no longer as a medium of exchange but also as
a symbol for their owners.
f. Free to express opinions without looking at social class.
g. Life is centered on the city as a cultural center, compared to the countryside which is
seen as a suburb / backward.
h. The emergence of radicalism, as a reaction to doubts about science, exalts wahyu
rather than intellect.
i. Understand wahyu in their own mindset without following the correct instructions.

B. The Example of Post-modern Drama, “Cloud Nine” Content Analysis of Cloud Nine

The Biography of Caryl Churchill, the creator of Cloud Nine. Caryl Churchill is a
British playwright. She was born on September 3, 1938 in London, doughter of Robert Churchill.
She spent most of her childhood years in London and Montreal, Canada. After the second world
war her family moved to Canada. In 1957 she entered the Oxford University to study English
Literature, and she developed her interest in drama for the first time there. Before Receiving her

4
degree in 1960, Churchill was already publish and produce three plays, these are Downstairs,
You’ve No Need to be Frightened, and Having a Wonderful Time were performed by Oxford
student theatre companies. After graduating from Oxford in 1960, Churchill initially wrote plays
for radio and she became well known as a radio dramatist. Churchill wrote many scripts for BBC
radio drama until the early 1970s.

Meanwhile, Churchill married a man named David Harer and gave birth to three
children between 1963 and 1969. Her career as a radio dramatist proved very successful and
between 1962 and 1973 she produced eight plays that actively enable the listener to see and
imagine the drama that Churchill so aptly displayed through a good choice of dialogue, music,
and sound effect.

In 1972 Churchill made the transition to theater and television, contributing six new plays
to BBC by 1981. However, Churchill soon came to the conclusion that television work was very
unsatisfactory compared to theater work, where she was free to write without the pressures of
politics and society. In 1972 she got her chance to work with the Royal Court Theatre, which
helped bring her into the sphere of the politically daring and artistically committed theatre of
"The Court".

In 1975 Churchill became the first woman to hold the position of resident dramatist.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Churchill worked with numerous theater companies, including Joint
Stock and Monstrous Regiment. She has won three Obie Awards for her plays Cloud Nine
(1979), Top Girls (1982), and Serious Money (1987). Churchill wrote many dramas, and her
recent drama is Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp. (2019).

This paper will expalin and analysis about one of Caryl’s plays, that is Cloud Nine.
Cloud Nine is a drama that make her name became famous at that time because this drama has
unique story.

This is the summary of Cloud Nine, in this story divide into two act. The summary of
first act is Clive is a British colonial administrator who lives with his family that consist of Betty
as his wife, his son Edward and Victoria his daughter. In their house also lives Ellen, she is
Edward governess and Joshua as Clive's black servant. One day the natives and Mrs. Saunders a

5
widow come to Clive's house to seek safety. Their arrival is followed by Harry Bagley, he is an
explorer. Clive make passionate advances to Mrs. Saunders. His wife Betty fancies Harry and
Harry secretly has sex with Edward that actually hi is Clive's son. The governess Ellen reveals
herself as a lesbian, she forced to marry with Harry after his sexuality was known and opposed
by Clive. The wedding celebration for Ellen and Harry was held, Clive giving a speech, but at
that moment, Joshua readies himself to shoot Clive. Edward sees this but does nothing to alert
the others.

The summary of second act is Betty has left Clive then their daughter Victoria is
married to an arrogant Martin, and Edward has an openly gay relationship with Garry. Victoria
who upset with her relationship with Martin starts a lesbian relationship with Lin. When Gerry
leaves Edward, Edward who realize that in fact he is bisexual moves in with his sister (Victoria)
and Lin. Then in the park of summer night three of them have a drunken ceremony and having
sex. Martin and Gerry come to join them, Then all the characters sing a song called Cloud Nine,
which is an expression for sexual ecstasy. Gerry and Edward are on a good terms again and Betty
appears becomes friends with Gerry who tells her about Edward's sexuality.

Theme from this play is self-acceptence because this play tell about lot of different issues
like gender, race, sexual orientation. To learn the importance things about how to love
themselves beside stepping beyond the confines of society's gender roles. And then next theme is
gender roles, this theme showing about two different fields like man and woman. Man fields is
everything outside of the home like jobs, education, business, and politic. But woman fields is
everything inside of family and home itself. And the gender roles have exited since the dawn of
humanity. Then theme feminism,feminism is the political, social, and economic equality of men
and women. In that era ,woman don’t have chance for chasing their carrier or their dream and
their so indecisive and suppressed. Because the risk is very big can make their leaving their duty
who take care home and face danger who can threat their life. But sometimes woman want to
sacrife their life for their freedom.

Characters of Cloud 9 : Clive (Antagonist) A colonial administrator and Betty husband. His
entire identity is centered around Queen Victoria, England, and his work in colonial
establishments. Clive represents patriarchal authority coupled with unchecked imperial pursuits.
He is overbearing, domineering, and dismissive of women.

Betty (Protagonist) His played by a man, Clive's wife, Betty thusly spends much of Act I as
indecisive and suppressed, completely dependent on Clive to give her direction and purpose in

6
life. However, her desire for a relationship with Harry indicates her desire for and capability to
live a life of her own.

Joshua (Dynamic) Clive's black servant, played by white people, he serves Clive and serves as
the second commander, honest, reliable, and obedient.

Edward (Dynamic) Edward is played by a woman, a heavy drinker, Edward as a nine-year-old

boy played by a woman in Act I is an outward display of inner tendencies and gender
incongruity. He discovers his preference for feminine things and his attraction to Harry, yet he
attempts to suppress his desires and grow into the man Clive wants him to be.

Victoria (Dynamic) Daughter of Betty and Clive, ventriloquist doll, she is unimportant in the
first act because she is played by a dummy and is even tossed around by Clive at one point. She
is, quite literally, Clive’s puppet. Later she commands a central role in the second act.

Maud (Static) Victoria's Mother, Always a traditionalist, Maud encouraged the women around
him to behave like him.

Ellen (Static) Ellen works as the governess to Edward and Victoria in but she does not truly care
for them.

Harry Bagley (Dynamic) An explorer and Clive friend. He is similar to Clive in his superficial
representation of the British Empire, yet his aberrant nature is revealed despite the acclaim he
has garnered as an explorer.

Mrs. Saunders (Static) A widow (played by the same actress who played Ellen) as a widow, Mrs.
Saunders enjoys an independence denied to the other women of Act I who are expected to fulfill
their duties as mothers and wives.

Martin (Static) Victoria's husband (usually played by the same actor who plays Harry). And most
of his conversations revolve around sex and his inability to give Victoria satisfaction.

Lin (Static) A lesbian single mother (usually played by the same actress who plays Maud),She is
not prone to the same dependence as Victoria having left her abusive husband, but still finds
obligation to the role of mother since she chose to raise Cathy alone.

Cathy (Static) Lin's daughter, 5 years old, played by a man (usually the same actor who plays
Joshua) and portrayed as a somewhat abnormal child.

Gerry (Static) Edward's lover (usually played by the same actor who plays Betty).He prefers men
not to talk during their short tryst, but only smile and leave once they are finished.

Tommy (Static) Victoria's son.

7
 Setting in the story of Cloud Nine is set in a British African Colony in the nineteenth
century, in Victorian era. So in act 1, most of the backgrounds are taken in a house and places
around the house. It can be proven from scene 1, that is takes place on the verandah of a house.
From scene 2 that is the meeting between Clive and Mrs. Saunders in an open space some
distance from the house. From Scene 3, where the women discuss the fact that the stable boys are
being flogged, this discussion also takes place in the house. And in the scene 4 and 5, takes place
on the verandah too, where there is a wedding reception for Harry and Ellen.

Setting in the Act 2 is set in London on 1970 years. The setting in act 2 is taken more at
outside and the time more shown by the season. It can be proven in every scene, in the first
scene, this is takes place one hundred years later on a winter afternoon in a London park. At the
second scene in the spring, Edward and his gay lover Gerry are outside in the open air. In the
third scene, in the park on a summer night, Victoria, Lin, and Edward are drunk. And the last, at
the fourth scene it is an afternoon in late summer. Lin, Edward, and Victoria now live together
along with the two children.

Point of view from this story is Caryl Churchill wrote his play Cloud Nine in third
person (omniscient) point of view, we call point of view third person when the narrator show the
thoughts, the emotions or the experience of the characters of each the characters in the story.
Caryl’s play not focuses on the one character, but he explain how about the characteristic from
the each characters. So, we as the reader/viewer, can understand about the story.

Plot of Cloud 9 : Exposition (Initial Situation) : The Churchill setting up the family patriarchal
British that's living in colonial Africa and he just does thing the old-fashioned way started by
Clive who has singing also one by one talk about themselves.

Conflict and Complication : First of all, Clive's wife loves another person call Harry that's Clive
friend. Second, Harry is gay. He love sex with Joshua and Edward. And then Clive sometimes
doing sex with Mrs. Saunders. Race's of Africa is disappointed with English peoples rulling over
them. But Clive don’t know the reason why they is disappointed and Clive try to make them
more civilized.

8
Climax :In Act 1, Harry and Ellen has marriage. Clive get up and give a speech to Harry and
Ellen, suddenly Joshua raises a gun to shoot him. Edward covers his ears. but the light is go
down before anything happen .

In Act 2, Betty has divorced with Clive and she invite random of man to join dinner with
her. Because Betty is afraid to life alone without protection of man. And Clive coming to Betty
to face the fact about they has divorce. And he know so he oppose her because Betty is not
woman like that.

Suspense : When Clive oppose Betty and He tell to Betty about She is not a bitch.

Denouement : When Clive finally leaves, Betty is left alone sitting in a park. Then shadow of
young Betty shows up. After looking at each other for a moment, the two Bettys embrace. The
moment seems to symbolize that fact that Betty has finally taken control of her own life and has
learned to accept herself for who she really is, and not just for what men want her to be

Conclusion : In the end, that family is broken there is nothing left and the head of family is give
up because everything he has is gone and every character get their freedom to make their choice
and fight for their rights.

We can get some moral value from the Story by the title Cloud Nine. The first is every
woman has the opportunity to realize their goals, today women are different from women in the
past, where women in ancient times were held at home and not allowed to work outside the
home, especially for school. Their job is only to take care of their husbands and children.
Women at that time were only used as husband's servants, where they had to play the role of
being a very obedient wife to the husband. However, at this time women are entitled to realize
their ideals, and are entitled to a better education.

The second of moral value is don't assume that the women don't have equality with the
men. Everyone has the right to receive equal and fair treatment and is not discriminated based on
their identity. For example, only men have the right to receive a job or if women and men have
the same job, but there are differences in salary, and women are always treated harshly, and
women and men are entitled to the same education.
9
 The third of moral value is don't treat someone from their skin color. In our social life
we are never separated from many people, surely from all those people we can find differences,
from differences in skin color, religion, race, ethnicity, culture, and country but we must not treat
someone based on these differences. We must continue to treat them like our tribal friends, even
though he is different from our tribe.

The fourth of moral value is don't force someone to behave the way we want.
Everyone must have a different character, they also have a way of thinking, how to work, how to
speak each of them. Like in the Cloud Nine story where Edward is a man but he really likes to
play with dolls. So Clive, as Edward's father punished him with a whip. This should not be done,
because every child has their own interests.

10
 CHAPTER III

CLOSING

A. Conclusion
Postmodern is a term used to describe the socio-cultural implications and
contemporary art that developed in the late 20th and early 21st century. This term first
appeared in 1930 in the arts by Federico de Onis to show the reaction of modernism. The
definition of postmodernism can becomes logical to compile some to say postmodernism
was born after modernism existed. Postmodernism period happened in 1960 until now.
Postmodernism have many of characteristic, they are: the postmodern era is a move from
the industrial era to the information era, and technology is developing rapidly and
affecting all human lifestyles, and etc.

Caryl Churchill as the creator of Cloud Nine is a British playwright. She was born
on September 3, 1938 in London. The content analysis of Cloud Nine are theme (self
acceptance, gender roles, feminism), there are a lot of characters (Clive, Harry Bagley,
Betty, Joshua, Ellen, Maud, Edward, Victoria, Mrs. Saunders, Lin, Gerry, Tommy,
Cathy, Martin). In the story there are two act, in the first act the setting it takes place on
the verandah of a house, but in act 2 the setting is taken more at outside and the time
more shown by the season. This story use the third point of view (omniscient). The plot
of this story are conclude of exposition (initial situation), conflict and complication,
climax, suspense, denouement, conclusion. The moral value from this story is don't
assume that the women don't have equality same with the men.

B. Suggestion
The discussion paper above is a paper regarding about postmodernism period. It
concludes the definition of the postmodernism, the character of postmodernism, the
postmodernism drama and its analysis. Hopefully it can increase knowledge and give
benefit for the readers. The compiler realize that there are still many errors in the
preparation of this paper. We will really delightful for any critics and suggestions to
make this paper better in the future.

11