Bigfatburger05 3rd pd
Final Exam - Postmodernist Beowulf
The epic poem of “Beowulf” seems fictional and outlandish, however it may be representative of a true event. While the part that involves monsters may not be so real, it could hold a different meaning for another great hero at the time. “Beowulf” holds the postmodern elements of pastiche, metafiction, and anti-convention to show that its story is changed from its original meaning.
“Beowulf” has elements of pastiche as it may be derived from a real adventure that happened with differing details. Although there are obvious reasons the epic poem is not a direct translation from real life, it takes place in a real location and some of the characters resemble rulers of the time. This can relate to the postmodern short story “Sink Monkey” Proujansky's use of a sink monkey is an example of pastiche because it references a popular meme of a small cute monkey in a sink. She uses the example of a sink monkey in order to act as the good side of the pregnancy while the actual human child represents the bad side of the pregnancy. She is in a constant cycle of “ambivalence” debating against herself and her friend Mandy. While in “Sink Monkey,” there is an obvious reference to a popular meme, “Beowulf” has a more hidden reference as it has taken place so long ago.
The epic poem is told in a third person omniscient point of view because the narrator knows what is going to happen, but they are separated from the story. This is an example of metafiction because the narrator may be part of the story or someone who saw everything happen and retells it. This makes the narrator be one with the epic poem and better explain its craziness. The epic poem relates to “There There” by Radiohead because they both show examples of metafiction. “There There” begins in first person with the narrator talking about himself, but shortly after it cuts to second person where the narrator is describing something calling this other person. I believe that this could be intended to represent his second part of him where his mental illness lies. I think that the song is him having a connection with his other self. While also talking to themselves, “you” can also be the audience that he is trying to send his message to. It can be a double calling to himself and to those around him about the problems of mental illness and to not let it take control. These two examples of metafiction differ due to the difference of perspective of the two pieces. Even though “Beowulf” is in third person and “There There” is in first and second person, they still relate because they are trying to ease the understanding of their subject.
Anti-Convention is used throughout “Beowulf” with the references to monsters and magical powers. The examples of monsters and powers explains the dangers and the struggles that the real hero went through in his actual adventure. Although he may not have faced physical monsters, there were still plenty of monsters he had to slay along the way. This relates to the song “Hey Ya!” by Outkast except it is almost a flip of the meaning. The music video of “Hey Ya!” is rather absurd with the repetition of Andre 3000 as all of the band members. This not only creates a state of absurdity but reflects the use of repetition throughout the song. This draws focus to the main character and allows for the listeners to learn from his perspective. The video also creates a crowd of all female fans further helping explain the message that he is trying to send. Outkast creates the feeling that everything is happy and good with the upbeat performance and actions, however the words that they speak are of a darker origin. The words that are sung suggests that everyone is unhappy with their significant others and they stay together because they are supposed to stay together. In “Beowulf,” the meaning is flipped. With the dark side being expressed from the narrator while the reality is more normal. Although the true adventure may not have been all sunshines and rainbows, there weren’t truly any monsters or dragons that had to be fought.
Works Cited
Beowulf, A Prose Translation. Translated by E. Talbot Donaldson, W.W. Norton & Company, users.pfw.edu/flemingd/OE2020/Donaldson_Beowulf.pdf. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Leach, Holly. “Highlights of Postmodernism.” Nerd Central, 3 May 2023, nerdcentralorg.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/highlights-of-postmodernism.pdf. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Outkast. “Outkast - Hey Ya! (Official HD Video).” YouTube, 25 October 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw&t=1s. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Radiohead. “Radiohead - There, There.” YouTube, 18 July 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AQSLozK7aA. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Proujansky, Alyssa. “Sink Monkey.” Tin House, 8 November 2019, tinhouse.com/category/fiction/. Accessed 9 May 2024.