What Are Some Characteristics of Contemporary Literature?
Contemporary literature is ironic and reflects a society’s political, social and personal views. The term “contemporary literature” usually applies to anything written after World War II.
Contemporary literature reflects current trends in life and culture and because these things change often, contemporary literature changes often as well. Contemporary literature most often reflects the author’s perspective and can come across as cynical. It questions facts, historical perspectives and often presents two contradictory arguments side by side.
After World War II, the world had a different perspective on things. It changed rapidly and literature changed with it, almost as rapidly, despite the fact that some authors held on to their existing beliefs. These changes stemmed from a belief that continues to grow today, the belief that there is no God. After the horrors of the war, many people came to the conclusion that God was either dead or did not exist in the first place, which brought with it the idea that maybe life was meaningless. Writers struggled to communicate in a way that showed the world how to cope with this “truth.”
In the 21st century, contemporary literature reflects these beliefs and changes often, based on how the world changes. It is based on human diversity, character and emotion.
