The work of David Foster Wallace and post-postmodernism

This thesis uses the work of David Foster Wallace to exemplify two
definitions of the term 'post-postmodernism'. I examine the literary
connotation of 'post-postmodernism' – thus far, its predominant critical
application – identifying the key characteristics of its form and addressing
the centrality of Wallace's writing to its study. I extend this by showing how
the term post-postmodern identifies a clear historical period and its cultural
practices. Through detailed analyses of Wallace's work, I show the overlaps
between post-postmodernist literature and the historical and cultural logic
from which it emerged. This detailed argument not only allows me to
establish the significance of Wallace's writing as both reflection of and critical
intervention into the contemporary period, it also allows me to establish a
contextualized significance for the study of 'post-postmodernism' in a variety
of contexts and forms. My study takes in a variety of literary genres from
Wallace's corpus, in order to produce a comprehensive reading of the
implications of his work. It is organized around the central thematic strands
of post-postmodernist literature, complemented by briefer discussions of the
style and form such literature takes. These are all presented such that they
establish that Wallace's writing is a primary exemplar of post-postmodernist
literature; but also that his writing demonstrates a broader critical
understanding of the term. Each set of readings is carefully contextualized to
allow me to show the contiguous nature of the multiple uses of the term
post-postmodernism. In my conclusion, I turn to address the broader
significance of the detailed and multivalent definition of post-postmodernism
that this thesis produces.