Chaos and reality in postmodernism through the analysis of "That awful mess on the Via Merulana" and "The pledge"

Abstract

In this thesis I intend to explore the deconstruction of the detective novel which occurs in the Postmodern era. I will discuss in detail two fundamental novels, one by the Italian author Carlo Emilo Gadda, Quer Pasticciaccio brutto de Via Merulana, translated into English as That Awful Mess On the Via Merulana, and also Das Vespreschen, translated as The Pledge by the Swiss author Frederick Durrenmatt. Both authors have had an important impact in Postmodern literature with their texts. However, I will also refer to other important authors such as Umberto Eco and Jorge Luis Borges, in order to reconstruct the postmodern milieu. Initially I will analyse the postmodern era, its possible origins, its main characteristics, and its main theories referring to Jameson, Baudrillard, Lyotard and Donnarumma. These scholars believe that the origin of postmodernism could be tied to the scientific and technological advancement, which has made the contemporary societies highly consumerist. Human beings are not able to differentiate anymore between virtual reality and the “real” reality, thus everything around them becomes a simulacrum. According to these scholars, postmodern literature can not be original and thus the authors only refer to the past and imitate or mock other works of art. Furthermore, I will explore the characteristics and differences of classical detective fiction versus the postmodern detective fiction and how the postmodern detective fiction genre incorporates within and puts into practice these postmodern critical theories. Thus, unlike the traditional detective genre, in which rationality rules, the postmodern detective novels deconstruct the conventional plot where irrationality and chaos reign. Moreover, the quest for the murderer and solution in these novels reflects the philosophical aspects of life; the now active readers are able to interpret not only the text itself, but also try and decode the mysteries of the universe. In these novels, the detective, ultimately fails due to the powerful chance, and the novel remains unfinished. This aspect reflects contemporary postmodern society where constant mysteries occur and we are unable to discover why, such as the recent catastrophic airplane mysteries. I will discuss the use of irony, parody, and pastiche in Gadda and Dürrenmatt, and how Gadda’s multi-lingual novel evokes chaos, confusion, and messiness reflecting our postmodern era. Dürrenmatt’s mix of tragedy and comedy, and his critique of the detective genre, ultimately help to unmask the truth behind the traditional detective novels and show that although these novels are a parody of the “original” genre, therefore bring authentic to use the critical term used by Baudrillard, they still offer some kind of originality with their brilliant use of language and themes. This happens where a relationship is made between the author and readers, the author and the literary work, and where an experience between the real and fictional is discussed. Furthermore, I wish to acknowledge the characterization of Gadda and Dürrenmatt as postmodern writers. Thus, I sustain that the postmodern detective novels are an excellent example of literal continuity through which the readers are privileged in both enjoying the story, and at same time being able to reflect and explore our contemporary cultural era.