TERRORISM AND THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN NOVEL: A POSTMODERNIST APPRAISAL OF DON DELLILO’S FALLING MAN (2007) AND JOHN UPDIKE’S TERRORIST (2006)

ABSTRACT

Terrorism centres on both the tactic and strategy to commit acts of violence. It is viewed as a method of combat. It is a means to achieve certain targets. Terrorist acts aim to induce a state of fear in the victims which are not necessarily the actual targets of the terrorists. The terrorist events on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States of America on September 11, 2001 have drawn the attention of many American writers. Writing about these terrorist events evolved into a field known as terrorism and America writing. This study discusses Don Dellilo‘sFalling Man (2007) and John Updike‘s Terrorist (2006) as Contemporary American novels that show awareness of terrorism. The study is a qualitative research that limits itself to two texts, Falling Man and Terrorist. This study adopts postmodernist framework as the theoretical basis for the assessment of characters and societal issues in the selected texts and how they grapple with such issues as violence, infidelity, and characters reaction to the economic state of America, poor housing and poor educational system as reasons to commit acts of violence. The study proceeds on the assumption that offering an aesthetic representation on these issues demonstrates the writers craft in creating a distinct mode of reading the event. As such using postmodernisttools in reading post 9/11 novels creates a critical view on how these events that are not only violent but appear irrational and complicated become a discourse worthy of literary study. Based on the above premise, this study finds out that most issues discussed in both texts in many ways indict America and its way of handling socio-cultural, economic and political issues. The study also finds that in order to be heard and to draw attention to America‘s way of life, terrorists resolve to commit terrorist activities.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Background of Study

Literature is a very powerful tool that has made and is still making a huge impact on the society. What happens in a society is reflected in literary works, in one form or another. This could be either through plays, poetry, and prose, etcetera. The assertion that ‗literature reflects the society‘ is as old as Plato‘s concept of imitation.One of the corrective functions performed by literatureis that it mirrors the ills of the society with a view tomaking the society realize its mistakes and make amends. Literature also recreates what is obtainable in the society, its good values and ills. This is achieved by fictionalizing what happens in the society. Writers and philosophers such as Aristotle, Shelly, and Wilde all discuss the phenomenon of the vast effects of literature through their works and reached the conclusion that man possesses an inherent curiosity and this needs to be explored as often done by the literary artist.

What literary writersdoin most casesis to recreate real life events in their society,by putting theminto fictional forms and present such to the society. Ngugi Wa Thiong‘o (1972: V) states that: ―literature does not grow or develop in a vacuum; it is given impetus, shape, direction and even area of concern by social, political and economic forces in a particular society…‖. Literature brings out contemporary issues inherent in the society and this according to Achebe (1974:10) is ―what you do as a writer depends on the state of your society…‖.Thus, any good writer must be committed to his/her society by demonstrating an awareness of his/her surroundings through writing. Chukwuma (1991:10) agrees with theabove view as he states the function of the novelist or writer in the society as follows:

The novelist is the conscience of his age. He manifests a high sensibility of the individual in society and scoops out those aspects of the system that choke and intimidate him from which he has no relief. He shows a sharp consciousness of the events of here and now, the world of today. His responsibility as a writer is to make his readers more aware of their environment and the attendant problems….

Writing  has  become  a  way  for  literary  writers  to  demonstrate  their  consciousness  of  the

happenings around them. In this way,the novelist or literary writerdrawsthe attention of readers to societal issues, conflicts as well as problems inherent in the society. This shows the writer‘s commitment to the society.

Mary Shelly (2000:45) analyzes not only the role of literature, but the role of the artist in the

society as well. She opines that:

The writer imparts meaning and perceived truth to a blank page and grants connotation to what is indefinable. Literature allows its reader to communicate with characters and feel the emotions…It also allows its readers to venture through the fictionalized lives of others in order to answer questions regarding their own life; it impacts lessons while simultaneously creating beauty in an otherwise painful or mundane existence.

Events in the society are meaningfully understood through the medium of fiction in literature.

Through a fictionalizedportrayal of characters and events, writers create beauty in their manner of presenting such events. Thus readers come to terms with what is happening around them by identifying with characters and situations.

It  is  therefore  evident  that  both  literature  and  novelists  or  writersplay  a  vital  rolein  the documentation  of  the  concerns  prevalent  in  the  society.  Writersexpresstheir  awareness  and

consciousness of these issues in form of writing. Thus, there is need for this study to brieflyconverse on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States of America as a Contemporary American social problem represented in the works of the authors under study. On the  need  for  these  terrorist  events  to  be  represented  in  literature,  Kristian  and  Rothberg

(2008:123) stresses that: ―literature is the proper vehicle through which public and private dimensions of 9/11 can be fused and that ―the American literary imagination privileges the novel‘s ability to confront the terrorist attack in public discourse (p.124). The above argument emphasizes that literature has a preeminent role in making sense out of the September 2001 event. To know the role literature plays in the American society, there is a need to know the preoccupation of American writing. In this respect, the major concerns of American writing before and after the 9/11 events, are focused upon subsequently.

1.1American Writing, Before and After 9/11

American literature is shaped by the history of the country. The rise of science and industry as well as changes in the way of thinking, feeling, wrought many modifications in the lives of American people.All these factors molded the literature of America from the 17^thcentury to the 19^th century. During the 17^th century, most of what is written as literature was by Englishmen such as John Smith, Daniel Denton, Anne Bradstreet, and Edward Taylorwho dwelt more on colonial issues (Erik, 2006). They wrote biographies, treaties, sermons, few drama and prose to explain colonizing opportunities.Other writers described their colony while a few others stressed the differences of opinion that spurred colonialists to leave their homeland. More importantly, writers during this period argued on the question of government involving the relationship between the church and the state. Poetry written during this period conveyed feelings concerning family and religious beliefs. After the American Revolution and increasingly after World War 1 of 1918, American writers were exhorted to produce a literature that is truly native.In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, writers such as William Cullen Bryant, Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, and James Fenimore Cooper initiated most of the literary development during the period. They write about cultural independence and their experiences during that period. They draw upon these experiences to pursuepost-colonial liberation and colonial expansion by conquest, appropriation and purchase.

Later on, in the 20^th century particularly, a group of writers and thinkers known as the Lost Generation evolved. This group refers specifically to American writers who emergedduring the First World War(1914-1918) and its immediate aftermath and gained popularity in American Literature. These include: Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and F.Scott Fitzgerald. They struggled to find some meaning in the world in the wake of chaos. For Hemmingway, his novels were famous for their extremely spare, blunt, simple sentences and emotions. The Lost Generation gave up on the idea that anything was truly knowable; all truths became relative and conditional.They express disillusionment with theWorld War 1 occurrence through their writings.

The preoccupation of American writing has not changed remarkably overtime.Similarly, many literary writers of the 1950s after World War II, sought to depict what they took to be common or essential to all Americans regardless of gender, class, ethnicity, or regional identity. Eric Rangno (2006:4-12) identifies some of the major trends in American literature as: World War II and the Vietnam War, Technology, Alienation, and the Absurd.Writers of this period such as Thomas Pynchon, Donald Bartheleme use literature to show the impact that computer, television, nuclear weaponry and other aspects of modern technological culture have on mankind. For Eric (2006:4):

the study of works of this period shows these literary figures criticizing American culture. The choice of the themes like self-exile, indulgence, spiritual alienation and moral degradation throws ample light on the tendency of these writers. Contemporary American Literature can be said to reflect the complexity, the unrest and the multi- culturalism of contemporary American society.

It can be deduced that American writingwas critical ofthe type of life lived by the Americans after the war.American literature is preoccupied withthe issues of spiritual alienation and poverty which the Americans faced as they (the Americans) expected to have a better living condition.With the above preoccupations of American literature, life after the war has been an active field of research on American studies before the terrorist event of September 11, 2001. Although a precise definition of contemporary American literature is not known, however it can be viewed from the perspective of what is obtainable in their writings. Contemporary American literature applies to literatures written after the World War II which reflects the socio-cultural, economic and political views of the society after the World War II. What contemporary American writers produce in their works is not farfetched from what is obtainable in previous American writings. After the heinous attacks on 11^th September 2001, it became a new preoccupation for contemporary American writers. Many contemporary American writers; Jonathan Safran Foer, Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Loorie Moore, John Updike, Joseph O‘Neil, Don Dellilo amongst others, have responded to these events in literary writing. They focus on defining the event using mostly the novel as a literary form. Most contemporary writers produce literary works that focus on moral degradation and criticize American culture as one of the reasons that led to the attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Through writing, these writers express disillusionment and struggled to find meaning about the chaotic incidents of September 11, 2001.

Describing the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Enders and Sandler (2009:260) state: ―the September 11^th, 2001 attacks in the United States, commonly referred to as 9/11, resulted in the most casualties of any single documented terrorist attack in history.‖ Sandle

and Ender‘s view points to the reason why 9/11 has become a major topic of discussion in American writing. These attacks are felt by Americans both at home and abroad, hence, the need for Contemporary American writers to express their sentiments in their writing.According to Schudson (2003:188): ―9/11 presents a unique situation where writers empathized with the public rather than remained unbiased. It presented a sympathic account of the tragedy along the lines of popular sentiment. He further states that:―Terrorism of 9/11 draws attention through its dramatic and shocking nature… therefore; it naturally creates a curiosity and increases readers interest through its written nature (p.188). The aboveview explains why 9/11 should be put in writing. Since the catastrophic events on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the discourse on terrorism has become one of the dominant preoccupations of American literature.

John Updike and Don Dellilo are amongst the masters of contemporary American fiction of the postwar era. They have written various works on American life, terrorism and terrorist activities both before and after 9/11, which have spurred a great deal of criticism and attention. Mishra (2007: 4) states that: ―if the world changed after 9/11, literature also changed. Anyone writing after the event was shaped and informed by the events. American writers such as Don Dellilo, and John Updike… faced up to terror in their own ways‖. Some of their notable works include; White Noise (1985), Mao II (1992), Falling Man (2007), Underworld (1998) by Don Dellilo and also Rabbit Remember (2001), The Witches of Eastwich (1984), Towards the End ofTime (1997), Terrorist (2006), The Poorhouse Fair (1959), Paradise Lost (2005) by John Updike. The works of both writers deals with contemporary issues prevalent in the American society at that time.Through the use of the novel as a medium in literature, they portray these events of terrorism in different ways. A brief background on Dellilo and Updike as contemporary

American writers will be consideredin order to appreciate what informs and defines their respective writing.

1.2 Backgrounds of the Authors

Over the years, plays, essays and novels have continuously been written by Don Dellilo and John Updike. These have made them part of the multitude of contemporary American writers who are saddled with the responsibility of portraying issues that bother the American society. Dellilo and Updike have become leading figures among their contemporaries as such; a study of the backgrounds of both writers is an important component of this study.

1.2.1 Don Dellilo

Don Dellilo is a white American author, playwright, essayist and novelist whose works have deal with diverse subjects and themes such as nuclear war, the cold War, the advent of the digital age, and global terrorism. He isa canonical writer who represents the contemporary American literary canon (The Anthology of American Literature 2004 and The ConciseAnthology of American Literature 2005). TheNew York Magazinerefers to Dellilo as: ―the literary master of terrorist‘s imagination returned to his favourite theme of terrorism with Falling Man 2007‖. He is well known for his sharp social criticism of contemporary American life. Bloom (2003) named him one of the four major American novelists of his time. Engels and Duvall (2008:1) give an insight generally on the works of Dellilo as follows: ―Dellilo‘s works engage issues of contemporary American society; he has dealt with toxic spills, consumerism, mass media, terrorism, conspiracy, paranoia and more. His work has been said to exhibit a prophetic reach‖. In his frequent statements on the role of the contemporary novelist, Dellilo insists that, the writer is the man or woman who automatically takes a stance against his or her government (Dellilo in Arensberg; 45). With this, Dellilo can be said to portray issues in the society from an ethical stand point, as he deals with such ethical issues as family, gender and religion. Thusin his novel Falling Man, he emphasizes the various aspects of individual‘s lives to draw a critique on terrorism in the American society. Dellilo discusses characters relationship with one another, especially family members to criticize family relations before and after the terrorist events.

1.2.2 John Updike

John Updike (1932-2009) is a white American writer who is considered as one of the most visible, successful and prolific writers of American literature as well as a prominent canonical author(Heath Anthology of AmericanLiterature, American Literature Anthology, and the Norton Anthology of American literature). For Amis (1991:34), Updike is a―master of all trades, able to crank himself up to Ph.D. level on any subject he fancies…‖Terrorist is Updike‘s twenty second novel, fictionalized in Paterson, the city of New Prospect, Northern New Jersey. Updike is from the middle class American society and had faced societal problems on a personal level. Updike therefore represents the middle class of the society and this is portrayed in his works. James Schiff (1999:63) describes Updike and his works as: ―a domestic writer whose writings revolve around the domestic affairs of middle class Americans

Due to the success and fame of Updike‘s literary works, they have been examined by many researchers. One of them is Ashipe (2007:228) who argues that: ―Updike has become increasingly aware of how in writing and rewriting his own personal history, he has also been recording America during the second half of the twentieth century. Ashipe concludes that Updike‘s fiction, Terrorist:―offers an exhaustive, intimate chronicle of a life lived … one that records and immortalizes, the experience of being alive during the second half of the twentieth century. This indicates that Updike mirrored the circumstances of the society in his literary works.

As demonstrated in the backgrounds of both writers, Dellilo and Updike‘s distinction from their contemporariesdwells on the strength of their highly imaginative focus and insightfulness of thought. Itis therefore evident that contemporary American literary writers use literature as a medium to offer insights into the terroristattacks of 9/11 and as such, the needto depict a postmodernist appraisal of their literary writings. This will enable a better understanding of the novel‘s portrayal of terrorism and the literary value of representing terrorism.

1.3Terrorism

The terms ‗terrorism‘ and ‗terrorist‘ date back to the eighteenth century (Laqueur, 1987:4).Prior to the 1960s, most terrorist activities in America were localized. It was either confined within a specific geographical jurisdiction or limited to certain regions. Within terrorism lies the word ‗terror‘. Terror comes from the latin word ―terrere which means ‗frighten‘ or ‗tremble‘. When coupled with the French suffix ‗isme‘ (referencing ―to practice), it becomes akin to ―practicing the trembling‖ or ―causing the frightening. Trembling and frightening here are synonyms of fear, panic and anxiety- what we would naturally call terror.

Various scholars have attempted to define terrorism. Jeffrey Simon (1994:29) highlights that: ―at least 212 different definitions of terrorism are in use throughout the world with ninety of them used by governmental organizations and other institutions Staiger et al. (2008: 24) acknowledge that: ―attempts to establish a definition of terrorism that transcends various National borders has been largely unsuccessful. Bravo and Dias (2006: 3) are of the view that: ―Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and a strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an excusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on which point of view is being represented.This could be based on political inclination, class, culture, ethics, race or even religion. Terrorism is obtainable in the American society and has been a topic of concern for a number of contemporary literary writings.

Generally, there are various ways in which terrorism hasbeen expressed. It ranges from kidnapping which may be due to economic deprivation, frustration and desperation; hostage taking, bloodshed and also extensive destruction to government or public facility by individuals or groups who want to instigate change or draw attention to certain issues either politically or economically. Yet, a widely accepted definition is still lacking. This study takes cognizance of the post 9/11 terrorist events in the United States of America. This is said to be the largest event of International terrorism, which occurred on September 11, 2001 in a set of attacks on various locations in the United States of America.In this particular case, terrorists hijacked civilian airliners and used them to attack the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC. According to Marsella and Moghaddam (2004:12): ―one event that has received extensive attention from the media, the Federal government, and the general public is the September 11, 2001 bombings of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon which are the worst cases of terrorism in America that claimed a lot of lives. Due to its vast recognition both in media and writing,this study will subsequently examine terrorism of September 11, 2001 and its depiction in literature using postmodernist tools.

Laqueur (1987:5) believes that; ―a comprehensive definition of terrorism… does not exist nor will it be found in the foreseeable future.‖ The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as ―the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate Government or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological‖. Laqueur (1987:14) describes terrorism as;… the use or the threat of the use of violence, a method of combat, or a strategy to achieve certain

targets… It aims to induce a state of fear in the victim that is ruthless and does not conform to humanitarian rules. Similarly, Bruce Hoffman (2006:11) explains the term as:

ineluctable political in aim and motives, violent or equally important, threatens violence, designed to have far-reaching psychological repercussions beyond the immediate victim or target conducted by an organization with an identifiable chain of command or conspiratorial cell structure (whose member wears uniform or identifying insignia), and perpetrated by a sub national group or non-state entity. It is certain that the target of terrorists in most cases is beyond the victims of such attacks. The terrorists carry out violence as a way to reach out to those who are conceived as being able to address the demands of the former. In this way, violence is a means to put pressure on the parties involved to concede to the demands of the terrorists. Laqueur and Hoffman‘s definitions of terrorism emphasize that the main idea of terrorism is that; it uses or threatens violence to achieve certain aims or targets. In one of the most rigorous attempts to define terrorism, Alex

Schmid  and  Albert  Jongman  (1988:  28)  examined  one  hundred  and  nine  (109)  different definitions of terrorism, and identified twenty two elements in these definitions, calculating the

frequency of such occurrence and issuing a lengthy consensus definition incorporating most of these elements. Consequently, they view terrorism as: an anxiety inspired method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi) clandestine individuals, groups, or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal, or political reasons, whereby in contrast to assassination the dire targets of violence the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat and violence-based communication process between terrorist (organization), victims (imperiled) and the main targets are used to manipulate the main targets (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought. This elaborate definition of terrorism emphasizes that terrorismis carried out by an individual or group of people on a target population, mostly a group of peoplewho may not necessarily be the main targets.The terrorist carry out violence as a means of communication, to bring to the noticeof those considered in position to meeting the demands of the terrorist.

Literary scholars such as Schmid and Jongman (1988) portray that the act of terrorism is carried out by an organization or group but goes ahead to differentiate it from assassination, for unlike assassination, in terrorism, ―the targets are not usually the main targets, for these terrorist acts are chosen randomly or haphazardly or in some cases selectively; that is representing or symbolizing a particular group of people from a particular target population (p. 28). Drawing from Schmid and Jongman‘s explanation, they seem to posit that a particular group of people or population on which terrorist attacks is carried on are not usually the main targets. The reason being that it will ―serve as message generators to the main targets (p.28). Terrorism in a way differs from assassination due to the targets involved. Assassination mostly centres on the murder of a particular target while in terrorism; the victims of the terrorist may not necessarily be the target. This is a way for terrorists to draw the attention of the actual targets. From the various features of what defines terrorism, this study defines terrorism as the use of violence against random civilians or particular target audience in order to intimidate or to create generalized pervasive fear for the purpose of achieving set goals which could be political, religious or ideological.

 

In view of the foregoing definitions, there are key elements of violence, fear, and intimidation embedded in terrorist acts and each of these elements produces terror in its victims. The FBI‘s definition of terrorism is instructive: ―terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment

thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. Wilkson (2006:328) further suggests that terrorism can be distinguished from other forms of violence in the following ways:

It is premeditated and designed to create a climax of extreme fear; it is directed at a wider target than the immediate victims; it is considered by the society in which it occurs as ‗extra- abnormal‘, that is, it violates the norms regulating disputes, protest and dissent; it is used primarily, though not exclusively to influence the political behavior of government, communities or specific social groups.

What should be considered about terrorism primarily is that it is a deliberate act particularly anchored as violence by terrorists to achieve their set goals. Terrorists aim to create fear among a wider audience than the targets themselves. The domain of literature and terrorism has received considerable attention by literary scholars and critics. However, it is always the terrorism part, which is given focus. The current study will illuminate through a postmodern approach how two contemporary American novels appropriate terrorism by the use of fiction, a branch of literature, providing insights into the September 11, 2001 terrorist events in Falling Man(2007) and Terrorist (2006) by Don DeLillo and John Updike respectively.

1.4 Statement of Problem

Criticisms on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have developedinto a flourishing literary field of discourse. Against this background, most works published have all based their study of these terrorist events on the psychology and trauma of the victims. They have also presented the 9/11 events as being religiously inclined. American writers after the attacks, grasped for ways to understand and present what appeared as incomprehensible trauma following the attacks. The result of these discussion shows that public and private dimensions of 9/11 can be fused into contemporary American literature to confront the terrorist attacks, to deal with the causes and effects on those affected by the attacks As important as the studyof the effects and causes of September 11, 2001events are in contemporary American literature, the idea behind literary writers‘ crafting of post 9/11 novelsas literary pieceshave not beenextensively examined. Many writers have focused mostly upon the violent nature of these attacks. This study shows that out of violence which is a negative occurrence, writers have got inspiration to write about certain issues. The study goes a long way to show that a negative occurrence such as the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 can lead to acts of creativity. This study uses postmodernist tools to focus upon distinctive literary features employed in both prose narratives that clearly give a picture of what terrorist acts and terrorism look like. By so doing, the mind of the terrorist/terrorized, victims/victimized as depicted within the context of a fictional world are foregrounded in this study. Also the focus of this study considers how the point of view which is depicted in contemporary American writingslocate not just the meaning of 9/11 in literary discourse butalso provide a morebeautiful approach to reading about the events. Consequently, the premise of this study affirms that: to offer a postmodernist appraisal of 9/11 in literature creates a distinct mode of reading the event. A reading of 9/11 just for its causes and effects on the victims even though a desirable goal does not fully appreciate the two works as literary materials. Using postmodernist tools in reading post 9/11 novels creates a critical view on how these events that are not only violent but appear irrational and complicated become a discourse worthy of literary study.

1.5 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this study is to show the relationship between literature and terrorismand its portrayal in contemporary American literature against the backdrop of September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States in the novels of Don Dellilo and John Updike.

Its objectives are therefore:

To analyze through a postmodernist theoretical approach, insights into the nature of terrorism.

To demonstrate that using a violent event such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist events as a backdrop can lead to acts of creativity.

To provide further insights, to the events of 9/11 and their aftermath as portrayed in the novels of John Updike and Don Dellilo.

To demonstrate that both novels have historical and contemporary relevance.

1.6 Justification of the Study

This study is necessary to show the need for the depiction of terrorism in literature as it gives room for the past to be re-examined or revisited, in this way exposing readers to the various modes of presenting the post September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.Itis also essentialto undertake this study because it demonstrates how carrying out a postmodernist appraisal of literary works of this nature leads to a better appreciation of literature as a reliable and beautiful way of capturing events that are not only violent, but appear irrational and complicated. Don Dellilo and John Updike are novelists who fall under contemporary American writing. Since the events of the attacks on the World trade Center and the Pentagon, their writing have focused on these attacks. Their fictional works especially Falling Man and Terrorist continue to challenge readers, scholars and critics concerning the perspective that they engender in their respective works.Hence this study contributes to such efforts that are currently undertaken to comprehend the 9/11 events by these novelists. It also relies on postmodernist trends and crafts as reading tools to expand existing knowledge.

This research encourages the portrayal of terrorist events as well as other societal ills using the medium of literature. This is not in any way condemning other forms of writing outside literature. As readers and individuals come in contact with the post 9/11 situation in literature, it shows more affective tendencies to entertain, educate, and inform readers about this particular event.After all, the purpose of every writer is to pass across a message to his or her audience and not just writing for academic purpose.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of Study

This research restricts itself to the novel genre. The novels:Falling Man and Terroristby Don Dellilo and John Updike respectively have been used for this study. Both writers are widely read and renowned contemporary American writers known for critiquing the American society. They have writtenliterary works on violence, politics, war and other issues that concern the American society.Consequently, their works have received various forms of criticism because of the manner they present issues bothering the American society. Both texts supply substantial materials that can be used to assess and evaluate the 9/11 events paying close attention to issues that inform the novels‘ portrayal of terrorism as written from the perspectives of both authors.

1.8 Methodology

This research is a qualitative one, which is text based. It deploys a postmodernist approach to show how both literary works have logically foregrounded their creativity. A deductive method of research has been carried out, a procedure that progresses from the general to the specific. This proves that literature is capable of depicting terrorism as it enables a wide range of perspectives on terrorism to be examined. The primary sources are Don Dellilo‘s Falling Man and John Updike‘s Terrorist. The secondary sourcesincludenews reports, online articles, journals, e-books, essays, and the internet which have discussed and reviewed the issue of September 11, 2001 terrorist event and the relevance of its depiction in literature. Since literature gives room for the past to be re-examined or revisited, the role of writers is therefore seen as showing awareness and consciousness about issues through writing. Don Dellilo and John Updike have written various works onAmerican and its ways, terrorism and terrorist activities to show cognizant of the American society. The terrorist events of September 11, 2001 are among the issues that these writers have revisited through writing. By undertaking a postmodernist appraisal of 9/11 terrorism, literature by way of fiction produces an avenue where both writers can recreate the ugly and horrifying experiences of 9/11 taking various point of views. In essence, literature provides writers with a suitable medium for expressing their thoughts, feelings about events that take place around them.

 

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