Post Modern Stereotypes of Americans in Literature
Post Modern Stereotypes of Americans in Literature
American culture has the tendency to stereotype. One of the many labels that our society tags onto people is the generalization that most young and attractive females are generally passive, dependent, unintelligent and naïve. Postmodern fiction challenges ideas that most people have held to believe as stable and true. In the Norton Anthology, Simone de Beauvoir “challenged the ‘universality’ of the subject, observing that “woman is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her”…”how to undone distortions (for both women and men) of these oppositional modes of language and thought, and how to move beyond them have been issues for post modernist narratives as well as postmodern theory” (xxvi).
Postmodern American fiction author Neal Stephenson uses the themes and devices typical of postmodern writing in his book, Snow Crash. He emphasizes that, contrary to popular belief, many women can, in fact, be assertive, independent, intelligent and street smart. In defiance of society’s generalization, Neal Stephenson creates the character of Y.T. She represents a girl who, in many ways, challenges the false overview that has become, to a certain extent, a societal norm.
When the reader first meets Y.T., he or she immediately understands that the firl is extremely skilled at what she does. In addition, she enjoys her career, unlike her mother. She is a Kourier by profession, and when she realizes that she has interfered with a pizza delivery, she immediately takes matters into her own hands, and successfully completes the mission on time. The reader also sees right away that Hiro Protagonist, the “good guy,” is disgusted with himself for being interrupted specifically by a young woman. “A fucking teenaged girl” (16), he says with contempt. It is apparent that Stephenson is relating the pre-conceived notions of even Hiro Protagonjist to the stereotypes of our society in relation to young girls.
Contrary to the suggestion that many women are naïve when it comes to handling themselves, especially out on the streets, Y.T. exemplifies that she has more street smarts than probably most of the readers themselves. When confronted with the MetaCops and thrown into the Clink, she displays that she knows how to “shiv open a pair of handcuffs” (71). She is resourceful, having an array of equipment to help prepare her when faced with any situation....