Postmodernism In Wilson's Grand Stand-In

Postmodernism has quickly become a major focus in contemporary literary over the last decade. But how can it be defined? The term postmodernism lacks one concrete definition, as many critics, scholars, and authors disagree or vary on one sole way literature is categorized as postmodern. One way postmodernism can be described is “a culture of fragmentary sensations, eclectic nostalgia, disposable simulacra, and promiscuous superficiality, in which the traditionally valued qualities of depth, coherence, meaning, originality, and authenticity are evacuated or dissolved amid the random swirl of empty signals” (Baldick 201). There are many aspects and qualities that can go into a story to make it postmodern, so it is understandable that it is hard to agree on one, single definition. However, many agree that postmodernism represents the rejection of Modernist ideas of more rational universal standards but embrace and extend experimentation. In many postmodern works, the authors prefer to see things as local and contingent, as well as abandon the concept of order and tradition to suggest that truth is aways subject to

The narrator of “Grand Stand-In” is a ‘stand-in’ for a real grandmother to five different families through a business called Grand Stand-In. She is a essentially a replacement grandmother to families that the children can form good memories with. The reader never gains much information on her personal life besides her age. She states “I go by Gammy, MeeMaw, Grandma Helen, Mimi, and weirdly enough Gammy once again” which clearly demonstrates the lack of a central identity of the narrator (Wilson 3). The fragmentation of the narrator maintains the idea that she is empty or missing something from not being able to establish a sense of identity and form true relationships which emphasizes postmodern qualities of lacking