1. Identity:
- Modernism: Well-defined, individualistic identity with fixed characteristics.
- Postmodernism: Fragmented, multiple, and fluid identity, subject to cultural and social influences.
2. Relationship with the World:
- Modernism: Isolated, alienated, and in search of meaning amidst social and technological upheaval.
- Postmodernism: Connected, fragmented, and operating within a simulacrum of the real world.
3. Perspective:
- Modernism: Objective, truth-seeking, and focused on universal truths.
- Postmodernism: Subjective, fragmented, and emphasizes the instability of knowledge.
4. Agency:
- Modernism: Protagonists with strong agency, striving for authenticity and self-realization.
- Postmodernism: Characters with diminished agency, caught in predetermined narratives or social structures.
5. Purpose:
- Modernism: Seeking redemption, enlightenment, or artistic transcendence.
- Postmodernism: No fixed purpose or grand narratives, often exploring the absurdity of existence.
6. Language:
- Modernism: Complex, expressive, and focused on conveying objective truths.
- Postmodernism: Fragmented, ironic, and emphasizes the artifice and playfulness of language.
7. Narrative Structure:
- Modernism: Linear, coherent, and often follows a traditional arc of progression.
- Postmodernism: Non-linear, fragmented, and juxtaposes multiple perspectives and narratives.
8. Ending:
- Modernism: Often open-ended or unresolved, providing a sense of ambiguity or existential despair.
- Postmodernism: May end with a sense of irony, futility, or metafiction, questioning the stability of endings and narratives.