Abstract
Postmodern theorists and authors have long argued that history is a constructed system of knowledge, and therefore prone to error. Yet, despite memory’s connection to history, postmodern authors have continued to utilize it as a stable narrative device, tying their characters to a past that continues to emotionally and even physically harm them. Characters in such novels often turn to their memories in order to understand their past, believing that it offers a truthful view of what has already occurred. Denis Johnson’s novels shift away from this modernist usage of memory, and develop a truly postmodern use. Characters in his novels recognize that memory is flawed, and despite occurring organically is in part a constructed system of knowledge. Due in part to its constructed nature, memory cannot be trusted, and Johnson’s fiction emphasizes a departure from relying solely on memory as a fact-based source to the past.
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